Six Oil and Gas Districts

2. Six Oil and Gas Districts

3. Three Geothermal Districts

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

7. 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)

8. GeothermalGenerate Electricity

9. GeothermalAquaculture

10. GeothermalSpa

12. 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

13. Water Loss

15. Make up WaterWater Reuse

17. State-Wide Seismicity All Eqs 7 days Source: usgs.gov

18. Induced Seismicity Source: usgs.gov

19. 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

20. 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

21. Source: Power-eng.com

22. 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

23. 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

24. Geothermal’s Future Short –Term Long-Term Benefits Drawbacks

25. Well Stimulation

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

27. Hydraulic Stimulation -- Last 2 months www.conservation.ca.gov

28. Historic Regulation • 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 Department of Conservation

29. Interim Regulations • Requires: • Neighbor notification • Pressure testing of well and surface • equipment • Water quality monitoring plans • Disclosure of HF fluid content • Public disclosure

30. 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

31. www.conservation.ca.gov