Lakeview Gusher
Encyclopedia
Lakeview Gusher Number One was an immense out-of-control pressurized oil well
in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field
in Kern County
, California, resulting in what is the largest single oil spill in history, lasting 18 months and releasing 9 Moilbbl of crude oil. In what was one of the largest oil reserves in America, pressure built to an extreme due to the quantity of crude oil in the area. When drilling in the area began, primarily by the Lakeview Oil Company, it was expected to find natural gas
and a small amount of crude oil; but there was a large blowout, resulting in an overload of storage tanks.
The geyser
of congealed crude oil amounted to nearly 9 Moilbbl of oil, or more than 1.2 million US tons
, far more than any other on land or water. The site of the Lakeview oil geyser is located about a half-mile (800 m) east of the Taft
-Maricopa
Highway, State Route 33
, and is marked by a Caltrans guide sign and a bronze plaque, and is designated as California Historical Landmark number 485.
While modern well-drilling techniques have advanced safety features such as blowout preventer
s that reduce the chances of a gusher, early twentieth-century drilling technology could not contain the high pressures encountered at Lakeview. The gusher began on 14 March 1910, as the drill bit reached 2440 ft (743.7 m).
The well casing is a steel pipe-liner that contains oil as it is pumped from the well. During drilling, the casing also guides the drill bit and drive shaft in a roughly straight line. Pressure blew at least part of the casing out, along with an estimated 9 Moilbbl of oil, before the gusher was brought under control 18 months later in September 1911.
The initial daily flow from the gusher was 18800 barrels (2,988,961.1 l), peaking at approximately 90000 barrels (14,308,856.6 l), creating a downhill running river of crude oil from the well site, while crews rushed to contain it with a system of improvised sand bag dams and dikes. During its 18-month duration, the gusher never caught fire.
Oil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
in the Midway-Sunset Oil Field
Midway-Sunset Oil Field
The Midway-Sunset Oil Field is a large oil field in Kern County, San Joaquin Valley, California in the United States. Discovered in 1894, and having a cumulative production of close to of oil at the end of 2006, it is the largest oil field in California and the third largest in the United States....
in Kern County
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, California, resulting in what is the largest single oil spill in history, lasting 18 months and releasing 9 Moilbbl of crude oil. In what was one of the largest oil reserves in America, pressure built to an extreme due to the quantity of crude oil in the area. When drilling in the area began, primarily by the Lakeview Oil Company, it was expected to find natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
and a small amount of crude oil; but there was a large blowout, resulting in an overload of storage tanks.
The geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
of congealed crude oil amounted to nearly 9 Moilbbl of oil, or more than 1.2 million US tons
Tons
Tons can refer to:* Tons River, a major river in India* the plural of ton, a unit of mass, force, volume, energy or power* short ton, 2,000 pounds, used in the United States...
, far more than any other on land or water. The site of the Lakeview oil geyser is located about a half-mile (800 m) east of the Taft
Taft, California
Taft is a city in the foothills at the extreme southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, in Kern County, California. Taft is located west-southwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 955 feet . The population was 9,327 at the 2010 census...
-Maricopa
Maricopa, California
Maricopa is a city in Kern County, California, United States. Maricopa is located south-southeast of Taft, at an elevation of 883 feet . The population was 1,154 at the 2010 census, up from 1,111 at the 2000 census. Maricopa lies at the junction of Route 166 and Route 33...
Highway, State Route 33
California State Route 33
State Route 33 is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California. SR 33 replaced part of U.S. Route 399 in 1964 during the "great renumbering" of routes. In the unincorporated sections of Kern County it is known as the West Side Highway...
, and is marked by a Caltrans guide sign and a bronze plaque, and is designated as California Historical Landmark number 485.
Background
Drilling at Lakeview Number One well was started by the Lakeview Oil Company on 1 January 1909. As the drilling continued and only natural gas was found, the Lakeview company partnered with Union Oil Company which wanted to build storage tanks on Lakeview property.While modern well-drilling techniques have advanced safety features such as blowout preventer
Blowout preventer
A blowout preventer is a large, specialized valve used to seal, control and monitor oil and gas wells. Blowout preventers were developed to cope with extreme erratic pressures and uncontrolled flow emanating from a well reservoir during drilling. Kicks can lead to a potentially catastrophic...
s that reduce the chances of a gusher, early twentieth-century drilling technology could not contain the high pressures encountered at Lakeview. The gusher began on 14 March 1910, as the drill bit reached 2440 ft (743.7 m).
The well casing is a steel pipe-liner that contains oil as it is pumped from the well. During drilling, the casing also guides the drill bit and drive shaft in a roughly straight line. Pressure blew at least part of the casing out, along with an estimated 9 Moilbbl of oil, before the gusher was brought under control 18 months later in September 1911.
The initial daily flow from the gusher was 18800 barrels (2,988,961.1 l), peaking at approximately 90000 barrels (14,308,856.6 l), creating a downhill running river of crude oil from the well site, while crews rushed to contain it with a system of improvised sand bag dams and dikes. During its 18-month duration, the gusher never caught fire.
See also
- List of oil spills
- Largest oil spills in history
External links
- The Lakeview Gusher site images at The Center for Land Use InterpretationCenter for Land Use InterpretationThe Center for Land Use Interpretation is a non-profit "research organization involved in exploring, examining, and understanding land and landscape issues...