Part of my dissertation research will focus on California oil production, particularly the production of low-quality oil from heavy oil reservoirs in the Central Valley of California.
The first year of this work is being funded by the University of California Energy Institute, with Prof. Alex Farrell as the principal investigator.
Related links
California Department of Conservation Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR)
DOGGR online production and injection database
DOGGR historical data in scanned PDF format
Conservation Committee of California Oil and Gas Producers
The San Ardo field, near San Ardo and King City, California, visible from Highway 101. Note the steam distribution pipeline in the foreground, which delivers steam from the boiler to the underground formation for heating of the oil.
Steam distribution pipes in the Midway-Sunset field, near Highway 166. These pipes were warm to the touch, signaling that they were actively distributing steam. The amount of heat was minor, suggesting that the insulation is reasonably effective.
A steam pipe in the Midway-Sunset oil field. The pipes in the background went underground some distance to the right of the pictured area.