# California Oil & Gas Production: Fields, Operators, and County Statistics

**TL;DR:** California ranks 4th nationally in barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) production, with approximately 350,000 barrels per day and 1.7 billion barrels in proved reserves. Kern County dominates production (65-70% of state total), hosting four "super giant" fields that have each produced over 1 billion barrels. Following California Resources Corporation's 2024 merger with Aera Energy, the state's operator landscape has significantly consolidated around major legacy fields like Midway-Sunset, Kern River, Elk Hills, and South Belridge.

## Key Takeaways

- California has four "super giant" oil fields (Midway-Sunset, Kern River, Elk Hills, South Belridge) that have each produced over 1 billion barrels, plus 21 "giant" fields exceeding 100 million barrels cumulative production
- Kern County accounts for approximately 65-70% of California's total oil production, with over 95% of all federal drilling in the state occurring within established Kern County fields
- Midway-Sunset is the largest oil field in the contiguous United States by total oil in place (~27 billion barrels) and has cumulatively produced ~4 billion barrels since its 1894 discovery
- The 2024 merger of California Resources Corporation (CRC) with Aera Energy created California's dominant operator, controlling assets including Elk Hills, Wilmington, Midway-Sunset, and the Belridge Complex
- Los Angeles County produced approximately 12 million barrels in 2024 (11% of state total) but enacted a 2023 ban on new oil/gas operations with a 20-year phaseout for existing operations
- The three largest Kern County fields—Midway-Sunset, South Belridge, and Kern River—together account for approximately 33% of all California oil production
- California has been producing oil since the 1860s, making it one of America's oldest petroleum provinces with extensive infrastructure and mature field characteristics
- Heavy oil production using steam injection is prevalent in fields like Kern River and the Belridge Complex, which produces ~140,000 BOE/day across multiple fields

## Page Highlights

**California Production Overview**: California ranks 8th nationally in crude oil production but 4th in BOE, producing approximately 350,000 barrels per day with 1.7 billion barrels in proved reserves. The state has produced oil since the 1860s, with 80-90% of current onshore drilling concentrated in Kern County's San Joaquin Valley.

**Super Giant Oil Fields**: Four fields have produced over 1 billion barrels each—Midway-Sunset (~4 billion BBL cumulative, discovered 1894, operated by Aera Energy), Kern River (~2.6 billion BBL, 70,000 BBL/day current, Chevron-operated), Elk Hills (>2 billion BOE, 31,000 BOE/day current, CRC-operated former Naval Reserve), and South Belridge (>2 billion BOE, part of 140,000 BOE/day Belridge Complex, Aera Energy-operated).

**Kern County Dominance**: Kern County contains four of the nation's top seven producing fields, with more than 95% of federal California drilling occurring in established fields here. Additional major fields include Lost Hills (Chevron, ~12M BBL/year), Cymric (Aera, ~40,000 BBL/day), Buena Vista, Coles Levee, Kern Front, and North Belridge.

**Los Angeles Basin Production**: Los Angeles County has approximately 3,239 active wells (about 25% offshore), producing ~12 million barrels in 2024. The Wilmington Oil Field is the third largest U.S. field by cumulative production with ~16,000 BBL/day current output, 1,540 active wells, and ~120 million barrels in proved reserves. However, a January 2023 county ban prohibits new operations with a 20-year phaseout timeline for existing wells.

**Ventura & Santa Barbara Operations**: These counties contain the Ventura and Santa Maria basins with significant but lower-production fields including Ventura Avenue, Cat Canyon (largest Santa Barbara field, operated by HVI Cat Canyon), East Cat Canyon (Aera Energy), Santa Ynez Unit (offshore, Sable Offshore Corp), Orcutt (discovered 1901), and Zaca (HVI Cat Canyon).

**Major Operators**: California Resources Corporation is now the state's largest independent producer following its 2024 merger with Aera Energy LLC, controlling Elk Hills, Wilmington, Huntington Beach, and 38 San Joaquin Basin fields across ~1.3 million net mineral acres. Aera Energy (now CRC subsidiary) produces approximately 25% of California's oil from Midway-Sunset, the Belridge Complex, Cymric, and Lost Hills across Kern, Ventura, Monterey, and Fresno counties. Chevron operates Kern River and Lost Hills plus various San Joaquin fields, while smaller operators include Signal Hill Petroleum, Sable Offshore Corp, and HVI Cat Canyon.

**County Production Breakdown**: Kern County: 65-70% of state production (Midway-Sunset, Kern River, Elk Hills, Belridge, San Joaquin Basin); Los Angeles: ~11% (Wilmington, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Los Angeles Basin); Ventura: 5-8% (Ventura Avenue, Ventura Basin); Santa Barbara: 3-5% (Cat Canyon, Santa Ynez, Santa Maria Basin); Fresno: 2-3% (Coalinga, San Joaquin Basin); Monterey: 1-2% (San Ardo, Salinas Basin).

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