Pipeline
Decommissioning
Unocal has removed over 140 miles of abandoned
pipelines from the Guadalupe oil field, which were used
for transporting oil, natural gas, water and steam. With the approval
of the agencies’ Onsite Environmental Monitor, pipeline has
been left in place if it is buried more than 2 feet below
the ground, could significantly disturb listed species or sensitive
habitat if removed or could cause a significant physical disturbance.
A map indicating the location of all the abandoned-in-place pipelines
was provided to the San Luis Obispo County Planning and Building
Department.
Removal
of 26-inch pipeline
Other
Facilities/Features:
The existing road network in the field provides access to ongoing
groundwater sampling/monitoring, remediation, excavation and pipeline
decommissioning activities and keeps equipment and personnel off environmentally sensitive terrain. The existing well pads provide necessary
staging areas for equipment during the conduct of remediation projects,
pilot studies, aquifer tests and decommissioning activities. As
currently proposed, many roads and well pads will be removed upon
completion of decommissioning and remediation activities. Monitoring
wells have been installed throughout the site, and will be removed
when no longer needed for groundwater monitoring or other studies.
Oil spray lenses are present at the Field from sand stabilization
efforts in the past. Many of the lenses have been buried beneath
shifting sands, are no longer visible and have mature vegetation
growing from the surface. In many instances, the disturbance caused
by removing the lenses would be greater than leaving the site alone
to naturally revegetate. However, in other areas where contiguous
blocks of lens are large enough, treatment may consist of breaking
up the surface with hand tools or heavy construction equipment to
allow sand exposure and a possible opening for seed germination.
