Local News in Brief : Early OK for Drilling Plan
An environmental impact report on a plan to drill for oil beneath a largely residential 560-acre area of southeast Torrance was approved Tuesday night by the City Council.
The council action does not constitute final approval for the drilling. The project now will receive an in-depth review from the city Planning Commission.
Kelt Oil and Gas Inc., a Torrance company, is proposing a secondary oil recovery project that would involve the injection of water into the ground to force out an estimated 27 million barrels of oil over 30 years. The recovered oil would be transported, via pipeline, to South Bay refineries.
The oil wells would be drilled at an angle under homes and businesses from a site at Sepulveda Boulevard and Border Avenue in Torrance.
Neighborhood leaders have complained at previous public hearings that the drilling project could pose a threat to homes in the area by increasing pressure on abandoned oil wells, some of which are located beneath houses.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
