THUMS Islands facts for kids
The THUMS Islands, also known as the Astronaut Islands, are four special islands built by people. You can find them in San Pedro Bay, right off the coast of Long Beach, California.
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How the Islands Were Made
The THUMS Islands were built in 1965. Their main job was to help get oil from the East Wilmington Oil Field. The people who designed them added lots of plants and special walls. These features were made to hide the oil operations and keep things quiet. They are the only oil islands in the United States that are decorated!
Building these islands cost about $22 million in 1965. A group of oil companies called THUMS operated them. THUMS got its name from the first letters of the companies: Texaco, Humble (now Exxon), Union Oil, Mobil, and Shell.
The edges of the islands are made from 640,000 tons of large rocks. These rocks came all the way from Catalina Island. Then, workers filled the islands with 3.2 million cubic yards of material dug from the bay.
The islands have beautiful landscaping, a waterfall, and tall buildings. These buildings hide the drilling rigs. One building is even called "The Condo" because it looks like a fancy hotel from the land! At night, these structures light up with colorful lights. Making the islands look nice cost $10 million when they were built. A theme park architect named Joseph Linesch helped with the design. A writer once said they looked like "part Disney, part Jetsons, part Swiss Family Robinson".
Naming the Islands
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Since 1967, these islands have also been known as the Astronaut Islands. They were renamed to honor four American astronauts who sadly died while working for NASA.
- Island Freeman is named for Theodore C. "Ted" Freeman. He was the first astronaut to die while on duty.
- Island Grissom (Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom), Island White (Ed White), and Island Chaffee (Roger B. Chaffee) are named after the Apollo 1 astronauts. They died in an accident during a launch pad test.
Oil Production Over Time
The islands produced a lot of oil. In 1969, they pumped out about 148,495 barrels of oil each day. By 1974, 300 million barrels of oil had been pumped from THUMS. The 500 millionth barrel was pumped in 1980.
By 1992, they were still pumping about 44,444 barrels of oil per day. They used a method called water injection to help get the oil out. The 900 millionth barrel of oil was pumped in April 2002. Then, in 2011, they reached one billion barrels! When they first started in 1965, the oil contained 20% water. By 1994, it was 92% water.
In 2000, Occidental Petroleum bought the islands and their operations. Later, in 2014, Occidental Petroleum created a new company called California Resources Corporation (CRC). CRC still owns and runs the THUMS Islands today. The THUMS Long Beach Company, which is part of CRC, manages the daily operations.
The Four Islands
There are four main islands, each with its own features:
Island Grissom
Island Grissom is the closest island to the land. It has beautiful waterfalls and more decorative screens than the other islands. These screens and decorations also help keep people from swimming to the islands. If someone tries to trespass, they can be arrested.
Island Freeman
Island Freeman is the biggest of the islands. It covers about 12 acres of land.
