Sewell & Jones 12 Abandonment


Clampitt 12 was drilled in 1918 making it the youngest of the five wells plugged and abandoned. After the Sewell & Jones Company took over it became Sewell & Jones 12. It is located near the jack plant. This well was well clogged with debris near the top, so the casing had to be cut off 10 feet under the surface. From the DOGGR abandonment report from Excalibur Well Services, here is what was done:

12/14/11: Attempted to tag well, tagged fill at 7 1/2 feet.

12/15/11: Well is open with 0 pressure on casing and 0 pressure on well bore.

12/15/11: With a 1" x 12' polish rod, try to work fill down in to well. Polish rod goes in to well approximately 1', tagging hard on what appears to be dirt and rocks. Fill well with fresh water and continue to work down polish rod, well is still standing full of water. Remove well head and inside threaded casing. Called DOGGR for further instructions.

12/20/11: Dug up casing to 10' and cut off.

12/21/11: Dump 7 cubic feet of zonite down well and hydrate with 1 barrel of fresh water.

12/28/11: Dump 50 lineal feet of zonite down well. Rig up 1" hose to well and pump 155 cubic feet of class G cement in 2 stages waiting 1 hour in between stages. Cement at surface in casing and well bore.

12/29/11: Cement dropped over night. Rig up 1" hose to well. Mix and pump 60 cubic feet of class G cement to top off well. Surface crew welded the API plate to the casing with the #037-13230 and restored the location.


View of the well and tank on 7/7/2008. The tank would be saved and eventually given to the ranger living in Whitney Canyon.


The well was marked before any work began (4/16/2011)


Grading was done on the large flat area below the jack plant and to the road that goes south to the Los Pinetos highway 14 undercrossing (11/26/2011)


Then the road was improved from the flat area to the well site just under the jack plant, visible on the upper right (11/26/2011)


Road improved to the well site (11/26/2011)


The hose and pump trailer were actually for Sewell & Jones 8 on the other side of the hill (12/19/2011)


The casing was clogged with debris so they excavated around the casing down about 10 feet down. (12/20/2011)


Another view of hole (12/20/2011)


The outer casing was also removed (12/20/2011)


Warning tape was set up in front of the hole (12/20/2011)


View of hole from the other side (12/20/2011)


About 10 feet of casing cut off (12/24/2011)


Closer view of cut (12/24/2011)


Warning tape still mostly in place (12/24/2011)


Nearly ready to cap well and fill in hole (12/27/2011)


Well has been capped and hole filled in (12/30/2011)


Another angle (12/30/2011)


Well marker placed at site by surface crew (1/14/2012)


Close up of marker (1/14/2012)


Plate on 2/25/2012, already rusting