Greka Energy Spills Oil Again

The Daily Sound reported the spill at 600 gallons of oil. Your numbers are way off.

Whether it's 420 or 600, it don't matter, a spill is BAD. Why can't these people get it together? I know running an oil facility ain't easy, but man, these guys (Greka) are an absolute joke & not a funny 1 @ that! :) henry

You mean the Facility at: 5156 Palmer Rd, Santa Maria, CA, United States?
Found it on 'Google Maps'.

I don't care which facility either, they've ALL had problems. This is what happens when a rinky-dink operator tries to go big time w/ the "go big or go home" attitude. I just wish they'd go somewhere else, heck, just shut down or sell off to a more responsible operator :) henry

Hot off the press, Sun. 12/28/08, 6:01 pm PST: The county fire dept. has issued a "stop work order" for the Palmer Rd. facility for, you guessed it, ANOTHER SPILL. These bufoons can't seem to get their act together :) henry

sounds like it's time to ring in the new year by kicking Greka out of the County once and for all....

Why do you bloggers imagine you can shut Greka down, sieze their property, or pull them out of the game and put Exxon in...because your eco feelings have been hurt? How about ringing in the new year by getting a clue?

We should switch to nuclear power.

/sarcasm

nuffalready, it is not within Greka's property rights to affect other's property rights by polluting neighboring land, whether it is through seepage or a direct spill.

Shutting them down for negligence is a reasonable and Constitutional solution.

Nuffalready, I don't think anyone wans to take anything away from them. What I believe many WOULD like to see is Greka sell off to a more "reliable" operator, get their $$$, keep the people employed & move out away from the oil biz so that it is run correctly.
Nobody's "eco" feelings are getting hurt, just our wallets everytime the county has to respond to their negligent operation method(s).
Sounds like the clue needs to be gotten by you, but that's just a humble opinion so bring on the new year.
Loon, nukes ain't a bad thing, just stick to the CANDU water cooled design & you may just have something there. Just good luck trying to get the class action lawsuit happy enviros convinced :) henry

OK Hank...so you are an expert on correctly running an oil company. Perhaps you could opine on operations in the SJ Valley where the big "reliable" operators are. There you'll observe oil skimmed wastewater ponds covering 10s maybe 100s of square miles. You'll also see oil around nearly every wellhead, and there are 10s of thousands of them. Shall we shut down the big boys in the SJ Valley along with Greka? I shall breathlessly await your decision. Perhaps you could consult with Loonpt, and sbsleuth99 before rendering your verdict.

It's funny to see people "trolling" under a different name.

Nuff, no, sorry to disappoint you, I ain't an expert on running an oil company. Now here's what a "non-expert" has noticed from your last post & the decision I render (hahaha!): The SJ Valley has wastewater ponds. These are condrete lined containment areas, that while not THE best method, they're far saert han the stuff going off into adjacent properties & creating a cleanup mess, something Greka has done more than once. You yourself mentioned the ponds & that's how they're built, to contain. As for the wellheads, well, I'd bet $$$ to doughnuts that there's:
a) Some form of containment.
b) Some sort of minimum required amount to be spilled before it goes written up.
c) It doesn't leave the property.
That's my humble judgement. Here's another judgement on my humble behalf: You sound like a Greka employee trying to protect bad practices. I truly hope I'm wrong, but I'm most times right about all the wrong things, sadly enough :) herny

It doesn't take an expert to realize that continuing to spill oil in beautiful SB County is a bad thing. Just because there's spillage elsewhere in the state doesn't make it okay here. There's nothing wrong with pressuring oil companies to come up with better ways to handle oil. Why does profitable and safe have to be mutually exclusive here? We're smart Americans, we can figure this out, can't we?

Wrong Hank. The SJV wastewater ponds are not lined, the SJV wellheads are not contained, and (as far as I am aware) the Greka spills have not crossed lease boundaries. Furthermore I'm not a Greka employee and I'm not defending bad oilfield practice....which Greka is clearly guilty of.

They however... are not guilty of ruining the planet, causing the sky to fall in, killing, maiming, making anything sick, or even leaving a greasy bathtub ring.

