Age, distribution, and stratigraphic relationship of rock units in the san joaquin basin province, california. The shale, which is the oilbearing component of the monterey formation, is very brittle, which is one of the reasons it can be fracked, erskine explains, breaking off a small chunk with his pick. After behl, 2012, used with permission lower monterey formation burnt shale visible on the cliff face at lunada bay a pink to redcolored rock which shows where organicrich rocks have spontaneously combusted and oxidized. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering or bedding less than one centimeter in thickness, called fissility.
Feb 21, 20 the federal government believes the monterey shale, which lies under more than 1,750 square miles of central and southern california, has far more shale oil than anywhere else in the lower 48. It is the prolific source rock for the oil fields in the region. Though there could be 15 billion barrels of oil trapped in the monterey shale in. Nov 05, 2014 fracking the monterey shale formation. But when operators in that area finally crack the code, you can bet production will rocket higher. To crack the monterey shale code, companies are busily drilling test wells, using various fracking and acidization techniques in search of cheaper solutions. Now a report says that the hype over the monterey shale. The montereys geology is not an analog for the bakken or eagle ford, said hughes. Most of his work focuses on the wonderfully complex miocene monterey formation of california and the spectacular. Californias monterey shale is supposed to revolutionize oil resources in the united states, with perhaps 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil recoverable, that is, through using the acidizing form of fracking. The first thing gavin newsom needs to do is to actually start regulating, said a. It had been seen as an enormous bonanza, reducing the nations need for foreign oil imports through the use of the latest in extraction techniques, including acid treatments, horizontal drilling and fracking. Lying deep beneath the valleys surface is a trove of shale oil some 15. State lawmakers take notice of use in oil exploration companies trying to pry oil from a vast shale formation beneath central california have been pumping powerful acids underground to dissolve.
Will monterey shale formation revive the california oil boom. A technique, already widely in use in the oil industry, known as acidizing. For years, the monterey shale was thought to be americas largest tightoil formation, with at least. May 21, 2014 for years, the monterey shale was thought to be americas largest tightoil formation, with at least. Shale has a very small particle size, so the interstitial spaces are very small. Petroleum geologists and engineers, always searching for the next strike, are feverishly seeking the technological fix to unlock those riches. Reduced estimates of oil trapped in monterey shale sfgate. Jan 14, 2014 venoco, an independent that held the secondhighest amount of acreage in the monterey shale formation, experienced similar disappointment. In those booming oil fields, reserves are pooled in orderly strata of rock. When it came to oil, the leader by a landslide was the monterey shale, a checkerboard of discrete basins that stretches from southern californias orange county to the eel river watershed north of ukiah. There could be rapid expansion, they warn, if oil companies find a way to extract petroleum trapped in the states monterey shale formation. A basal sandstone known as the buttonbed is included by some geologists in the monterey, whereas others place it in the underlying temblor formation. According to the us energy information administration eia in 2011, the 1,750squaremile 4,500 km 2 monterey shale formation contained more than half of the united statess total estimated technically recoverable shale oil tight oil contained in shale, as distinct from oil shale resource, about 15. What we dont know is how we can get it out of the ground in an.
The monterey formation is an extensive miocene oilrich geological sedimentary formation in california, with outcrops of the formation in parts of the california coast ranges, peninsular ranges, and on some of californias offshore islands. No fracking bonanza for californias monterey shale, usgs. Its not widely discussed in publicly, but for some time oil companies have found acidizing more effective in the monterey shale than. The collapse of californias oil industry stands in stark contrast to the u. At issue now is the monterey shale, a formation holding more shale oil than anywhere else in the. Feb 20, 2018 the collapse of californias oil industry stands in stark contrast to the u. To crack the code, companies are busily drilling test wells here.
Shale is a finegrained, clastic sedimentary rock, composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments siltsized particles of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The monterey shale is an oilrich sedimentary formation in california. To crack the code, companies are busily drilling test wells here, using. A somewhat overlooked july report by the united states energy information administration estimating readily recoverable shale oil and gas reserves in the country states that the monterey formation boasts about 15. This is the monterey shale, he says, pointing at a yellowishorange outcropping that looks like the ruins of an ancient miniature city and once lay thousands of feet below the surface of the earth, until geological activity exposed it to the elements. Monterey shale formation archives california policy center.
Its not widely discussed in publicly, but for some time oil companies have found acidizing more effective in the monterey shale than fracking. It lays out some of the plays fundamental characteristics compared to other tight oil plays. Will monterey shale formation revive the california oil. Monterey shale isnt all its fracked up to be zdnet. San joaquin valleys monterey shale formation may hold 15 billion barrels of. May 23, 2014 the monterey s geology is not an analog for the bakken or eagle ford, said hughes. Downgrading the monterey shale a big blow to the fracking. Jerry brown fired oil regulators for trying to do the right thing. May 21, 2014 the monterey shale formation contains about twothirds of the nations shale oil reserves. For every passenger vehicle in california today that runs on electricity there are about 70 that run on oil.
This is prime farmland, and they have drilled between 200 and 300 wells in the last 10 years in the monterey shale, frantz said. Theres a lot of discussion around the monterey shale that it doesnt require fracking, that acidizing will be enough to open up the rock, said chris faulkner. The report estimated that the monterey shale formation held 15. That much oil is pretty darn significant, that is if one wants to stay wedded to fossil fuels. The shale deposits of the monterey are much thicker and much more. Its a formation that accumulated in deep structural basins during the midmiocene period, says erskine, an expert in the monterey formation s geography.
