The Brea 265 site is located toward the eastern portion of town near the Brea Sports Park, Olinda Elementary School and Carbon Canyon Regional Park.
Its story is a familiar one for a town the OC Register once dubbed the “oil capital of Orange County.”
Oil was first discovered at the site 100 years ago, and its early landowners were among the city’s most successful “wildcatters” - or oil explorers. Many local businesses opened on and near the site to serve those working the field.
Shell Oil, Aera Energy’s predecessor, purchased most of the Brea 265 site in the 1930s. The company continued oil production, but its local contributions later broadened to include significant land conservation.
In the 1960s, Shell (and later Aera) began working with state and local organizations to place some of its properties into permanent preservation and public land. These lands - totaling about 4,000 acres - would help create Chino Hills State Park and Carbon Canyon Regional Park.
This legacy of partnership continues today. As Brea 265’s oil production winds down, Aera has reimagined this land to create new parks, public access, trail connections and homes at all income levels.
From historical oil production to new, master-planned communities. It's an evolution common in Brea - indeed, it’s one that helped build this city.
Source: Brea 265
