Offshore Oil and Gas
In 1992, ocean-dependent oil and gas activities were estimated to have contributed $850 million to the State's economy, employing approximately 25,600 people (California Research Bureau, 1993), although the Western States Petroleum Association estimates that this figure could be up to two times higher. The State has had to balance economic benefits against the adverse impacts to coastal views, fisheries, tourism, air quality, the health of marine resources, and both direct and indirect impacts to onshore communities. Concerns regarding the cumulative impacts of offshore oil and gas development, combined with a number of major marine oil spills throughout the world in recent years, have led to a permanent moratorium in California on offshore oil and gas leasing in State waters, as well as a leasing moratorium in federal waters until the year 2008. However, development on existing State and federal leases is not affected and may still occur within offshore areas leased prior to the implementation of leasing restrictions.
The 1969 blowout and oil spill from Unocal's platform A in the Santa Barbara Channel received international attention and was a major catalyst in the development of modern environmental law in the United States. The spill influenced the passage of major State and federal legislation, such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Water Act, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Coastal Initiative in 1972 (Proposition 20), and California Coastal Act of 1976. Pursuant to these and other statutes, development permits for onshore or offshore oil and gas facilities cannot be issued without provisions to protect terrestrial, marine, visual, recreational, and air resources.
Currently, there are twenty-six production platforms, one processing platform and six artificial oil and gas production islands located in the waters offshore California. Of the twenty-seven platforms, four are located in State waters offshore Santa Barbara and Orange Counties, and twenty-three are located in federal waters offshore Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Four platforms in State waters off Santa Barbara County (Chevron's platforms Hazel, Hilda, Hope, and Heidi) were abandoned and removed in 1996. There are also eighty marine terminals in State waters and numerous land-based oil production, transportation, and storage facilities.
Other Mineral Resource Extraction
Some commercial mineral resource extraction operations in California's inland watershed, enclosed waters and nearshore ocean zones have proven to be economically viable. Recreational collecting in these areas also continues to be popular with the public, but is relatively limited in scope. Mineral extraction in deep ocean waters off California's coast have been considered in the past, but were dismissed due to technical, economic, and environmental considerations. However, deep ocean operations may be proposed again in the future with advancing technologies.
Enclosed Waters and Nearshore Ocean Zones
Several mineral resource extraction activities occur, or have occurred in the recent past, near or along the California shoreline. These activities include:
- production of sodium chloride (salt), magnesium and magnesium compounds, bromine and other chemicals from sea water and brine in the San Francisco Bay and San Diego Bay areas;
- mining stone for rip rap and aggregate from Santa Catalina Island;
- mining oyster shells for cement, poultry grit, and soil conditioner from San Francisco Bay;
- sand and silt for fill material in multiple areas;
- dredging sand for various uses, including as an ingredient in portland cement concrete;
- mining specialty sand in the Monterey Bay Area; and
- small scale mineral collection along several areas of the coast, such as recreational jade collection along the Big Sur coastline.
Offshore Ocean Zone
A wide variety of mineral resources exist offshore the California coast, but commercial extraction has been limited to mostly exploration activities due to technical and economic constraints. Such mineral resources include:
- sand and gravel for aggregate from various areas, including the outer continental shelf of Southern California (San Pedro Shelf and San Diego Shelf);
- heavy minerals which could provide sources of titanium, gold, rare-earth elements, and platinum (various areas off the California coast);
- barite nodules on the continental shelf (east of San Clemente Island, southwest of San Nicolas Island, southwest slope of Cortes Bank, Patton Escarpment, southwest of Navy Bank);
- manganese nodules containing manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper (primarily on abyssal ocean floor and submarine ridges, sporadically on lower continental slope); and
- polymetallic sulfides on ridges (spreading centers), possibly in Northern California offshore areas.
This file last modified on: Tuesday, January 24, 2006.