BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Kern County could see a significant increase in oil drilling activity starting in 2026, as new state legislation opens the door for thousands of additional wells and potentially thousands of jobs.
The new law allows for yearly permitting of up to 2,000 new oil wells each year for the next decade, marking a major shift for the region's oil industry.
Chad Hathaway, owner of Hathaway LLC, estimates that more than 5,000 people are currently out of work due to previous restrictions on drilling permits.
"In excess of 5,000 people that are no longer working because of the loss of the ability to drill," Hathaway said.
However, Hathaway cautioned that the return of jobs won't happen overnight, even with the new permitting process.
"I want people to realize that, that it's not like flipping a switch and things just all of a sudden turn on. That's what people really misunderstand about the oil and gas world is that it takes time," Hathaway said. "We just need to be patient. We need to, you know, let the county get their pencils sharp again. Let everybody kind of get comfortable."
The county's planning and natural resources department will begin accepting new well permit applications when the calendar turns to the new year. According to the county, operators will be able to file for new well permits starting January 2nd.
Craig Murphy, interim director of the department that oversees the permitting process for new wells, expressed enthusiasm about the restart.
"We're excited to begin permitting again," Murphy said.
Murphy believes the new legislation will benefit both the oil industry and Kern County residents by establishing improved safety standards.
"It creates new standards for people that are concerned about oil and gas drilling in terms of how these can be done, so that they can be done safely and efficiently," Murphy said.
The prospect of new wells brings hope for the return of employees who were forced to seek work in other oil-producing regions of the country during the permitting restrictions.
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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