Permits to Drill – CREH Buena Vista Hills 4 and 6 Development Project

The project involves the development of six new oil wells and associated infrastructure—including well pads, sumps, production pipelines, and electrical power lines—on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management within the Buena Vista Oil Field in unincorporated Kern County, California, approximately one mile northwest of Taft. The total disturbance is limited to 4.32 acres and confined strictly to previously disturbed areas to minimize environmental impact. The project is governed by a comprehensive set of environmental assessments and regulatory approvals, including federal and state permitting requirements under CalGEM, BLM, and other agencies, with adherence to California Code of Regulations Title 14, SJVAPCD rules, API and ANSI/ASME standards, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service guidelines for the protection of sensitive species such as the San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard. All activities are scheduled to begin on April 1, 2025, with site preparation from May 1 to May 11, drilling from May 12 to May 29, and facilities construction from May 30 to June 3, 2025. Compliance is enforced through mitigation measures including daily wildlife escape ramp inspections, 10 mph site speed limits, prohibition of firearms and pets, mandatory training on endangered species, and strict waste management protocols requiring daily removal of food trash in sealed containers. Contractual obligations are centered on environmental and regulatory compliance rather than financial or procurement specifics, as there is no disclosed contract value, pricing structure, payment terms, or traditional contract administration data such as COR, COTR, or AAC/TAS codes. Instead, the contract relies heavily on documented environmental appendices covering air quality, biological and cultural resources, hydrogeology, and spill response, all of which serve as binding conditions for approval. The contractor, California Resources Elk Hills, LLC, must maintain continuous coordination with federal, state, and local agencies and designate a primary liaison for regulatory communications. Reporting requirements are tied to mitigation commitments such as pre-construction biological surveys, raptor nesting surveys, and SPCC plan verification, with all records submitted to CalGEM and other overseeing bodies. Acceptance is administratively documented by BLM through public reporting on reports.blm.gov, and inspection occurs onsite by multiple regulatory entities. The project is not located on a state-designated hazardous material site, and while military packaging and marking standards (MIL-STD-128 and MIL-STD-129) are implicitly