Oil Company to Pay $120,000 for Spills

Vintage Petroleum Inc. has agreed to pay more than $120,000 in penalties stemming from 10 oil spills in Ventura County in the last three years, the district attorney's office said.

The spills, totaling about 3,100 gallons, occurred at wells operated by Vintage in Fillmore, Santa Paula and Ventura.

In each incident, petroleum or petroleum residue reached the Santa Clara or Ventura rivers, Deputy Dist. Atty. Laurel McWaters said. Most of the spills were the result of corroded pipelines, she said.