Posted by: McQ on Friday, January 23, 2009 Short post, but what a phenomenal trip. Chevron's Kern River oil field (San Joaquin Valley - Bakersfield) is something which simply overwhelms you. It has been in production since the late 1800s (not as an exclusive Chevron property as it is now, but owned by many and producing the entire time) and has pumped 2 billion barrels out of the ground since the first discovery well was drilled way back when. 20 square miles which, at present has 9,600 producing wells, 770 injector wells (I'll cover the steam injection process later) and 660 observation wells (they monitor fluids and heat). Frankly I could write 15 posts about this - the technology, the geology, the history, the maintenance, the cost, the processes, the amount of water they pump to get the oil, you name it. And yes, I managed to actually get some pictures (although, as you'll see it was cloudy and drizzling). Anyway, good stuff, lots and lots of more info, and hopefully some insight as to the complexity of what it takes to remove heavy oil from the sands in which it is locked, transport it, refine it and get it to that station near you where you eventually pump what used to be some nasty viscous stuff - which at one time was fit only for asphalt and roofing tar - into that fine Lexus you drive. Great people, information overload, can't wait to get it into some readable form, but I am calling it a night (flight canceled tonight -life happens- so I ended up remaining in Bakersfield) so I can be up bright and early to catch the first thing smokin' out of here. See ya. |
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