State to begin repair work at Newport Beach abandoned oil well, affected home red-tagged indefinitely

State-led efforts are underway to address a methane leak in Newport Beach that was recently discovered in a waterfront neighborhood, with continuous construction and 24-hour drilling scheduled through December to resolve the issue.

The methane leakage that led to the October evacuations of several homes in the Beacon Bay area is believed to originate from an abandoned 1920s-era private oil well located beneath the neighborhood.

Months earlier, the homeowner of the primary affected property at 3606 Marcus Avenue noticed oil seeping up through the home's foundation.

Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff Boyles said the well, 800 feet below the home, was capped in the 1920s, but that gas and pressure had increased. "It's hissing now from a crack in the concrete, which means it's pressurized," he said in October.

At the time, city crews temporarily stabilized the leak through a ventilation system, allowing the gas to safely release into the atmosphere, allowing residents of surrounding homes to return. 

The California Geologic Energy Management Division agreed to oversee an emergency drilling operation to locate and repair the abandoned well.

Crews started preparing the site last week, and emergency drilling is scheduled to begin when the drill rig arrives on Dec. 3. Officials warn that residents should expect "continuous construction operations for 3-4 weeks," with 24-hour drilling.

The remediation work, paid through a state fund for abandoned oil wells, will intercept the original well several hundred feet below ground and drill a new angled well from the Marcus Avenue and 36th Street intersection.

The property at 3606 Marcus Ave. remains red-tagged indefinitely.