six oil and gas districts three geothermal districts

Six Oil and Gas Districts

Three Geothermal Districts

Drilling, operation, maintenance, plugging, and abandonment of geothermal wells on state and private lands to ensure public safety and protect underground and surface waters.

Oversight of Geothermal Well Operations

California is the United States' largest generator of electricity from geothermal energy

• 650 active, high-temperature geothermal wells (with fluids over 212° F)

• 280 injection wells

• 4.5% of Electrical Energy 13k Gigawatt-hours)

GeothermalGenerate Electricity

GeothermalAquaculture

GeothermalSpa

The Geysers• 45 square miles• 15 power plants• 335 steam wells• 53 injection wells• 360 degree average steam temperature• 75 psi average steam pressure• 20,000,000 gallons/day wastewater injection– Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline

Water Loss

Make up WaterWater Reuse

State-Wide SeismicityAll Eqs 7 days

Source: usgs.gov

Induced Seismicity

Source: usgs.gov

Salton Sea Field

• High pressure• High temperature (600 degrees Fare height)• High permeable sedimentary basin• Onshore resource potential – 1,400 MW• 11 power plants operating in onshore area -

380 MW cumulative capacity

Hudson Ranch 1Salton Sea Geothermal Plant

• High temperature flash technology• First stand alone geothermal energy source

plant built in Salton Sea field in last 20 years.• Three production well, four injection wells• Two wells produce 40 MW each

Source: Power-eng.com

Plant Details• High pressure brine separator – steam flash• Steam scrubber (remove impurities)– Steam turbine

• Brine sent to standard pressure crystallizer (steam separation - standard pressure steam)– Low pressure separator (final stage steam

separation)• Clarifier tanks to separate out suspended

silica, then reinjected

Make-Up Water

• Well produce brine

• Water from Imperial Valley Irrigation District used to make-up for water lost in operations

• Brine treated and reinjected

Geothermal’s Future

1. Short –Term2. Long-Term3. Benefits4. Drawbacks

Well Stimulation

What is Hydraulic Stimulation ?

•Increase permeability of oil-/gas-bearing formations

•Use of water, proppant, and chemicals to open fissures to allow oil/gas to flow to well

•Recent development? Combination of multi-stage HF in long, horizontal formation

• “Tight” shales or other types of formations require HF

Source: http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2011/12/fracking-%E2%80%93-good-news-or-bad-for-america%E2%80%99s-energy-needs/

Hydraulic Stimulation -- Last 2 months

www.conservation.ca.gov

Historic Regulation

Department of Conservation

•Well Construction Standards• Focus on competent well bores• Ensure “zonal isolation”•Facilities regulation• Covers pipelines, collection/separation

vessels / tanks• Includes Spill Prevention and Contingency

Planning

Interim Regulations

Requires:• Neighbor notification• Pressure testing of well and surface

equipment• Water quality monitoring plans• Disclosure of HF fluid content• Public disclosure

Permanent Regulations

Will require:• Permit from DOGGR• Neighbor notification• Pre-WST evaluation of formation & well• Monitoring during and after WST• Water quality monitoring plans and water

management plans• Public disclosure of job and chemicals used• Process for adoption

www.conservation.ca.gov