Unitization and Repressurization, Wilmington Oil Field," and memorandum dated February 20, 1959, from Frank J. Hardesty, chief petroleum engineer, to the board of harbor commissioners, subject "Proposed Tentative Drilling Schedule for Approximately 1 Year From Date of City Tidelands, Upper Four Zones, Fault Blocks II-V, Inclusive, and All Zones of Block VI With Anticipated Monthly Water Volumes."

I believe these two memorandums together with their attached schedules comply with the Navy's request for a timetable on the repressuring program.

Very truly yours,

CHARLES L. VICKERS, Port Manager.

[From editorial, "Timetable Sets Schedule for Stopping Subsidence," Long Beach Independent, Feb. 27, 1959]

This drawing graphically demonstrates the plan for expanding the gigantic "crash" water flooding program in the Wilmington oilfield in accordance with the subsidence timetable developed by Long Beach Harbor officials. As the chart shows, 37 wells now are flooding the field at the rate of 204,500 barrels per day. The timetable calls for month by month expansion until 238 wells injecting 1,113,500 barrels per day, are placed in operation by July 1960.

Tentative schedule for drilling and completing injection wells-all properties, upper 4 zones, blocks II through V, except north of Anaheim in

blocks II and III, all zones in block VI

22 182, 800 215, 600 234, 000 252, 500 269, 000 348, 400 381, 300 441, 300 483, 200 520, 100 536, 000 555, 500 581, 500|

22 21,700 28, 100 31, 400 34, 050 56, 400 90, 100 146, 600 184, 100 232, 600 314, 100 360, 100 399, 800

Injection rate, barrels per day. 204, 500 237, 300 262, 100 283, 900 303, 050 414, 800 471, 400 587, 900 667, 300 752, 700 850, 100 915, 600 981. 300 1, 028, 800 1,075, 500 1, 083, 500 1,098, 500 1, 113, 500

ASSUMPTIONS

The CHAIRMAN. Let me ask you this question: My recollection is last year we authorized $5 or $6 million

Mr. KELLEHER. $6 million.

The CHAIRMAN. $6 million to handle the subsidence at Long Beach, of which amount $500,000 was to be used immediately.

Now, are you asking for a rescission of the $5,500,000, or is it going to stand as an authorization?

Captain CHEW. That will stand as authorization, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Then why don't we reach some decision as to whether we want to keep that as an authorization and follow what you are doing here, or just appropriate a small amount each year, like you have adopted this policy?

sir.

Captain CHEW. This is in effect a protective measure for the 1 year,

The CHAIRMAN. Well, the $5 million was also. The $5 million was a maximum amount we felt should be spent to stop the subsidence. Captain CHEW. That was more in the nature of remedial work, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. What?

Captain CHEW. That was remedial work.

The CHAIRMAN. I see.

Captain CHEW. Rather than protective measures.

The CHAIRMAN. I see. All right.

Captain CHEW. This is almost like a finger in the dike.

The CHAIRMAN. All right. We have all understood this. This is a very serious proposition out there and if we can't stop this subsidence it might be we will have to find some other place somewhere to put the Navy yard. Without objection, it is approved.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask a few questions. The CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir, Mr. Van Zandt.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Admiral, what is the situation out at Long Beach now?

Admiral MUMMA. I was last there a little over a month ago, Mr. Van Zandt, and discussed it with the civic authorities.

They have achieved now a level of repressurization that has been accelerated over their original plans. This schedule that we have just placed in the record is an increase in that program, accelerated again, in order to attempt to insure that they stop the subsidence.

In some of the areas where they have made extensive repressurization on a concentrated basis, they actually have, as near as we can tell, stopped subsidence completely.

There is even one slight record which indicates a point where it has come up a little bit. But I don't think that that amounts to much. [Laughter.]

I think it is a plan

Mr. WILSON. It is desubsidence. [Further laughter.]

The CHAIRMAN. May I suggest you put in the record the statement from the General Counsel of the Department of the Navy, lying on each member's desk. Incorporate that with reference to it.

Mr. KELLEHER. Yes, sir; it will be.

(The document is as follows:)

STATEMENT OF F. TROWBRIDGE VOM BAUR, MARCH 2, 1959

My name is F. Trowbridge vom Baur. I am the General Counsel of the Department of the Navy.

The Long Beach Naval Shipyard has been sinking beneath the Pacific Ocean. In my opinion, the cause of this subsidence has been the extraction of oil from the Wilmington oil field which lies directly beneath the shipyard.

