Los Angeles, CA — Zero California permits to drill conventional oil and gas wells were approved in the third quarter of 2024, but 33 out of 34 permits were issued to drill wells using extreme enhanced oil recovery techniques (EOR) in the notorious Cymric Oilfield in Kern County, Consumer Watchdog and FracTracker Alliance reported on Oct. 30.
The 34 approvals by CalGEM, the state’s oil and gas regulator, represent a rise of 580% over the third quarter of 2023. (See Table 1.) Sentinel Peak Resources California received the 33 approvals, the groups said in a press statement.
Those approvals were among the 930 oil drilling permits approved in the first nine months of the year that include 69 new well permits and 861 oil well rework permits…