Citadel Exploration this week received a state permit to use steam injection technology to extract oil from the Project Indian site in the Bitterwater area.
The permit is for the first well in a “15-well pilot program” using steam injections to help determine the field’s economic viability, according to a company statement released Tuesday.
The approval from the state conservation department’s Division of Oil, Gas, & Geothermal Resources was the final permit needed for the company to launch actual production. Steam injections are expected to commence in the coming weeks, according to Citadel.
The Ojai-based company’s project is set to use the technology with a hope of recovering an estimate of 20 million to 60 million barrels of oil.
Citadel’s project has been opposed by San Benito Rising, comprised of residents pushing for a ballot ban against hydraulic fracturing with limits on oil extraction.