In order to put a stop to the subsidence of the shipyard, at the request of the Navy, the Department of Justice, on August 15, 1958, brought suit against the persons, firms, and corporations who have been responsible for the extraction of oil. The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, and approximately 400 defendants were named. These defendants are divided into two classes, class A and class B. The class A defendants are those currently engaged in the extraction of oil from the Wilmington field. The class B defendants are those oil producers who at one time or another did extract oil from the field but are not presently doing so. The Government based its case on two main causes of action; first, its rights as a landowner to subjacent and lateral support of the land; and the second relates to the rights and duties of the Government to protect navigation under the Constitution and section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (30 Stat. 1151; 33 U.S.C. 403).

On December 10, 1958, the Government filed an amended complaint, similar in substance to the first one. It seeks to restrain the defendants from continuing to extract oil from underneath the shipyard until they demonstrate to the satisfaction of the court that they can do so without causing further subsidence of the shipyard and to prevent further impairment of the navigable capacity of the Long Beach Harbor and its commerce facilities. Motions to dismiss this amended complaint were denied on January 15. The court has now directed the plaintiff and the class A defendants to file simultaneous briefs on or before February 24. 1959, and it further has set March 24, 1959, as the time when it will hear the motion for preliminary injunction. At that time it will take testimony on the question of whether the extraction of oil and gas from the Wilmington oil field is causing subsidence.

The CHAIRMAN. Now we all understand what we are up against there. It is on account of the oil being drawn out by private corporations and we must try to protect it as much as possible in saving this ground.

Mr. WILSON. Mr. Chairman

Mr. VAN ZANDT. I am not finished yet. The admiral, I think, has not concluded his answer to my question.

The CHAIRMAN. All right.

Admiral MUMMA. To summarize rather quickly, Mr. Van Zandt, the situation is improving. The private operators as well as the city have made considerable purchases of equipment in order to inject water beneath the surface and this equipment is being delivered very rapidly.

I believe that there is a possibility of their meeting the goal in sufficient time to prevent final subsidence being too disastrous to us. But it is going to be absolutely necessary that they keep going at a very vigorous rate. And this schedule that I have just placed in the record is a vigorous rate.

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Mr. Chairman, we have our colleague from California, Mr. Hosmer, who represents the district in which Long Beach is located. I am just wondering whether he could be recognized for a statement.

The CHAIRMAN. Is he in the committee room?

Mr. KELLEHER. Yes, sir; he is.

Mr. HOSMER. Yes, Mr. Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN. Of course.

didn't know you were here.

We will be delighted to hear you. I

Mr. HOSMER. All I want to do is to thank this committee for its continuing interest in the yard.

The CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir.

Mr. HOSMER. And its pressure upon the local people to do the job that is indicated here.

When we appeared before you last year, Mr. Chairman, there were some 60 barrels a day of water going into repressure in that field. Today, there are over 200,000 barrels a day, and by the middle of the year there will be over 400,000, and by the end of the year almost 1 million barrels a day going in through some 203 wells.

The CHAIRMAN. I think the committee is on sound ground when we continue to go along trying to stop it as rapidly as possible.

But after a period of time, if the subsidence is not stopped and it continues to sink, then we will be up against a very serious proposition.

Mr. HOSMER. I think the chairman

The CHAIRMAN. But for the time being we are going along. We may be putting good money in the ground and we will never get any return, but we will try it anyhow.

Mr. HOSMER. I think by this time next year you will be satisfied that the subsidence is stopped.

The CHAIRMAN. Any further questions?

(Chorus of "Mr. Chairman.")

The CHAIRMAN. Are you finished, Mr. Van Zandt?

Mr. VAN ZANDT. Yes, sir.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Durham.

Mr. DURHAM. As I recall the agreement, we were to spend this $500,000 and then the Secretary of the Navy was to make a decision. Now that decision has been made, to continue this work. Isn't that correct?

Admiral MUMMA. I would say an interim decision has been made, Mr. Durham

Mr. DURHAM. Not a final decision made yet?

Admiral MUMMA. No, sir; it has not finally been made.

Mr. COHELAN. Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Cohelan.

Mr. COHELAN. I wonder, Mr. Hosmer, if you could tell me what the cost to the city per year is to bring this back into shape?

Mr. HOSMER. The overall for capital investment, of course, for some 250 wells is considerable, in the nature of around a $5 to $10 million, I believe. I don't have the figures on the top of my head. The operating cost of the repressurization program runs into $1 million or $2 million a year.

Mr. COHELAN. But the city is undertaking that cost?

Mr. HOSMER. The city is undertaking the cost and the private operators, together.

Mr. COHELAN. I see.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you very much.

Mr. GAVIN. Mr. Chairman