History of Oil Exploration and Mineral Exploitation in the Palos Verdes Peninsula

Arthur R.Brown(Dick)¹ and John F. Schwiebert^2
1Geological Consultant, 296 College Park Dr., Seal Beach, California 90740
²Geologist/Engineer, 10633 Tamarack Way, Stanton, CA 90680-2324

The economic geology of the Palos Verdes Peninsula ranged from drilling 37 oil exploration wells, most of which were dry holes, to mining that produced commercial quantities of industrial minerals and construction materials. One small oil field on the Gaffey anticline and bounded by the Palos Verdes fault, produced about 10,000 barrels of oil and was abandoned in 1966. Mineral commodities were mainly sand and gravel, diatomite, calcareous material, crushed stone, riprap, flagstone, building-façade stone and salt. Oil exploration ended in 1965 and mineral exploitation terminated in 1968 due to depletion of economic resource or environmental reasons. The economic geology in the Palos Verdes Peninsula is now history.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90076©2008 AAPG Pacific Section, Bakersfield, California