ALLIANCE SOUGHT FOR FOCUS ON CALIFORNIA PRODUCTION HURDLES

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), Lawrence, Calif., is seeking support among California producers for a proposed collaboration to identify, test, and apply appropriate technology to oil and gas production problems unique to California. Bob Whitsett, staff scientist with LBL's earth sciences division oil and gas production research office, outlined the proposal for the California Oil & Gas Alliance (COGA) in a presentation to the Conservation Committee of California Oil & Gas Producers in

June 28, 1993

2 min read

Bob Whitsett, staff scientist with LBL's earth sciences division oil and gas production research office, outlined the proposal for the California Oil & Gas Alliance (COGA) in a presentation to the Conservation Committee of California Oil & Gas Producers in Bakersfield, Calif.

He cited California's extensive diatomite strata as an example of where COGA might be helpful in reviving California's producing industry. Properly directed steam could yield 40% recovery of billions of barrels of light oil trapped in diatomite rocks underlying Kern County, he said. Whitsett indicated COGA is likely to attach top priority to testing technologies to help create and understand flow paths.

Other possible projects involve combining technologies to locate and produce isolated oil pockets in Kern River, Midway-Sunset, and South Belridge oil fields and target thin gas pay sands via geophysical applications in the Sacramento Valley.

Twelve California producers have said they would work with COGA: Bakersfield Energy Resources, Berry Petroleum Co., Chevron Corp., Crutcher-Tufts Production, Exxon Corp., Macpherson Oil Co, Nahama & Weagant Energy Co., Oxy U.S.A. Inc., Santa Fe Energy Resources Inc., Shell Oil Co., Stockdale Oil & Gas Inc., and Unocal Corp.

California Independent Petroleum Association said it wanted to help get COGA off the ground to speed assistance to independents.

LBL is requesting a $5 million/year, 5 year budget to form COGA and focus on technological problems. Plans call for industry to augment the budget with contributions in funds or in kind. COGA will form a council of industry participants to identify key technological concerns. LBL will form working groups to identify, design, and implement various approaches, analyses, and field tests, Whitsett said. COGA can expect to focus on two or three key production technologies each year and improve resource recovery within the first year.