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Gaviota Terminal Abandonment


Gaviota Oil Terminal


What's New

GTC facility fades into history

  • As of September 22, looking east through the GTC site presents a wide open vista with only a few scraps of material awaiting stockpiling and offsite disposal.  Any area that has been subject to demolition activities is being prepared for storm water and erosion control in anticipation of possible winter storms.

Typical ground cover to prevent soil erosion and possible spread of contamination is represented below.


All of the structures in the lower valley have been demolished. This is a view looking south east toward the ocean.


Demolition of the final tank, #54, the fire water storage tank, nears completion with only the floor remaining. This structure has been used historically for water storage so no contamination is expected to be discovered.

 


Project Chronology


Description

An onshore crude oil storage facility consisting of six tanks.

Location

The Gaviota Oil Terminal is located on the ocean side of Highway 101 opposite the Gaviota Oil & Gas Processing Facility.


Shell Pipeline Company, LP Location


Overhead View of the Gaviota Oil Terminal

Onshore Facilities

  • Tank Farm
    • Located on approximately 42 acres
    • Six onsite storage tanks
      • 670,500 barrel storage capacity (all six tanks)
      • Fire water storage tank has 80,000 barrel capacity
      • Idled tanks have been purged of all hydrocarbons and are open to the atmosphere
  • Pipelines:
    • 24-inch diameter onshore oil pipeline


Product Distribution

  • Crude Oil (from Arguello, Inc.)
    • Distributed via pipeline to the Gaviota Oil Terminal for product for storage; then pumped to the 24-inch diameter portion of the All American Pipeline


Past Activities

  • The first petroleum-related facilities date back to 1896 when the Alcatraz Asphaltium Company erected an asphalt processing plant and a deep-water wharf. The processed asphalt was then shipped by railroad or marine vessel to local markets.
  • In 1904, the National Oil and Transportation Company acquired the plant and converted it into a 3,000 barrel per day (BPD) crude oil refinery to handle oil from the Santa Maria oil field. Later the refinery was taken over by the Associated Oil Company, who operated the facility until 1920.
  • In 1950, the original Gaviota site facilities were completely dismantled (including the original wharf), and in its place a modern marine terminal was constructed. Dual 12-inch pipelines were installed to a distance of 2,400 feet from shore for the loading of crude oil tankers. Mooring facilities consisted of five 16,500 pound anchors marked with mooring buoys.
  • Until 1969, the offshore marine terminal loaded offshore oil produced in the western Santa Barbara Channel.
  • From 1969 until 1987, the terminal loaded only oil produced from onshore wells and trucked to the site mostly from Kern County.
  • The Gaviota Oil Terminal was constructed in 1987 and began operation in 1991 as an interim marine terminal.
  • Since 1991, the facility served to store oil produced from the Point Arguello field and oil processed at the Gaviota Oil and Gas Facility; however, nearly all oil is now transported to refinery centers via overland pipelines.
  • The facility shipped oil via the marine terminal for less than one year.
  • Texaco suspended loading of marine tankers at the Gaviota Oil Terminal in 1994, and subsequently abandoned the offshore pipeline and marine tanker mooring in 1998.
  • Effective May 1, 2002, Shell Pipeline Company became the successor to Equilon’s interest in the GTC partnership. In December 2002, the County approved Shell Pipeline Company as the new operator.
  • GTC permanently ceased operations and evacuated all oil from the site as of the third quarter of 2005. The operator applied to the County for a Demolition and Reclamation Permit in May of 2006. Meanwhile, the County has initiated a rezone of the site from Coastal-Dependent Industry to recreation.

 
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