Drill, Produce, Repeat

California’s San Joaquin Valley has been home to oil and gas production in the region since the early 1900s. The region is rich with oil bearing source rock, and significant faulting and folding provide for extensive oil and gas trapping mechanisms. The valley has production opportunities ranging from the shallow Tulare formation at depths of 500′ – 1500′ to the Monterey and Kreyenhagen shale formations reaching depths of 19,000′.

Natural production declines in the valley have been stemmed by technological advancements such as steaming (cyclical, flooding), recompletions and better downhole tools for observation. Other cost savings such as multiple completions, horizontal drilling and coiled tubing allow for continued development past the point where 25 years ago, the fields would have been uneconomic. The past 100 years of development in the region have provided significant well control (knowing what well bores are where and what their history is) which has resulted in significant amounts of shallow infield drilling opportunities with very little geologic risk.