State Oil and Gas Well Plug and Abandonments

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​An oil and gas state abandonment is the plugging and abandonment (permanent closure and sealing) of an orphan or deserted (or potentially deserted) oil and gas well through a state contract..

Visit the Project Plu​​g​ Page​: Learn about regional work on Phase One projects

Latest Actions/Announcements

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Project PLUG Work Updates: Kern County

September 10, 2025: Initial Study & Mitigated Negative Declaration

​​The INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION for the permanent sealing of Orphan Wells in Kern County has been released for Public Review.  The project involves the State of California's plugging and abandoning (permanent sealing) of eighteen (18) orphan wells in Kern County, California. One well is not within an oil field, while the rest are in the Fruitvale (12), Mountain View (3), Edison (1), and Semitropic (1) Oil Fields​

View the Mitegated Negative Declaration - Kern County Project​ (PDF)




Project PLUG Work Updates: West Hills (Canoga Park)

September 10, 2025: West Hills Community Meeting – Plugging & Sealing Wells​

An in-person community meeting will be held September 10, 2025, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm for residents of the West Hills area to learn about upcoming work on 6 oil wells that will be plugged and sealed in the neighborhood. Please submit your questions and/or RSVP here: https://forms.office.com/g/J9zZDCg3q9

This project Community Health, Safety, and Notification Plan provides community members with essential information about work schedules, safety measures, and emergency contacts. Click the link below ​to access the complete plan.  ​​


​August 11, 2025:  The INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION for the Permanent Sealing of Orphan Wells in Canoga Park has been released for Public Review.  The project consists of the State of California's plugging and abandoning (P&A) of six (6) orphan wells in the inactive CalGEM-designated Canoga Park oil field (private land, no longer an active oil field), within unincorporated Los Angeles County. A portion of the Project site (where access road improvements would occur) is located within the City of Los Angeles.  ​ PDF Linked

Project PLUG Work Updates: AllenCo​

August 1, 2025: To date, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and contractor, Driltek has plugged 11 of the 21 “Saint James” drill site wells. Other wells have had some partial abandonment completed, but these wells are still undergoing observation before completing those abandonments. The project is expected to be completed by second quarter of 2026 calendar year. 

State Oil and Gas Well Abandonment Expenditure Plan - Phase 3 (Planning Phase)

August 2025: CalGEM is currently in the process of creating a Phase 3 set of wells for plugging. These wells are projected to start at the completion of Phase 2.​​​​

Project PLUG Work Updates: Orange County

August 28, 2025:  The INITIAL STUDY/MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION for the Permanent Sealing of an Orphan Well in Orange County has been released for Public Review. The project involves the State of California's plugging and abandoning (permanent sealing) of one (1) orphan well on the eastern side of Orange County, California. The well, identified as Well #1 (API[1]: 0405907151), is in the Brea-Olinda Oil Field north of Brea, California.

[1] API refers to the unique well identification number established by the American Petroleum Institute.​​

Mitegated Negative Declaration - Orange County Project (PDF)​​


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