Natural Oil and Gas Seeps

The natural seeps of crude oil and natural gas flowing into the ocean on and near the coast of California are among the largest and most active
concentration of such seeps in the world. Seeps off of Coal Oil Point near the University of California at Santa Barbara put an average of 150-170 barrel of crude oil and 5 million cubic feet of natural gas into the ocean every day. This activity leaves a large and visible sheen on the ocean surface.

• According to the Minerals Management Service, more than one million barrels of oil have seeped off the coast of Southern and Central California since 1980.

• Crude oil seeping into the sea from Coal Oil Point alone is equal to about 55,000 barrels of oil a year. Additionally, approximately 1.8 billion cubic feet of natural gas is seeping annually into the atmosphere.

• Air pollution caused by the seeps is related to the amount of reactive hydrocarbons contained in the seep gas. These hydrocarbons, known as reactive organic compounds, react with sunlight to create smog.

• This seepage contributes 22 tons of reactive organic gases to the air in Santa Barbara each day. By comparison, all of the motor vehicle trips in Santa Barbara County produce 18 tons of hydrocarbons daily.

• A new study of the Coal Oil Point seeps, begun in 1994 with a geophysical survey, suggests that the amount of hydrocarbon seepage in the Santa Barbara Channel has been substantially reduced by offshore oil production. As oil and gas are produced from the underground reservoirs, the pressure that causes oil and gas to seep is decreased. In fact, a 1999 study confirmed that over the past 22 years, there has been a 50% reduction in the natural gas seepage within the range of one kilometer of Platform Holly.

• In addition to reducing seeps by reducing underground pressures by extracting oil and gas, an innovative Seep Containment Project was developed in 1982 by ARCO, Mobil and several other industry partners to capture the free-flowing gas. Two 50-foot high steel pyramids were positioned on the ocean floor over the seeps to capture escaping oil and gas. Each day, the giant tents capture an amount of hydrocarbons roughly equal to the emissions of more than 35,000 cars.

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