Six Oil and Gas Districts Three Geothermal Districts

Six Oil and Gas Districts

Three Geothermal Districts

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.

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 13 k Gigawatt-hours)

Geothermal Generate Electricity

Geothermal Aquaculture

Geothermal Spa

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 gallons/day wastewater injection – Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline

Water Loss

Make up Water Reuse

State-Wide Seismicity All 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 1 Salton 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. 2. 3. 4. Short –Term Long-Term Benefits 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-%E 2%80%93 -good-news-or-bad-foramerica%E 2%80%99 s-energy-needs/

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

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

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