Amplify Energy commences restart of operations at Beta field off California coast

Amplify Energy Corp. has received the required approvals from US federal regulatory agencies to restart operations at the Beta field off the shore of California near Huntington Beach. The company is resuming production 18 months after the oil spill into the ocean of about 3,000 barrels in October 2021.

Initial steps to resume operations will involve filling the San Pedro Bay Pipeline with production, a process that commenced over the past weekend and is expected to take approximately two weeks to complete. Following the line fill process, the pipeline will be operated in accordance with the restart procedures that were reviewed and approved by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Martyn Willsher, Amplify’s President and CEO, said in a statement: “Safety has driven every aspect of our response, repair and restart operations, and safety will continue to guide our operating philosophy as we bring the Beta asset back online. The approval from federal regulatory agencies and the receipt of $85m in net proceeds from the vessels that struck and damaged our pipeline substantially concludes a very challenging last 18 months for the company, and we are eager to focus our attention on safely operating our Beta assets, our business as a whole and the strategic direction of the company.”