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Capping Project Begins For Leaky Offshore Oil Well On South Coast

A well capping project is underway on the Summerland coastline, where what's knoen as the Becker oil well has been leaking for years.

It dates back to the early 1900s when offshore and onshore oil drilling first began in Summerland.

This is a $1.5 million project.

The funds came in part from grants and some allocations out of the state budget.

Ralph Botticelli is with Curtin Maritime out of Long Beach.

He says they have a sleeve around the well, and they're going in.

"We'll pump all sand out and water, and then we'll backfill it with concrete," Botticelli says. "Once its backfilled with concrete, we'll cap it with a two-inch thick cap, and that'll be that."

Botticelli says the project's going well, and could be done in two days.

There are four other leaking wells in the area, and he says that when funds are available, his company is ready to cap those as well.

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