You (like the others) dont know what you are talking about...yet you call upon the agencies to kill these guys off. Why? Because its fashionable to criminalize oil production in this berg...which is a not just a little bit hypocritical. We sanctimonious central coasters easily use our share of oil...dont we.

Yes Amelie we are smart enough to implement good oilfield practice, which is (in large part) measured by keeping fluids contained. When fluids leak the operator must immediately clean up, usually at considerable cost.

There is no possibility of long term asthetic loss in this pretty county or any other. No possibilty.

Greka gets hit hard for cleanup expenses, bad PR, and worse...suffering the preening of one or two politicos at its expense each time it spills. If its punishment we want...we have it in spades.

As for the 'harm' attributed to oil spills...nature spills far and away more oil each day along the coast, out in the ocean, and inland than all of the producers put together on their very worst day...far and away. Yet we and nature seem to thrive. So whats up with all of this hand wringing and melodrama..? I keep asking...should we cancel Earth Day? Mother Nature is far worse than Greka.

Nuff, yeah, we got plenty of natural seepage along the coast. In fact, the seepage was WAY worse before the oil industry came & released the pressure on the plates by sucking the stuff out.
Let's not forget the H2S (hydrogen sulfide) gas tents they put in place to keep that from stinking the place up.
It is engineering controls like these that give me reason to support the oil industry. Heck, I drive a car, raced dirt bikes, do off-roading, why be a hypocrite?
On my arrival to the UCSB community back in 1987 I remember attending an EAB meeting where the oil industry was being blamed for the tar on the beaches, among every other evil on Earth.
I brought up the fact that the seepage was worse to the point of where the Chumash used the tar to caulk their boats. Got called a heretic for expressing that fact!
Just like you ain't a Greka employee (thank you for clarifying), I ain't the ardent oil hating enviro either, just a common sense tax paying guy.
I have to disagree w/ you on the fact that some spills from Greka HAVE crossed outside their property though.
Can't remember off the bat which ones @ the moment, there's been SO many incidents they all lump into 1 category: Bad/unsafe/costly oilfield practices, as you stated.
Also, I don't believe the government should take their operation away, just offer options as to either run their operation better by implementing the necessary controls or bring in private people that can do it for them, while still retaining ownership. More like a "mediation" if you will.
After all, this ain't Venezuela under Chavez or my birthplace of Cuba, both which have nationalized their oil industry & created more problems in the process, many being environmental.
As a taxpayer, every time the SB County fire dept. has to go there & issue a stop work order, the cash register in my head goes CHACHING! That's my main concern.
Then there's a bigger concern: When will something occur that harms/ends human life?
This last episode was human error & it won't be long before the glug glug of spilling oil turns into the boom of exploding VOC's because of human error.
If that occurs, you can bet the toxic plume WILL extend beyond Greka boundaries.
By the way, it is no secret the Earth is just as capable of producing tons of pollutants.
The sky ain't falling, but as for the risk to human life, well, too early to assess, as some of the compounds in petroleum (benzene being the main suspect) don't show their damage for some time & every case is different, just as people are.
Back to the Earth's capability to produce pollutants, here's an oldie for you: Remember the spraying of strawberry crops w/ MeBr (methyl bromide) & the stink HBJ caused about that?
Guess what? The ocean produces TONS of the same compound from the decomposure of kelp.
I was opposed to the regulations against the crop spraying based on that & how it would restrict that crop which causes prices to go up & I LOVE strawberries :) henry

The Earth spills about 100 barrels of oil (4,200 gallons if you prefer)...everyday. Adding the associated produced water, we could breathlessly report that the Earth spilled 10,000 barrels of toxic, puppy-maiming, baby killing evil, yesterday, and will do it again tomorrow. Greka is a vestal virgin compared to the Earth

What a parade this would be for GOO, Mr Nava, and the other assorted grandstanders to get in front of. Why they dont they spot this opportunity?

Answer: The Earth is not as convenient a whipping boy as Greka.

Here is a fact to throw out in your next eco-groupie meeting: Oil is naturally occuring substance floating atop or emulsified into the waters of the State. It was here when we got here, and will be here when we leave.

I'm not getting your point, nuffalready.

