This document provides an overview of produced water in California's oil industry. It discusses the organizational structure of the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources, the division's mandates to regulate oil and gas development safely and prevent waste, details on well construction and plugging, underground injection control, and subsidence. It also lists the top 10 oil producing fields in 2012 and details on water injection, including amounts used for enhanced oil recovery versus water disposal. Non-injected produced water is also summarized.

2. An Overview of California’s
Produced Water
Tim Kustic, State Oil and Gas Supervisor
California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources

3. Organizational Structure
 Governor’s Office
 Natural Resources Agency
 Department of Conservation
 Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal
Resources

4. …Supervisor shall so supervise the drilling,
operation, maintenance, and abandonment
of wells and the operation, maintenance, and
removal or abandonment of tanks and
facilities…
Division Mandates

5. ...so as to prevent, as far as possible, damage to
life, health, property, and natural resources;
damage to underground oil and gas deposits
from infiltrating water… prevent damage…and
waste… to underground and surface waters.
Division Mandates

6. …Supervisor shall also supervise… to permit the
owners… to utilize all methods… and practices
known to the industry for the purpose of increasing
the ultimate recovery.
Division Mandates

7. To best meet oil and gas needs in this state, the
Supervisor shall administer this division so as to
encourage the wise development of oil and gas
resources.
Division Mandates

8. CA Oil porduction

13. Well Construction

14. Well Plugging and Abandonment

24. UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL (UIC)

25. Subsidence

29. 2012 Top 10 Oil Producing Fields
Field Name Total Oil
Produced
Total Water Produced API
Gravity
API
Gravity
TDS
Average
TDS Range Water
Cut
Injection
(million bbl) (million bbl) (1000 Acre Feet) Range Average (ppm) (1000 ppm) (%) (million bbl)
1 Midway-Sunset 29.30 224.21 28.90 8-40 23.4 8,924 1-49 88.4 218.7
2 Kern River 26.19 315.11 40.62 11-14 12.9 2,330 0.4-11.1 92.3 82.7
3 Belridge, South 23.62 305.29 39.35 8-47 23.4 22,525 2.6-39 92.8 314.5
4 Elk Hills 13.93 167.63 21.61 17-39 29.8 25,971 4.6-43 92.3 173.2
5 Cymric 13.69 107.04 13.80 10-46 17.6 13,591 3-24 88.7 57.5
6 Wilmington 13.26 492.14 63.44 9-31 8.9 28,705 20-36 97.4 530.3
7 Lost Hills 10.74 134.24 17.30 8-42 23.6 21,729 1.2-56 92.6 135.8
8 San Ardo 7.27 114.42 14.75 10-15 12.0 7,200 7200 94.0 92.6
9 Coalinga 5.54 57.78 7.45 8-31 17.6 5,467 3-14 91.2 45.0
10 Ventura 5.08 50.15 6.46 20-45 29.9 20,018 17.1-23 90.8 55.6

32. Water Injection
Total Produced Water Injection: 2.7 Billion bbls/yr
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR): 1.9 Billion bbls/yr (70%)
o Water Flood - 50%
o Steam Flood - 13%
o Cyclic Steam - 6%
Water Disposal (WD): .8 Billion bbls/yr (30%)

34. Non-Injected Produced Water
Total Produced Water Non-Inject: 866 Million bbls/yr
Evaporation - Percolation: 624 Million bbls/yr (72%)
Freshwater Use: 198 Million bbls/yr (23%)
Sewer Systems: 44 Million bbls/yr (5%)

39. Arroyo Grande Oilfield, San Luis Obispo County

40. HYDRAULIC FRACTURE STIMULATION

44. www.conservation.ca.gov