Foul Smell To Be Addressed In Emergency Remediation Of Abandoned Well In Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Emergency work this week starts to address to the source of methane and oil leakage originating at an abandoned oil well found in late October at a residential home in Newport Beach.

The remediation effort, spearheaded by the State of California and the City of Newport Beach, is expected to take between three to four weeks.

According to city officials, the leakage originated from an abandoned '20s-era private oil well found beneath a neighborhood located near Marcus Avenue and 36th Street.

Crews started preparatory site work last week, and a drill rig is expected to arrive Wednesday so that specialized contractors can start the emergency drilling operation, officials said.

The project includes:

• Drilling a new angled well from the intersection of Marcus Avenue and 36th Street.
• Intercepting the original 1920s well several hundred feet below ground.
• "Re-abandoning" the well at the oil-bearing source, roughly 800 feet deep, to prevent a future gas or oil migration.
• 24-hour drilling operations to complete the work as quickly as possible.

While crews are at work, residents can expect the following:

• Continuous construction operations for three to four weeks.
• Limited or not access to garages near the work zone.
• Full street closure at the drilling site, near Marcus Avenue and 36th Street.
• Removal of on-street parking and detoured pedestrian access.
• Heavy equipment and contractor activity throughout the month.
• Street restoration and repaving once the project is finished.

The effort comes after the discovery of methane and oil intrusion at 3606 Marcus Ave. that posed a fire and safety hazard, the city said.

Residents are encouraged to sign up for Newport Notified text alerts to receive emergency information.