BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Chevron has resumed oil drilling in Kern County, with crews now working on what the company says is the 41st of 138 wells approved for this cycle.
On Friday morning, Chevron gave community partners and the media an up-close look at one of its finished drilling sites. 23ABC toured the site with drilling superintendent Jesse Younggren, getting a behind-the-scenes look at how new oil wells are drilled.
Crews say a new well at Chevron's current target depth can take two to three days to drill.
State Sen. Shannon Grove was also among those touring the site Friday. When asked what the return of drilling could mean for Kern County, her answer was simple.
"Jobs. It's not just the 35 people we saw out there working; it's the thousands of contractors that will be able to go back to work. It's the people who will buy vehicles, buy trucks, safety vehicles, the drug testing companies, the medical companies, everybody associated with it," Grove said.
Following the tour, I spoke with Chevron's San Joaquin region vice president Michelle Burkett about what's next for new well permits. With SB 237 still in effect for several years, Burkett says Chevron's future drilling plans will depend on how projects fit into the company's global investment strategy.
"We evaluate things like permitting certainty, regulatory environment, and business climate to determine whether or not these investments compete. If Chevron makes that determination that these investments compete, you'll see more permitting applications come through," Burkett said.
Burkett said that, in her eyes, the restarting of drilling operations in Kern County, not just by Chevron, is an impactful moment in meeting California's energy needs.
"I think one drilling rig is not going to change the story for California, but it represents what is possible in California. It is so important that when that energy demand exists, the supply can be close to where it's consumed. So, us being able to sustain that supply in our operations, other independent drillers and large companies being able to sustain those supplies means that we are providing the energy California needs close to where it needs it," Burkett said.
According to Younggren, with this well being approximately the 41st of 138, he expects this job to continue through the second quarter of next year, and more permits will be applied for after the fact.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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