Greka Leaks More Oil

For the second time in just over two months, Greka Oil and Gas Company’s Orcutt property is the site of another crude oil spill.

County Fire spokesperson David Sadecki reported that company personnel called in the incident at around 7:15 a.m. yesterday morning. Officials estimated 40 barrels — or 1,680 gallons — of produced water and crude were released from a storage tank located on the Las Flores Lease at 6151 Dominion Road.

The spill — which was blamed on a faulty tank level switch — was reportedly kept in check by containment berms that prevented it from spreading to surrounding areas. Greka, said Sadecki, deployed two vacuum trucks to mop up the mess. There was no threat the environment, he said.

Greka spilled at the same site on May 24, reporting that 250 barrels of produced water (a byproduct of the drilling process) and crude seeped out of an overflowing tank. The company also reported an incident on July 26 during which four barrels of oil flowed out of an at-capacity tank at its 6605 Palmer Road lease in Santa Maria.

Calls to the company and County Fire officials were not returned as of press time.