Are you saying Greka should not be condemned or sanctioned for its irresponsible and unlawful behavior? That a foreseeable and controllable event, rare with other operators and common if not flagrant with Greka, should be ignored?

I still believe in the rule of law, and the will of the people, and could not support any other position.

Heres my point Binky, and thanks for asking.

Greka is guilty of poor oilfield practice. As punishment they have been ridiculed nationwide...they have been billed to the point of literally supporting several county agencies,...and worse, they havent made any money. The others employing good oilfield practice have made a tub of money over the last few years. I say thats punishment enough, and sufficient incentive to do better.

Binky, the rule of law is all we have. The sad part is the behavior of people w/ vested interests (environmental or industrial) is what gets in the way of the rule of law.
As for the will of the people, well, let's just say that leaving it to the people to shut something down on a whim ain't the right way either.
I think it'll come down to engineering controls, their design & their implementation as well as proper training & operation.
Nuff, true, oil is an organic compound comprised of carbon, hydrogen & oxygen & the Earth does spew it constantly as well as SO2 (sulfur doxide) from volcanic errutions. The problem lies when people try to extract that hydrocarbon & this involves processing. What happens during that processing is what falls under the rule of law & that is all we really have.
As for the next eco-groupie meeting, I forgot to mention I haven't attended another EAB meeting since that 1st 1. Sorry to disappoint you yet again :) henry

Hank: A comment on exploding VOCs, and other potential disasters resulting from Grekas practices.

Not likely. Greka (and to a lesser degree) the other producers are swarmed by regulators. Most of these regulators know what they are doing. The industry standards and regulations are pretty stiff and as specific as they can be. You can be assured that producers, not taxpayers, pay the costs of this oilfield regulation.

We are actually in pretty good hands.

A comment on the rule of law and will of the people:

If you have ever worked on the oilfields (and it appear that any of you ernest bloggers have)...there are rules and enforcers aplenty out there.

What we have with the Greka spectacle is just that...a spectacle. No one is in danger and the environment is better than its ever been. What we need to do is focus on the real energy problems, not this tempest in a teapot.

Nuff, if the proper grounding & bonding practices are followed, as well as preliminary suppression tactics, you're absolutely correct, there shouldn't be any worry.
However, given Greka's record of not being able to get the job done properly, don't you think an inkling of worry should be there?
I agree totally, it is a spectacle & an ugly 1 @ that. There's no denying that anti tech Luddites within the enviro movement want all oil production to stop, but the problem is spectacles such as Greka add more ammo to the clip.
Here's anoter thing: As for the taxpayers not having to pay, I have to disagree. To pass regulation & enforce it, that takes $$$. Where does it come from? The offending party? Sure, a fraction, the rest is the taxpayer.
It is a tempest in a teapot, much ado about nothing, but it's costing.
Look @ it this way. I admit to speeding when I drive, no lie there (I hope the CHP ain't reading this). But if I get pulled over (which I have) the only 1 to blame is me & the consequences that come are paid by me.
Greka is doing their share of speeding & they've been pulled over numerous times. Yet it seems that every time they got someone to blame except themselves.
Maybe the issue here is accountability, or the lack thereof & that is worrisome.
As far as being in good hands, as a person in the technology sector, I will truly agree w/ that & it is because of the engineering controls I've mentioned that the agreement comes. Technology ain't a bad thing, just the way it is handled @ times.
Bottom line is in a weird way I think we're both saying the same thing, yet looking @ different outcomes :) henry

On all fronts of toxic waste, it is the "tem(pests) in the teapots," which makes it possible that, "...the environment is better than its ever been."

Amelie: Good point. Pressure and efforts of environmentalists has resulted in cleaner air, cleaner harbors, nicer rivers, and a much better overall look. Contrast La Jolla CA and Tiajuana for example.

I dont get the public spectacle over inland oil spills however. This county, and several adjacent counties are floating on oil. It seeps out in pretty big quantities all over the place. So how does a man made spill of 600 gallons matter? How do several spills from one screw up producer matter if he promptly cleans up?

We dont need to punish the screw up producer any further...or call for his head. He's punishing himself quite severely. So yes all the melodrama over 600 gallons of spilled oil ...is... a tempest in a teapot.