Oxy is California’s largest natural gas producer and the state's largest oil and gas producer on a gross-operated barrels of oil equivalent basis. In addition, the company is the largest mineral acreage owner (leasehold and fee) in the state with approximately 1.7 million net acres. Our California operations encompass more than 3,700 drilling locations and 7,500 active wells in producing fields spanning more than 600 miles.

Oxy’s California flagship operation is the Elk Hills Field in Kern County. Other significant California operations include Oxy Long Beach, Inc. which operates Occidental’s interests in the giant Wilmington Field, and Vintage Production California LLC with operations in the San Joaquin, Ventura and Sacramento basins. In addition to the Wilmington Field, Oxy has other, limited, operations in the Los Angeles basin.

With our dominant acreage position and the state’s favorable geology, California continues to be a key driver of Oxy’s U.S. production growth. In 2009, Oxy announced a significant discovery of oil and gas reserves in Kern County, California.

Oxy believes there is significant upside potential in California, which remains largely unexplored despite its long history of oil and gas production. Oxy is applying the expertise gained from exploring and producing different shale zones at Elk Hills to other California assets, including properties in the Los Angeles, Ventura and San Joaquin basins. More than one-fourth of Oxy’s California production currently is from shales.