History.2C production.2C and operations Edison Oil Field

racetrack hill area of edison field, showing dispersed oil wells , steam pipes expansion loops

the edison field 1 of last fields discovered in california during boom period of 20th century. unlike other fields alongside central valley either advertise existence tar seeps or anticlinal hills serve surface expression underlying oil-bearing structures, edison field hidden underneath valley floor. discovery edison field drilled general petroleum corporation in july 1928; produced 65 barrels (10.3 m) of oil per day, acceptable flow no gusher; nevertheless sufficient establish oil field lay below flat farmland of valley southeast of bakersfield. drilling in area of wildcat nature, numerous failures, finding oil-bearing units in hidden structure guesswork, until enough borehole logs available begin build subsurface lithologic model.

during 1920s price of oil dropped gradually new discoveries, including giant fields in los angeles basin, central valley, , texas; , great depression, , 1930 discovery of enormous east texas field, price of oil dropped low ten cents barrel. drilling during period reduced, cost open new unlikely recouped unless exceptional reservoir tapped, , few drillers willing take risk, particularly in field success spotty. after single opened field s main area in 1932, no further wells put edison field until 1934, during 7 new wells became active, , in 1935 number had risen 46.

over next several decades, new reservoirs discovered , put production. in 1935, shell oil company completed first in west area of field, prove 1 of productive areas. in 1935, small 50-acre (200,000 m) northeast edison field discovered woodward oil company. racetrack hill area came online in 1944, jeppi area in 1948, , in 1950 richfield oil corporation, ancestor of arco , bp, found oil in edison groves area. field reached peak production in 1953, time when oil flowing of these areas: in year on 6.6 million barrels (1,050,000 m) produced.

in 1960s, in effort restore declining production, several enhanced recovery methods employed. first waterflooding operation began in 1963 in portals-fairfax area, , in 1964 both waterflooding , cyclic steam in use in several areas of field, steam recovery being used on heavy oil reservoirs such racetrack hill, steam system still in place.

the major oil companies, , companies ancestors of today s major oil companies, gradually left field in decades following 1950. j. paul getty, standard oil of california, richfield oil corporation, shell , mobil once had holdings on edison field. smaller independents absorbed these holdings, , in 2009 there 40 separate operators on field. of largest of these @ end of 2008 vaquero energy, 352 wells; naftex operating company, 163, , sequoia exploration, inc. 93.

at end of 2008, 914 wells remained active on field, field-wide average water cut of 92%. in spite of declining reserves, independent operators continue explore oil. example, in 2011 tri-valley corp expanded operations on claflin lease in racetrack hill area, intent drill 22 new wells.