The Oxnard oil field is an unique accumulation of exceptionally heavy, asphaltic oil in the highly fractured shales and volcanic rocks which underlie Oxnard Plain, 2 miles east of the town of Oxnard, California. The trap here occurs in a Miocene monoclinal dipping northwesterly away from an irregularly fronted volcanic series of flows and intercalated limestones and shales.

This producing area was discovered in 1936 by the Vaca Exploration Company which located their well on a geomagnetic anomaly. Development has been slow because of mechanical and sales problems. To date, there have been 22 producing wells drilled, which have produced more than 2,500,000 barrels of oil. Some of the early wells are producing considerably more oil now than they did at first. Although four dry holes have been drilled, there are many proved locations yet to be drilled in the present producing pool.

Exploration has disclosed a large lenticular accumulation of tar in the basal Pliocene formations, which has not yet been exploited. This lens is composed of sand having as high as 45% porosity and permeabilities in excess of 17,000 millidarcys.

A recent well drilled by the Texas Consolidated Oils has indicated the presence of a gas zone of considerable proportions.

On the basis of the undeveloped resources of the present producing area, the known regional pinch-outs, and the deeper sands which should underlie this field, there is a sound basis for expecting to find other commercial pools here.

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