The federal government believes the monterey shale, which lies under more than 1,750 square miles of central and southern california, has far more shale oil than anywhere else in. Commercial oil production from the monterey formation is not. Wood mackenzie estimates the monterey shale will this year produce about. Us officials cut estimate of recoverable monterey shale oil. May 21, 2014 californias monterey shale not a fracking oil bonanza after all, says energy information administration david herron may 21, 2014 june, 2015 hydraulic fracturing californias monterey shale is supposed to revolutionize oil resources in the united states, with perhaps 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil recoverable, that is. The shale of the monterey formation averages nearly 1,900 feet thick and more than 11,200 feet deep, compared to an average thickness of just 22 feet and depth of 6,000 feet for the bakken shale. The secondlargest producer of oil in california is currently a major player in the monterey shale. Jan 14, 20 californias monterey shale, seen here, has a massive mount of oil and the state could be poised for a boom, if it can safely get the crude out of the ground. This is the monterey shale, he says, pointing at a yellowishorange outcropping that looks like the ruins of an ancient miniature city and once lay thousands of feet below the surface of the. Dec 29, 20 the monterey formation is geologically complex, a brittle shale rock that has been broken and scrambled for millenniums. Monterey, california, shale fracking special report.
They contain a mixture of minerals that formed in a high temperature, low pressure anhydrous environment. The monterey shale is unlike other oil shale formations across the united states. Most of his work focuses on the wonderfully complex miocene monterey formation of california and. But how, exactly, did the monterey shale formation become so valuable. That ever alluring land happens to lie atop the monterey shale formation, a vast rock formation that is believed to hold one of the worlds largest onshore reserves of shale oil. He is carrying a geologic map of california showing the monterey shale. There has been so much talk of a potential fracking boom in california. The sand sticks in cracks formed by the high pressure injection, creating. The type locality is near the city of monterey, california. Information on the monterey shale natural gas intel. Gould shale and devilwater shale members of the monterey formation, undifferentiated. The monterey is so much more geologically complex that there is no. Acidizing typically involves the injection of high.
Unlike fields such as midwatsunset where the oil deposits are located less than 2,000 feet below the surface, the shale oil in the monterey shale formation is between 6,000 and 15,000 feet down. Modern prospectors are eyeing the monterey shale formation, a 1,750squaremile resourcerich swath of land in the san joaquin valley. At issue now is the monterey shale, a formation holding more shale oil than anywhere else in the country. Eia cuts recoverable monterey shale oil estimate by.
The monterey formation is geologically complex, a brittle shale rock that has been broken and scrambled for millenniums. Uncertain at this point is how much oil remains trapped, where it can be. The company found its early wells to be uneconomic and it moved to sell off its holdings in the early part of 20. The monterey formation is a mioceneage unit on the westside of the san joaquin valley that is equivalent to the combined interval of the reef ridge, antelope, mcdonald, devilwater and gould members. Further drilling will likely provide clearer evidence of the montereys. Its the muchhyped california shale oil boom, and it has arrested the nation with its allure. A basal sandstone known as the buttonbed is included by some geologists in the monterey, whereas others place it in. For its own part, california does have the monterey shale formation in the. It turned out that it is harder to crack the reservoirs and get the oil flowing from the monterey than from bakken or the south texas formation of eagle ford. Fracking bill under fire from environmentalists sfgate.
The federal government believes the monterey shale, which lies under more than 1,750 square miles of central and southern california, has far more shale oil than anywhere else in the lower 48 states nearly four times the amount of the bakken shale in north dakota. Formation of shale shale, like all sedimentary rocks, forms as a result of the compaction and cementation of materials that have weathered and eroded off of other, preexisting rocks. Eia cuts recoverable monterey shale oil estimate by 96 pct. The monterey shale, primarily a crude oil formation located in both onshore and offshore southern california at depths between 8,00014,000, is easily one of the most polarizing unconventional formations in north america. Dec 08, 20 the distinct shale reservoirs within the monterey formation that might be subject to further development through fracking have been rather a disappointment so far, producing a collective 15,000. In california, oil companies are using fracking to pry oil from the monterey shale, a vast rock formation believed to hold 15. In fact they are so small that oil, natural gas, and water have difficulty moving through the rock. Its multiple strata vary distinctly on the lower portion. The great enthusiasm for shale drilling comes largely from.
Californias monterey shale, seen here, has a massive mount of oil and the state could be poised for a boom, if it can safely get the crude out of the ground. The distinct shale reservoirs within the monterey formation that might be subject to further development through fracking have been rather a. Monterey shale geology is relatively young and seismically active. Youre no goodmonterey shale crude oil busts before it booms. With so much positive news out there about everrising production from unconventional oil and natural gas plays. Californias oil industry collapses despite shale boom rigzone. Us officials cut estimate of recoverable monterey shale. Luck and wisdom in the monterey shale the motley fool. Behind the fracking boom, the monterey shale bay nature. A thin dark seam of oil glistens, then fades, like jelly in a peanutbutterandjelly sandwich. It stated that the largest shale oil formation in america was the monterey play in southern california.
The monterey had the potential to be one of the most prolific oil producing basins in the united states. Oil in the shale, formed by the remains of ancient plants and animals, is. The monterey shale formation contains about twothirds of the nations shale oil reserves. The monterey formation is the major sourcerock for 37 to 38 billion barrels of oil in.
Age, distribution, and stratigraphic relationship of rock. Acidizing could rival fracking in monterey shale sfgate. Shale can therefore serve as a cap rock for oil and natural gas traps, and it also is an aquiclude that blocks or limits the flow of groundwater. The shale of the monterey formation averages nearly 1,900 feet thick and.