Redondo neighbors put off by oil well work
Rig hand Rick Meza atop the oil rig along the 700 block of Paulina Avenue. Photo Neighbors were alarmed last week when an oil rig rose above their homes on the 700 block of North Paulina Avenue, at the site of a demolished home. But according to property owner Peter Schmidt, there’s no nefarious purpose there: His contractors are simply looking to re-abandon – or plug – an existing oil well at the site. “It’s been known about the whole time,” Schmidt said. “I bought the lot knowing it was there and had to be re-abandoned — all of the neighbors knew too, it just had to be re-abandoned to current standards.” The well, found under the front porch of the original home, was drilled in 1931 to a depth of 3,617 feet, and abandoned in 1970, one year before the original home on the property was built, according to state and county databases. Well, abandonment is a process that seals an oil well to protect the oil-producing zone from damaging the rest of the environment. According to filings with the California Department of Conservation, the existing well is out of current standards, lacking adequate plugs and protective cement in casing. According to contractor and site superintendent…
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