The Culver City Council will hold a virtual public hearing next Monday to consider zoning changes to an existing ordinance calling for the amortization and termination of nonconforming oil and gas activities within Culver City, including the city's portion of the Inglewood Oil Field (OIF).
The hearing, set to begin at 6 p.m., will focus on the reintroduction of an ordinance approving a city-initiated zoning code amendment, city officials said.
On June 17, the Council voted 4-1 to end oil drilling and remove all the gas wells in the city's 78-acre portion of OIF by July 2026.
At the special session, the council approved the Oil Drilling Subcommittee's recommendation to prohibit any drilling of new wells, remove all active wells, properly cap them, clean up and remediation of the site within the next 5 years. The new ordinance also directed staff to "refine preliminary implementation procedures and just transition" strategies for OIF workers.
In addition, councilmembers discussed the possibility of litigation with Sentinel Peak Resource, owner of the oil field since 2017.
In May 2018, the Council authorized a study, conducted by Baker & O'Brien Incorporated, which focused on options for an amortization program and ways to remediate wells and transform the site for beneficial reuse to the community. The study also revealed that the city's portion of the oil field is valued at $4.64 million.
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