Shell California Pipeline Co. v. City of Compton

Defendant and appellant City of Compton (the City) appeals the judgment entered following court trial granting plaintiff and respondent Shell California Pipeline Company (SCPC) concurrent, nonexclusive, subsurface pipeline easements for two oil product pipelines that run under the City’s streets.

Because SCPC is a public utility entitled to condemn the instant easements and the evidence adduced at trial supports the trial court’s finding of public interest and necessity for the easements, the judgment is affirmed.

Factual and Procedural Background

1. Historical information.

Shell Oil Corporation (Shell) operated two oil product pipelines from its Dominguez Refinery in Carson to its bulk storage and distribution plant in South Central Los Angeles pursuant to franchise agreements with the City. Two and five-tenths miles of one pipeline and three and four-tenths miles of the other run beneath the City’s streets. The franchise agreements expired on November 13, 1990, and in October 1991, respectively. When negotiations to renew the agreements failed, Shell transferred title to the pipelines to its subsidiary, SCPC, a public utility, in October 1990.

2. Eminent domain…