Fluid levels in the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California

Dates

Publication Date: 2021-01-28
Start Date: 2017
End Date: 2017

Citation

Stephens, M.J., Shimabukuro, D.H., Rosecrans, C.Z., and Watson, E., 2021, Fluid levels in the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9UG4BP3.

Summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), compiled Fall 2017 fluid level elevation data from idle oil and gas wells in the Oxnard Oil Field to estimate vertical hydraulic head difference between oil production and overlying groundwater aquifer zones. Fluid elevations came from two sources, measurements in idle oil and gas wells and groundwater elevations in water wells in the overlying aquifer estimated at the points of idle well measurements using geographic information system (GIS) procedures. The fluid elevations from idle oil and gas wells were compiled by the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) as part of their Idle Well Program; oil producers [...]

Summary

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), compiled Fall 2017 fluid level elevation data from idle oil and gas wells in the Oxnard Oil Field to estimate vertical hydraulic head difference between oil production and overlying groundwater aquifer zones. Fluid elevations came from two sources, measurements in idle oil and gas wells and groundwater elevations in water wells in the overlying aquifer estimated at the points of idle well measurements using geographic information system (GIS) procedures. The fluid elevations from idle oil and gas wells were compiled by the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) as part of their Idle Well Program; oil producers take the measurements and submit the data to CalGEM. These oil wells are perforated in the oil producing zones which includes the Vaca Tar Sands. Fluid elevations from the shallower groundwater system were extracted using GIS procedures at the locations of these idle oil and gas wells from a groundwater elevation contour map for Fall 2017 provided by the United Water Conservation District (UWCD). Groundwater elevation contours were calculated by UWCD from water-level measurements in groundwater wells monitored seasonally in the Oxnard Plain groundwater sub-basin and adjacent sub-basins. The groundwater elevation contours represent the lower aquifer system in the Oxnard Plain groundwater sub-basin and overlie the oil zone including Vaca Tar Sands. The fluid elevations in idle oil wells and calculated groundwater level elevations at the same location were compared to estimate vertical differences in groundwater head to assess potential fluid flow direction. Of the 65 idle well locations where vertical head differences were calculated, 43 had head differences indicating upward fluid gradients (head higher in oil wells than groundwater), 21 had head differences indicating downward fluid gradients (head lower in oil wells than groundwater), and 1 had head differences too small to discern vertical differences (within +/- 2 m). These data were analyzed in an accompanying manuscript as part of the SWRCB oil and gas Regional Monitoring Program and the USGS California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater (COGG) Program to assess regional groundwater quality overlying and adjacent to the Oxnard Oil Field.

Contacts

Point of Contact :: Matthew K Landon
Originator :: Michael J Stephens, David H Shimabukuro, Celia Z Rosecrans, E Watson
Metadata Contact :: Michael J Stephens
Publisher :: U.S. Geological Survey
Distributor :: U.S. Geological Survey - ScienceBase
SDC Data Owner :: California Water Science Center
USGS Mission Area :: Water Resources

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Oxnard fluid levels data release metadata.xml “Oxnard fluid levels metadata” Original FGDC Metadata	View	23.14 KB	application/fgdc+xml
Oxnard fluid levels.csv “Oxnard fluid level data”		6.44 KB	text/csv

Related External Resources

Type: Related Primary Publication

Rosecrans, C.Z., Landon, M.K., McMahon, P.B., Gillespie, J.M., Kulongoski, J.T., Stephens, M.J., Hunt, A.G., Shimabukuro, D.H., and Davis, T.A., 2021, Groundwater quality of aquifers overlying the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California: Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144822	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144822

Type: Related Data Release

Metzger, L.F., and Herrera, P.J., 2020, Historical produced water chemistry data compiled for the Orcutt and Oxnard oil fields, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, southern California: U.S. Geological Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P9AYRXBD	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9AYRXBD
Rosecrans, C.Z., Rodriguez, O., Davis, T.A., Teunis, J.A., Johnson, J., McCarlson, A., and Qi, S.L., 2021, Water chemistry data for samples collected at groundwater sites near the Oxnard Oil Field, June 2017–August 2018, Ventura County, California: U.S. Geologic Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P99EHQ8H	https://doi.org/10.5066/P99EHQ8H
Stephens, M.J., Sowers, T.A., Courser, H.N., Bunch, J.D., and Rosecrans, C.Z., 2021, Mud logs from the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California: U.S. Geological Survey data release. https://doi.org/10.5066/P913QDD5	https://doi.org/10.5066/P913QDD5

Purpose

The purpose of this data release is to provide the fluid level data compiled to calculate vertical head differences between oil production zones in the Vaca Tar Sands of the Oxnard Oil Field and the overlying lower aquifer system; these data were used in analyzing regional groundwater quality in a study area in and around the Oxnard Oil Field.

Fluid levels in the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California

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