This web page provides information related to historic operations along the former Old Valley Pipeline (OVP) and Tidewater Associated Oil Company (TAOC)
pipelines that carried crude oil from the southern San Joaquin Valley to the Bay Area. Chevron is providing this information as a resource for use by
regulatory agencies, City and County public officials, and the general public.
The historic TAOC and OVP pipelines were constructed in the early 1900s and carried crude oil from the southern San Joaquin Valley to the Richmond Refinery
in the Bay Area. The OVP consisted of approximately 280 miles of pipeline, 21 pump stations (approximately 20 acres per station), four tank farms, and two
reservoirs (750,000 and 3,000,000 barrels). The TAOC pipeline system consisted of approximately 789 miles of pipeline and 56 pump stations. Operations for
the OVP ceased in the 1940s, and in the 1970s for the TAOC pipelines.
The pipelines were originally installed at depths ranging from 18 inches to 10 feet below ground surface. The steel pipelines were typically encased in a
protective coating composed of coal tar and asbestos containing felt material (ACM). When pipeline operations ceased, the pipelines were taken out of
commission. The degree and method of decommission varied; in some instances the pipelines were removed, while in others they remain in place.
The locations of the OVP and TAOC pipelines are illustrated here.
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