OG Chevron 23 Wells 11012021
Summary
SCH Number
2022080130
Public Agency
California Department of Conservation
(DOC)
Document Title
OG Chevron 23 Wells 11012021
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/5/2022
Document Description
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. (Chevron) proposes to drill 23 new wells (Attachment 1) in the Cymric oil field in Kern County to help mitigate the unrestricted flow of oil and water at the surface that is caused by a series of surface expressions referred to as “Gauge Setting 5” (GS-5). (Manmade surface expression can occur when steam injected under pressure to produce oil breaks through natural geologic barriers and comes to the surface; this is the case in the GS-5 surface expression.) Four of the new wells will be used to gather information and may never produce oil. Other new wells will produce oil in amounts determined necessary to relieve pressure in areas believed to be influencing GS-5. Only 4 of the 23 new wells will be drilled into the primary productive subsurface layer (the diatomite) for information gathering purposes but then will be plugged above that zone within the overburden. No production will occur from the diatomite productive zone.
Contact Information
Name
Jan Perez
Agency Name
Department of Conservation, California Geologic Energy Management
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Counties
Kern
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
Cymric oil field
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
As the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lead agency for the project, CalGEM has determined that the proposed project is exempt from further environmental review requirements of CEQA, pursuant to the statutory exemption: Emergency Project (Pub. Resources Code, § 21080(b)(4); 14 CCR § 15269(c)). “Specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency. This does not include long-term projects undertaken for the purpose of preventing or mitigating a situation that has a low probability of occurrence in the short-term, but this exclusion does not apply (i) if the anticipated period of time to conduct an environmental review of such a long-term project would create a risk to public health, safety or welfare, or (ii) if activities (such as fire or catastrophic risk mitigation or modifications to improve facility integrity) are proposed for existing facilities in response to an emergency at a similar existing facility.” (14 CCR § 15269(c).)
County Clerk
Kern
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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