Seeps Near Santa Barbara May Be Key to Oil Mystery

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oil2feb02.story
Seeps Near Santa Barbara May Be Key to Oil Mystery
Some experts believe excessive emissions from Coal Oil Point could be tied to seabird casualties.
By Amanda Covarrubias
Times Staff Writer

February 2, 2005

Oil has been seeping at a rapid rate over the last three weeks from the ocean floor off Santa Barbara, offering tantalizing clues into the mystery oil patches that have injured or killed 1,500 birds.

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara discovered the leakage at the Coal Oil Point seep field, known for its rich oil deposits that continually seep to the surface. Oil emissions appear to have more than doubled the normal flow of 4,200 gallons a day since the powerful storms of early January.

But the experts aren't sure why more oil is seeping or whether the storms are connected.

<snip>
In most cases, oil from natural seeps is swept out to sea and dispersed in the ocean.

Indeed, state officials last week said they doubted the oil came from natural seepage and were therefore looking at the possibility that the storms had damaged a capped well or operating pipeline, causing oil to flow into the ocean.

But UC Santa Barbara scientists believe Coal Oil Point should be the prime suspect in the oil leak mystery. Last week they submitted a fresh sample from the seep to Fish and Game's Office of Spill Prevention and Response. Results may not be available for several weeks.<snip>

[NNadir]

1. Now this is an old story.

Back in the early 1970's I used to run on the beach in Hermosa Beach. Invariably, one had oil and tar on one's feet if one ran barefoot, as I did.

The LA powers that be, the media and such, went out of their way to say that none of this oil on peoples feet had anything to do with the massive oil spill off Santa Barbara in 1969, when an offshore well blew out, and nothing to do with the huge tankers off loading in El Segundo. They said all the time it was "natural seepage."

I used to keep a bottle of cooking oil in my kitchen to wash the oil off my feet so as to keep my socks (to the extent that, as a young dirty hippie, I wore socks) clean. I had a facetious label on the bottle, "natural seepage remover."

[htuttle]

2. If it turns out to be a natural oil seepage

I wonder if an increase of tectonic pressure somewhere nearby could trigger increased seepage out of an oil deposit? I can't think of too many other reasons that would happen if it's a 'natural oil leak', and not man-made.

:shrug: