Edhat Staff
By an edhat reader
Readers are pointing out a large oil sheen seen around Platform Holly this week.
One reader was aboard a commercial airline flight on Monday and emailed edhat asking, “is there an oil spill near Platform Holly? There appears to be a lot of sheen around the platform, much more than normal.”
Another local pilot emailed and expressed a similar concern and was worried there hasn’t been any news about it.
Platform Holly was installed in state waters two miles off Goleta in 1966, is slated to be decommissioned and wells plugged within five years by the State Lands Commission.
No platform of comparable size has ever been removed on the Pacific Coast.
According to The Independent, no formal spills have been reported but all possible spills can be reported to the National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.
What kind of investigator is he?
Calm down, Holly isn’t even producing. It’s natural seepage due to a pressured up formation. Now that this platform is being removed expect a never ending oil sheen until the formation is completely depleted. Now that there’s no way to relieve the pressure get used to constant oil in the water.
Most likely natural seep. With Holly decommissioned, the seepage tents that used to be collect seep is not being done so expect more to end up on the beach. There is always some around the platform and more visible when ocean conditions are calm, quake activity too.
Back in the late 70’s – early 80’s we installed 2 huge steel tents that were set on the ocean floor close by to the platform. They were constructed to actively capture natural gas & oil seeps. The recovered oil & gas was then processed via the platform. ARCO oil did this to gain carbon credits, in exchange for future drilling. Since the state wants to shut down the platform and eventually remove it the captured oil & gas are simply released back into the ocean.
These platforms attract so much incredible sea life, you would be so amazed at the sea life around these platforms.
That sheen has been there as long as I have been flying in and out of SB. I fly almost daily BTW. Most likely natural seepage.