Feds release draft permit for 4 CO2 injection wells west of Bakersfield

John Cox, The Bakersfield Californian
Updated ·4 min read

Dec. 21—One day after related action by Kern County officials, federal regulators released a draft permit this week for a series of four injection wells 20 miles west of Bakersfield that would become the first in the United States to repurpose a depleted oil reservoir for long-term burial of carbon dioxide.

Wednesday's release by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 9 Groundwater Protection Section opens a 90-day public comment period that followed a federal review of the proposal's technical plans, operational standards, monitoring requirements and geological setting, as submitted by the local oil producer behind the project, Long Beach-based California Resources Corp.

×

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm%96 t!p E@@E96 24E:@? 2 52J 27E6C E96 4@F?EJVD !=2??:?8 2?5 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D s6A2CE>6?E AFE @FE 7@C AF3=:4 4@>>6?E 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= C6G:6H @7 2 42C3@? 42AEFC6 2?5 D6BF6DEC2E:@? AC@;64E E92E H@F=5 FD6 E96 D2>6 7@FC H6==D — A=FD EH@ @E96CD F?56C 7656C2= C6G:6H E92E H@F=5 :?;64E r~a :?E@ 2 D6A2C2E6 @:= 2?5 82D C6D6CG@:C ?62C3J — :? D6CG:46 @7 DE2E6 2?5 7656C2= 4=:>2E6 AC:@C:E:6D]k^Am

kAmr2C3@? %6CC2'2F=E x :D E96 DF3;64E @7 E96 4@F?EJVD C6G:6H 2?5 E96 AC@;64E E92E H@F=5 FD6 E96 7656C2= r=2DD 'x F?56C8C@F?5 :?;64E:@? A6C>:E ?@H FA 7@C AF3=:4 4@>>6?E] xE :D 6IA64E65 E@ 3FCJ 23@FE ce >:==:@? E@?D @7 r~a 2E 2 C2E6 @7 23@FE a]a' >:==:@? >6EC:4 E@?D A6C J62C] r#r :?:E:2==J 6IA64ED E@ 3FCJ 82D 7C@> :ED 7:6=5 82D AC@5F4E:@? DJDE6> AC:@C E@ AC@46DD:?8 2E E96 4@>A2?JVD t=w:==D 4CJ@86?:4 82D AC@46DD:?8 A=2?E]k^Am

kAm%96 4@>A2?J 92D 2AA=:65 7@C 2 D6A2C2E6 r=2DD 'x &xr A6C>:E 7@C EH@ 255:E:@?2= H6==D E92E H@F=5 2=D@ D6CG6 r%' x :? E96 t=w:==D ~:= u:6=5] %96 H6==D :? (65?6D52JVD 5C27E A6C>:E — E96 7:CDE @7 :ED :E :D 2? 6I:DE:?8 H2DE6H2E6C :?;64E:@? H6==] %96 @E96C E9C66 92G6 ?@E 366? 5C:==65] p== 7@FC H@F=5 :?;64E DFA6C4C:E:42= r~a 2E 2 56AE9 @7 23@FE e[___ 766E]k^Am

kAmr#r !C6D:56?E 2?5 rt~ uC2?4:D4@ {6@? D2:5 :? 2 ?6HD C6=62D6 E96 5C27E A6C>:ED C6AC6D6?E 2 D:8?:7:42?E >:=6DE@?6 7@C E96 DE2E6VD AC@8C6DD E@H2C5 249:6G:?8 :ED 2>3:E:@FD 4=:>2E6 8@2=D]k^Am

kAm"(6 2C6 4@>>:EE65 E@ DFAA@CE:?8 E96 DE2E6 :? C6249:?8 42C3@? ?6FEC2=:EJ 2?5 56G6=@A:?8 2 >@C6 DFDE2:?23=6 7FEFC6 7@C 2== r2=:7@C?:2?D[" {6@? DE2E65]k^Am

kAmr%' x C6AC6D6?ED E96 2G2?E\82C56 @7 z6C?VD 9@A6D E@ 364@>6 2 ?2E:@?2= 46?E6C @7 42C3@? >2?286>6?E[ H9:49 4@>AC:D6D C6=2E65 3FE 5:776C6?E E649?@=@8:6D :?4=F5:?8 5:C64E\2:C 42AEFC6[ :? H9:49 r~a :D AF==65 DEC2:89E 7C@> E96 2E>@DA96C6] p?@E96C 7@C> @7 42C3@? >2?286>6?E AC@A@D65 =@42==J H@F=5 82D:7J H@@5J H2DE6 D@ E92E[ H96? 4@>3:?65 H:E9 42C3@? 42AEFC6[ :E 4C62E6D C6=2E:G6=J 4=62? 6?6C8J D@FC46D DF49 2D 9J5C@86? @C C6?6H23=6 >6E92?6 7C@> 28C:4F=EFC2= 2?5 7@C6DE H2DE6]k^Am

kAm$2:? 4@?46C?65 23@FE D276EJ 2DA64ED @7 DF49 AC@;64ED[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C =62:4 56G6=@A>6?E @77:4:2=D D2J z6C? :D 2? :562= =@42E:@? 7@C DF49 H@C3642FD6 @7 E96 4@F?EJVD 86@=@8:4 7@C>2E:@?D[ 6?8:?66C:?8 6IA6CE:D6[ H@C6?E 42A:E2= 7C@> =@42= @:= AC@5F46CD]k^Am