The USGS California Water Science Center is working in partnership with state and federal agencies to answer the following questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources:
- Where are protected groundwater resources?
- How close are oil and gas operations and protected groundwater, and what geologic materials separate them?
- Where is there evidence of fluids from oil and gas sources in protected groundwater? Where does evidence indicate no connections?
- When fluids from oil and gas sources are present in protected groundwater, what pathways or processes are responsible for observed transport?
- Have oil and gas operations as a whole contributed to water-quality changes in groundwater basins?
The program's framework was developed and adopted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) in July 2015.
The USGS is the technical lead in implementing the State Water Boards' Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Programthrough the COGG program. The program receives funding from the California State Water Resources Control Board, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and USGS cooperative matching funds.
>> Explore the Program
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Historical groundwater and produced water chemistry data compiled for the Placerita and Newhall Oil Fields, Los Angeles County, southern California
Geological, geochemical, and geophysical data from the Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields
Geophysical and geological data for select petroleum wells in North Coles Levee Oil Field, Kern County, California
Geophysical, geological, hydrological, and geochemical data for aquifer salinity mapping in the Elk Hills, Buena Vista, and Coles Levee Oil Fields, Kern County, California
Produced water chemistry data for the Lost Hills, Fruitvale, and North and South Belridge study areas, Southern San Joaquin Valley, California (version 1.1, September 2020)
Historical Produced Water Chemistry Data Compiled for the North Coles Levee Oilfield, Kern County, California
Geochemical, geological, and geophysical data for wells in the Poso Creek oil and gas field, Kern County, California
Data used to estimate groundwater salinity above the Montebello oil field (California, USA)
Supporting groundwater salinity data used for salinity mapping adjacent to the Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields, Kern County, California
Airborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey, southwestern San Joaquin Valley near Lost Hills, California, 2016
Historical groundwater and produced water chemistry data compiled for the San Ardo Oil Field and vicinity, Monterey County, central California
Mud logs from the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
Below are publications associated with this project.
Geologic controls on groundwater salinity reversal in North Coles Levee Oil Field, southern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA
Occurrence of water and thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations in groundwater near the Orcutt Oil Field, California, USA
Mapping aquifer salinity gradients and effects of oil field produced water disposal using geophysical logs: Elk Hills, Buena Vista and Coles Levee Oil Fields, San Joaquin Valley, California
Geostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
Investigating the effect of enhanced oil recovery on the noble gas signature of casing gases and produced waters from selected California oil fields
Stratigraphic and structural controls on groundwater salinity variations in the Poso Creek Oil Field, Kern County, California, USA
Noble gas signatures constrain oil-field water as the carrier phase of hydrocarbons occurring in shallow aquifers in the San Joaquin Basin, USA
Relative risk of groundwater-quality degradation near California (USA) oil fields estimated from 3H, 14C, and 4He
Groundwater quality of aquifers overlying the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
Geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Multiple-well monitoring site adjacent to the North and South Belridge Oil Fields, Kern County, California
Multiple-well monitoring site adjacent to the Lost Hills oil field, Kern County, California
Below are news stories associated with this project.
The USGS is the technical lead in implementing the State Water Boards' Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program through the COGG program. The program receives funding from the California State Water Resources Control Board, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and USGS cooperative matching funds.
- Overview
The USGS California Water Science Center is working in partnership with state and federal agencies to answer the following questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources:
Kern County injection well. (Credit: David Dillon. Public domain.) - Where are protected groundwater resources?
- How close are oil and gas operations and protected groundwater, and what geologic materials separate them?
- Where is there evidence of fluids from oil and gas sources in protected groundwater? Where does evidence indicate no connections?
- When fluids from oil and gas sources are present in protected groundwater, what pathways or processes are responsible for observed transport?
- Have oil and gas operations as a whole contributed to water-quality changes in groundwater basins?
