Source: https://www.bakersfield.com/, October 25, 2021
By: Connor Sheets, Laura J. Nelson and Anita Chabria

Six years ago, a ruptured oil pipeline in Santa Barbara County sent 140,000 gallons of crude oil gushing onto the sands of Refugio State Beach.

The company that owned the pipeline survived the onslaught of lost revenue and lawsuits that followed, but the offshore producer that used the line to transport its oil did not. After twice seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, Venoco Inc., eventually walked away from its drilling operation in Southern California, leaving the state to deal with millions of dollars in costs to close down the inactive wells. Read more.