Chevron fined $2.7+ million for alleged violations
California oil regulators levied more than $2.7 million in fines against Chevron Wednesday for alleged violations related to a series of west Kern oilfield leaks that shone a harsh light on the industry even as the state said they caused minimal environmental damage.
The size of the civil penalty — the second-largest issued under the state oil division's new office of enforcement — was attributed to risks created by the leaks, as well as their pervasiveness and the state's intention of keeping Chevron from benefiting from sales of oil contained in the more than 1.25 million gallons of fluid that since May have flowed to the ground in the Cymric Oil Field.