An emergency repair to cap an abandoned oil well leaking oil and methane gas under a house on the Balboa Peninsula is taking longer than expected due to unforeseen technical challenges encountered during drilling, city officials said on Friday, Nov. 19.
“Everything was on track to be done by Christmas,” said Mark Vukojevic, the city’s utilities director, explaining the goal is to drill into the old pipe and fill it with cement.
But after drilling down 500 feet and locating the 1,000-foot-long pipe, the crews have been unable to pierce the cast-iron pipe, he said. “The angle is near vertical and it’s not getting a bite.”
Crews and drilling equipment squeeze into a Balboa Peninsula neighborhood trying to cap a 1920s-era oil well that is leaking. (Courtesy of Mark Vukojevic)“Every day presents another day of risk for oil to seep into surrounding homes or waterways,” Vukojevic said. “It’s necessary to continue this emergency effort.”
The oil, methane and hydrogen sulfide coming from the 1920s-era well under the home were first detected on Oct. 23, and city officials temporarily evacuated seven other nearby residences.
Residents at the home had reported seeing oil well up under their foundation in August.
City crews installed vents to stabilize the well, Vukojevic said, but then sought assistance from the California Geologic Energy Management Division, which oversees orphaned oil wells throughout the state.
“Because of the amount of oil seeping and the proximity to the water, they initiated an emergency action,” Vukojevic said.
An oil rig platform was brought to the site, and drilling began just after Thanksgiving.
Vukojevic and others were meeting Friday night to discuss next steps; meanwhile, he said, the project could take another two weeks.
A second, vacant house has also been red-tagged because Vukojevic said it’s likely there is oil beneath it, too.
Some residents have chosen to leave the area while the work continues, he said. The platform has bright lights and generators.
“There is an immediate impact, but it is also affecting the general community,” Vukojevic said. “People blocks and blocks away can see the rig and hear the generators.”
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