The program's framework was developed and adopted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) in July 2015.
The USGS is the technical lead in implementing the State Water Boards' Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Programthrough the COGG program. The program receives funding from the California State Water Resources Control Board, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and USGS cooperative matching funds.
>> Explore the Program
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 30Historical groundwater and produced water chemistry data compiled for the Placerita and Newhall Oil Fields, Los Angeles County, southern California
This digital dataset includes 580 samples from 12 groundwater wells and 45 samples of produced water from 38 sites (including 17 wells) located within 3 miles of the Placerita and Newhall Oil Fields in Los Angeles County, southern California. Historical geochemistry data were compiled from multiple data sources for selected water-quality indicators, major and minor ions, nutrients, trace elements,Geological, geochemical, and geophysical data from the Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board compiled and analyzed data for mapping groundwater salinity and characterizing aquifer systems in and near selected oil and gas fields in California. Data for the Lost Hills, North Belridge, and South Belridge oil fields include production and injection volumes, oil show data, formation pressurGeophysical and geological data for select petroleum wells in North Coles Levee Oil Field, Kern County, California
This dataset includes geological and geophysical data from petroleum wells located in the North Coles Levee Oil Field, Kern County, California. The purpose of this dataset is to describe groundwater salinity trends and the related geological controls. These data are used in an interpretive manuscript that characterizes a salinity inversion (lower-salinities found below higher-salinities) in NorthGeophysical, geological, hydrological, and geochemical data for aquifer salinity mapping in the Elk Hills, Buena Vista, and Coles Levee Oil Fields, Kern County, California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) compiled and analyzed data for mapping groundwater salinity, characterizing aquifer systems, and documenting the effects of oil field water injection in the Elk Hills Elk Hills, Buena Vista, and Coles Levee Oil Fields, San Joaquin Valley, California. Data provided in this daProduced water chemistry data for the Lost Hills, Fruitvale, and North and South Belridge study areas, Southern San Joaquin Valley, California (version 1.1, September 2020)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) collected produced water and casing gas samples from petroleum wells and other oil-field sites in selected oil fields in the southern San Joaquin Valley in Kern County in 2016 and 2017. The samples were collected as part of the Water Boards Regional Groundwater Monitoring ProgramHistorical Produced Water Chemistry Data Compiled for the North Coles Levee Oilfield, Kern County, California
This dataset contains geochemical and other information for 40 historical samples of produced water from the North Coles Levee Oil Field. Three of these samples are from commingled tanks containing produced water from multiple wells as noted in the Remarks column. Water that is produced as a byproduct of oil production is called produced water. The numerical water chemistry data were compiled by tGeochemical, geological, and geophysical data for wells in the Poso Creek oil and gas field, Kern County, California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management compiled and analyzed data for mapping groundwater salinity and characterizing aquifer systems in and around selected oil and gas fields in California. Data were collected for the Poso Creek oil field area which includes well construction data, productionData used to estimate groundwater salinity above the Montebello oil field (California, USA)
This release contains borehole geophysical electrical log data (elogs), total dissolved solids sample data (TDS), and geostatistical program files used to estimate the salinity distribution in groundwater above and in the vicinity of the Montebello Oil Field, located near Los Angeles, California, USA. Original data are drawn from a variety of publicly available sources and are combined here for usSupporting groundwater salinity data used for salinity mapping adjacent to the Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields, Kern County, California
This dataset contains summarized historical groundwater salinity observations from wells near the Lost Hills and Belridge oil fields in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley, Kern County, California. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration, electrical fluid conductivity (EC), and well construction information were aggregated from public data sources and local water management agencies. Trends inAirborne electromagnetic and magnetic survey, southwestern San Joaquin Valley near Lost Hills, California, 2016
Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic survey data were collected during October 2016 along 1,443 line kilometers in the southwestern San Joaquin Valley near Lost Hills, California. These data were collected in support of groundwater salinity mapping and hydrogeologic framework development as part of the U.S. Geological Survey California Oil, Gas, and Groundwater program and the California StHistorical groundwater and produced water chemistry data compiled for the San Ardo Oil Field and vicinity, Monterey County, central California
This digital dataset includes 255 samples from 41 groundwater wells and 271 samples of produced water from 143 sites (including 101 wells) located within 3 miles of the San Ardo Oil Field in Monterey County, central California. Historical geochemistry data were compiled from multiple data sources for selected water-quality indicators, major and minor ions, nutrients, and trace elements. AncillaryMud logs from the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) compiled and digitized mud logs from oil and gas wells in the Oxnard Oil Field area. Scanned copies of the mud logs were downloaded from the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) online data and were digitized. Thirteen available mud logs associated with the Pliocene T - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 35Geologic controls on groundwater salinity reversal in North Coles Levee Oil Field, southern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA
This paper documents a reversal in the groundwater salinity depth gradient in the North Coles Levee Oil Field in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Salinity, measured in mg/L, was mapped with water quality data from groundwater and oil and gas wells and salinity estimated from oil and gas well borehole geophysical logs using Archie's equation. The resulting three-dimensional salinity volume showsAuthorsMichael D Flowers, David H. Shimabukuro, Michael J. Stephens, John G. Warden, Janice M. Gillespie, Will ChangOccurrence of water and thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations in groundwater near the Orcutt Oil Field, California, USA
Study regionSanta Barbara County, California, USA.Study focusTo analyze a wide array of newly collected chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas, and age dating tracers in conjunction with historical data from groundwater and oil wells to determine if water and/or thermogenic gas from oil-bearing formations have mixed with groundwater in the Orcutt Oil Field and surrounding area.New hydrological insightsAuthorsRobert Anders, Matthew K. Landon, Peter B. McMahon, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew Hunt, Tracy DavisMapping aquifer salinity gradients and effects of oil field produced water disposal using geophysical logs: Elk Hills, Buena Vista and Coles Levee Oil Fields, San Joaquin Valley, California
The effects of oil and gas production on adjacent groundwater quality are becoming a concern in many areas of the United States. As a result, it has become increasingly important to identify which aquifers require monitoring and protection. In this study, we map the extent of groundwater with less than 10,000 mg/L TDS both laterally and vertically near the Elk Hills, Buena Vista and Coles Levee OiAuthorsJanice M. Gillespie, Michael J. Stephens, Will Chang, John G. WardenGeostatistical mapping of salinity conditioned on borehole logs, Montebello Oil Field, California
We present a geostatistics-based stochastic salinity estimation framework for the Montebello Oil Field that capitalizes on available total dissolved solids (TDS) data from groundwater samples as well as electrical resistivity (ER) data from borehole logging. Data from TDS samples (n = 4924) was coded into an indicator framework based on falling below four selected thresholds (500, 1000, 3000, andAuthorsNeil Terry, Frederick Day-Lewis, Matthew K. Landon, Michael Land, Jennifer S. Stanton, John W. LaneInvestigating the effect of enhanced oil recovery on the noble gas signature of casing gases and produced waters from selected California oil fields
In regions where water resources are scarce and in high demand, it is important to safeguard against contamination of groundwater aquifers by oil-field fluids (water, gas, oil). In this context, the geochemical characterisation of these fluids is critical so that anthropogenic contaminants can be readily identified. The first step is characterising pre-development geochemical fluid signatures (i.eAuthorsR. L. Tyne, P. H. Barry, R. Karolytė, D. J. Bryne, Justin T. Kulongoski, D.J. Hillegonds, C. J. BallentineStratigraphic and structural controls on groundwater salinity variations in the Poso Creek Oil Field, Kern County, California, USA
Groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) distribution was mapped with a three-dimensional (3D) model, and it was found that TDS variability is largely controlled by stratigraphy and geologic structure. General TDS patterns in the San Joaquin Valley of California (USA) are attributed to predominantly connate water composition and large-scale recharge from the adjacent Sierra Nevada. However, in smaAuthorsMichael J. Stephens, David H. Shimabukuro, Will Chang, Janice M. Gillespie, Zack LevinsonNoble gas signatures constrain oil-field water as the carrier phase of hydrocarbons occurring in shallow aquifers in the San Joaquin Basin, USA
Noble gases record fluid interactions in multiphase subsurface environments through fractionation processes during fluid equilibration. Water in the presence of hydrocarbons at the subsurface acquires a distinct elemental signature due to the difference in solubility between these two fluids. We find the atmospheric noble gas signature in produced water is partially preserved after hydrocarbons prAuthorsRuta Karolyte, Peter H. Barry, Andrew Hunt, Justin T. Kulongoski, R. L. Tyne, Tracy Davis, Michael Wright, Peter B. McMahon, C. J. BallentineRelative risk of groundwater-quality degradation near California (USA) oil fields estimated from 3H, 14C, and 4He
Relative risks of groundwater-quality degradation near selected California oil fields are estimated by examining spatial and temporal patterns in chemical and isotopic data in the context of groundwater-age categories defined by tritium and carbon-14. In the Coastal basins, western San Joaquin Valley (SJV), and eastern SJV; 82, 76, and 0% of samples are premodern (pre-1953 recharge), respectively;AuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Matthew K. Landon, Tracy Davis, Michael Wright, Celia Z. Rosecrans, Robert Anders, Michael Land, Justin T. Kulongoski, Andrew HuntGroundwater quality of aquifers overlying the Oxnard Oil Field, Ventura County, California
Groundwater samples collected from irrigation, monitoring, and municipal supply wells near the Oxnard Oil Field were analyzed for chemical and isotopic tracers to evaluate if thermogenic gas or water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations have mixed with surrounding groundwater. New and historical data show no evidence of water from hydrocarbon-bearing formations in groundwater overlying the field. HAuthorsCelia Z. Rosecrans, Matthew K. Landon, Katherine Marie Ransom, Janice M. Gillespie, Justin T. Kulongoski, Michael J. Stephens, Andrew G. Hunt, David H. Shimabukuro, Tracy DavisGeochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin, USA: Assessing potential effects of shale-oil production on groundwater quality
Thirty water wells were sampled in 2018 to understand the geochemistry and age of groundwater in the Williston Basin and assess potential effects of shale-oil production from the Three Forks-Bakken petroleum system (TBPS) on groundwater quality. Two geochemical groups are identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. Group 1 represents the younger (median 4He = 21.49 × 10−8 cm3 STP/g), less chemAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Joel M. Galloway, Andrew Hunt, Kenneth Belitz, Bryant Jurgens, Tyler D. JohnsonMultiple-well monitoring site adjacent to the North and South Belridge Oil Fields, Kern County, California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board, is evaluating several questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources in California, including (1) the location of groundwater resources; (2) the proximity of oil and gas operations to groundwater and the geologic materials between them; (3) evidence (or no evidence) of fluiAuthorsRhett R. Everett, Anthony A. Brown, Janice M. Gillespie, Adam Kjos, Nicole C. FentonMultiple-well monitoring site adjacent to the Lost Hills oil field, Kern County, California
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board, is evaluating several questions about oil and gas development and groundwater resources in California, including (1) the location of groundwater resources; (2) the proximity of oil and gas operations and groundwater and the geologic materials between them; (3) the location of evidence (or noAuthorsRhett R. Everett, Adam Kjos, Anthony A. Brown, Janice M. Gillespie, Peter B. McMahon - News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
- Partners
The USGS is the technical lead in implementing the State Water Boards' Oil and Gas Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program through the COGG program. The program receives funding from the California State Water Resources Control Board, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and USGS cooperative matching funds.