California

Hydraulic fracturing in California is primarily used to maximize the yield of conventional wells rather than to reach gas otherwise inaccessible by conventional wells.

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FracTracker and Consumer Watchdog continue to monitor permits to drill new oil and gas wells and rework existing wells under California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Click above to see the latest numbers and map. Browse the articles below to learn more.

RESOURCES

FracTracker Data Folder Contents

FracTracker provides state-specific data on issues such as:

Locations of oil and gas facilities
Pipelines and processor locations
Production amount of oil and gas generated
Amounts of waste generated from oil and gas

The data folders may also contain information on other energy generation locations, data from different years, and data on violations committed by oil and gas facilities. Amount of information and types of information will vary by state. Get data.

More Data Sources

CalGEM provides data on all California oil and gas wells.

Recommended Citation

If you are planning to use the maps or information from our site, here is how we request that you cite this content:

(Title). (Date Posted). (Mapped/provided) by FracTracker Alliance on FracTracker.org.

Please include a link to the original data source if available. Most FracTracker maps are built on an Esri platform. If you have questions about how to cite our work, please email us at info@fractracker.org.

LATEST CALIFORNIA ARTICLES

California’s New Oil Wells Average 13.5 Barrels/Day — Far Below State Projections

August 26, 2025

Analysis of CalGEM data shows California’s new oil wells average only 13.5 barrels/day, far below the 30 barrels/day projected in state legislation.

Environmental Justice Analysis of Oil Extraction in Los Angeles Communities

March 27, 2025

Oil drilling in Los Angeles disproportionately burdens marginalized communities. This analysis shows elevated poverty and non-white demographics in areas with high well density, exacerbating environmental injustice.

Can California Energy Policy Move Past its Contradictions?

January 31, 2025

California's energy policy is riddled with contradictions. Explore how the state's climate goals clash with its continued reliance on fossil fuels, carbon capture, and fragmented regulations.

https://www.kvpr.org/post/dormant-risky-new-state-law-aims-prevent-problems-idle-oil-and-gas-wells

California Must Improve Management of Idle Wells

May 2, 2024

California’s current regulations under AB 2729 have been inadequate to reduce the state’s counts of idle wells. This issue needs to be addressed immediately, before the state of California is exposed to additional economic risk.

Chevron’s $2.3 Billion Asset Adjustment Raises Questions Amidst Regulatory Changes in California

March 7, 2024

1 Comment

Information disclosed in Chevron’s 2023 Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) Form 10-K filed on February 26, 2024, suggests Chevron was hoping to eventually offload its idle wells to a limited liability company to avoid the cost of properly decommissioning its wells in California.

FracTracker Alliance, 2024

Index of Oil and Gas Operator Health in California Shows Risks to State Economy and Taxpayers

January 30, 2024

Though a handful of California of oil and gas operators continue to produce profitable volumes of oil, the majority of California operators, including the state’s oil and gas major corporations, Chevron, Aera Energy, and California Resources Corporation, are producing very low average volumes of oil per well.

Oil and Gas Activity Within California Public Health Protection Zones

October 4, 2023

Assessment shows hundreds of sensitive receptor sites located within 3,200 feet of operational oil and gas wells in California would have been protected if California Senate Bill 1137 had not been challenged by referendum.

Assessment of Oil and Gas Well Ownership Transfers in California

May 18, 2023

A report by FracTracker Alliance finds that more comprehensive bonding requirements are necessary to protect the state of California from being left financially accountable for the plugging and abandonment of tens of thousands of orphaned oil and gas wells.

CalGEM Permit Review Q1 2023: Well Rework Permits Increase by 76% in California

April 14, 2023

In Q1 2023, the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) gave out 896 rework permits to oil companies. More than half of these permits were for wells located within 3,200 feet of homes, schools, or healthcare facilities.

Assessment of Rework Permits on Oil Production from Operational Wells Within the 3,200-Foot Public Health Protection Zone

January 24, 2023

This analysis shows that the policy proposed in SB 1137 of denying rework permits within the health protection zones is a commonsense public health intervention that would have minimal effects on production within the protection zone.

CalGEM Permit Review Q4 2022: Oil Permit Approvals Show Steep Rise Within Protective Buffer Zones

January 18, 2023

During the fourth quarter of 2022, California regulator CalGEM issued oil and gas operators 222 new drilling permits, an increase of over 750% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. Of those, nearly half (100; 47%) were for wells located within the 3,200’ public health setback zone.

FracTracker Finds Widespread Hydrocarbon Emissions from Active & Idle Oil and Gas Wells and Infrastructure in California

August 22, 2022

1 Comment

FracTracker inspections of oil and gas infrastructure using an optical gas imaging camera found numerous sources of uncontrolled emissions in three California counties.

California Regulators Approve More Oil Well Permits Amid a Crisis of Leaking Oil Wells that Should be Plugged

July 29, 2022

FracTracker’s in-the-field inspections and updated analysis of CalGEM permit data shows that California’s regulatory practices and permitting policies risk exposing frontline communities to VOCs from oil and gas well sites.

This photo is of oil drilling in the Inglewood Oilfields of Baldwin Hills, Los Angeles. Photo by Brook Lenker, 2017.

Implications of a 3,200-foot Setback in California

April 6, 2022

California is the only major oil state without a health and safety setback from fossil fuel activity. This article explores what a setback in California means for its people and environment.

New Trends in Drilling Permit Approvals Take Shape in CA

March 15, 2022

2 Comments

FracTracker's recent analysis finds that California's drilling permit approvals have slowed since last October, but not across the board. This trend only applies to permits for new drilling and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) wells.

Oil and Gas Drilling in California Legislative Districts

March 14, 2022

FracTracker has been working with grassroots organizations to inform legislators and locals about oil and gas extraction in their districts, including maps and tables of the infrastructure in their areas.

Oil and gas companies use a lot of water to extract oil in drought-stricken California

November 9, 2021