Safe. Reliable. Affordable.

A California company.

Energy for all Californians.

Home  >  What We Do  >  Our Operations

Our Operations

As a California company, Aera is a long-time leader in the energy industry continuously innovating to provide the oil and gas Californians need, while meeting all of our state’s leading environmental laws and regulations.

With our technical experience and expertise in both surface and subsurface spaces, we are working to integrate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) into our operations, a critical technology in the fight against climate impacts, and solar and other renewable energy to power our oil and gas operations and reduce our own carbon footprint.

We are based in Bakersfield in the heart of Kern County – one of the largest oil-producing regions in the nation – with operations in Fresno, Monterey, and Ventura counties.

three plant workers talking outside

A Culture of Safety

Safety comes first in everything we do at Aera – in fact, we live our safety motto: “Every day, everybody goes home alive and well” – and that applies to every single one of our employees and business partners. We constantly strive to improve systems that keep people safe and protect the environment, including maintaining the integrity of our mechanical and electrical systems to achieve the highest safety standards.

Our Product is California Energy

Aera specializes in producing California energy. Be it oil and natural gas from California wells helping power our state’s economic engine, or future solar projects that will help power our operations, our focus is safely delivering the reliable and affordable energy in California for Californians.

While California works to transition to a lower carbon energy future, the state still imports a majority of oil from foreign countries that often don’t share California’s leading safety, labor, human rights, and environmental standards.

Aera produces oil to be sold in California’s refining markets, delivering locally sourced energy to consumers in the state. This domestic oil production drives economic growth through the creation of local jobs, tax revenues, and meaningful contributions to our communities. Additionally, it strengthens California’s energy self-reliance and lessens its dependence on oil imported from overseas while meeting some of the world’s most stringent rules and regulations.

California oil and gas production is overseen by more than 30 local, county, state, and federal agencies including California Geologic Energy Management Division (Cal GEM), California Department of Fish and Wildlife and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They oversee planning, permitting, and operation of all oil and gas projects and facilities.

golden grassy hills
Play Video

Our Locations

Aera’s Kern County operations are centered around our Belridge Producing Complex and Midway-Sunset facility. Aera’s upcoming CarbonFrontier carbon capture and storage project, as well as our future Buena Vista Solar project will be in Kern County.

In Kern County, Aera produces approximately 60,000 barrels of heavy and light crude that is sold to refining markets in Northern and Southern California oil and nearly 15 million cubic feet of natural gas daily. We produce crude oil, both light (typically higher than 25API) and heavy (typically less than 25API), as defined by the API (American Petroleum Institute) gravity. We do not operate any refineries. Aera holds approximately 182,300 net acres in Kern County of which 83% is owned in fee meaning 78% of Aera’s total asset portfolio is in Kern County.

As Aera’s largest oilfield operation, Belridge is located approximately 45 miles northwest of Bakersfield, and includes North Belridge, South Belridge, Cymric, McKittrick and Lost Hills. South Belridge, discovered in 1911 by the Belridge Oil Company, is the fourth-largest oil field in California and the sixth-most productive field in the United States.

Aera’s Midway-Sunset oilfield is in southwest Kern County along Highway 33, stretching between the cities of Taft and Maricopa and continuing north of Fellows almost to Derby Acres. The field, discovered in 1894, is the largest known oilfield in California and the third largest in the United States.

Aera’s Kern County net mineral acreage, by field:

Aera contributes more than $28 million in Kern County property taxes every year and has proudly supported community organizations such as Taft High School’s Oil Tech Academy, Taft College, West Side Recreation & Park District, Taft Chamber of Commerce, Lost Hills Union School District, Shafter Library & Learning Center, City of Shafter, and Shafter Chamber of Commerce among many other Kern County organizations.

Aera Energy is also proud to call the Central Coast and western San Joaquin Valley home with active operations in Monterey, Ventura, and Fresno counties.

Discovered in 1898, Aera-Coalinga covers about 15-square miles in Fresno County, nine miles northwest of the city of Coalinga.

Aera produces more than 4,500 barrels of heavy crude oil and nearly 650,000 cubic feet of natural gas daily in Fresno County. Crude oil produced at Aera-Coalinga goes to the Northern California refining market. Natural gas we produce is used in Aera-Coalinga’s operations. We hold approximately 10,600 net mineral acres in Fresno County, approximately 92 percent of which we hold in fee. 

Aera also contributes more than $1 million in Fresno County property taxes every year and proudly supports organizations such as West Hills Community College MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) Aera Lab & Study Lounge, Coalinga-Huron Library District’s Summer Reading Program, the Coalinga Chamber of Commerce, Born Learning Trails at Coalinga’s Keck Park and Huron’s Keenan Park, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County among many other Fresno County organizations.

Aera’s Fresno County net mineral acreage, by field:

Field Net acres % Fee

Discovered in 1927, Aera-San Ardo covers about seven-square miles located about 30 miles north of Paso Robles.

Aera produces about 4,600 barrels of crude oil every day in south Monterey County. Heavy oil produced at Aera-San Ardo goes to the Los Angeles refining market. We hold approximately 4,250 net mineral acres in Monterey County. Monterey County is also the future home of the Sargent Canyon Solar project – which will occupy 35 acres (about half the area of a large shopping mall) within the San Ardo oil field.

Aera contributes more than $1 million in Monterey County property taxes every year and proudly supports community organizations such as the San Ardo School District, King City & Southern Monterey County Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce, Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and Sustainable Agriculture & Energy (SAGE Monterey) among many other Monterey County organizations. 

Aera’s Monterey County net mineral acreage, by field:

Field Net acres % Fee

Aera-Ventura covers about 4,300 acres in the hills just north of the City of Ventura along Ventura Avenue. Aera and its forerunner companies have been actively producing crude oil in Ventura County since the 1920s.

Aera produces about 8,000 barrels of light crude oil and approximately 5 million cubic feet of natural gas daily in Ventura County. The gas Aera produces is of high quality and has many beneficial uses. After the natural gas is processed at our Ventura facility, it is sold to Southern California Gas Company for use in homes and businesses. The crude oil goes to the Los Angeles refining market.  We hold approximately 5,500 net mineral acres in Ventura County, approximately 10 percent of which we hold in fee.

Aera also contributes nearly $1.4 million in Ventura County property taxes every year and proudly supports community organizations such as the Ventura Police Community Foundation, Food Share of Ventura County, United Way of Ventura County, Ventura Education Partnership, and the Westside Community Development Corporation, among many other Ventura County organizations.

Aera’s Ventura County net mineral acreage, by field:

Field Net acres % Fee
~1%

Contacts

Kern County

Janea' Benton

Janea’ Benton
External Affairs Manager

[email protected]
661-665-5000

Fresno, Monterey, Ventura Counties

Amy Fonzo

Amy Fonzo
External Affairs Advisor

[email protected]
805-648-8200