Coastal Erosion's Impact on California Offshore Oil Development

Recent oil discoveries in the offshore Santa Maria Basin and the Santa Barbara Channel will require the construction of new oil facilities located along 90 miles of Santa Barbara County coastline. Planned facilities include offshore platforms, submarine pipeline systems, marine terminals, processing plants, and crew boat bases. Submarine fan channels, nearshore sediment transport, and coastal bluff recession can influence the siting of coastal oil facilities. This paper discusses the challenging process of designing for or avoiding coastal erosion hazards while fulfilling other coastal resource protection goals.