PROCEEDINGS, Thirty-Eighth Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering

Stanford University, Stanford, California, February 24-26, 2014

SGP-TR-202

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The State of California’s GeoSteam Database & Well Finder On-line Mapping System

Joseph A. Austin

California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources

50 “D” Street, Room 300, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

joe.austin@conservation.ca.gov

Keywords: well database, digital map, The Geysers Geothermal field, Calistoga Geothermal field, California Division of Oil, Gas,

and Geothermal Resources, regulation, production data, injection data

1. ABSTRACT

The California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources is the leader in regulating the State’s

962 geothermal production wells, and 278 geothermal injection wells. In 2012, California produced 12,733 Gigawatt hours or

6.4% of the in-state electrical generation from geothermal resources. California also uses geothermal resources for agriculture,

aquaculture, district and domestic heating, and balneology.

The GeoSteam database and the Well Finder on-line mapping system are internet-based methods by which the public can gain

access to geothermal well data from the State of California. To use these tools, start from the California Department of

Conservation’s internet home page. Well location data are presented by Well Finder in geo-referenced association with digital

orthophoto quadrangle images. By clicking on an individual well symbol, a user can view well logs, well history, and

production/injection data.

A brief tutorial for using the databases is presented, with a focus on examples from The Geysers Geothermal field and updates from

the Calistoga Geothermal field. Recently, sub-meter accuracy GPS surveys were performed, and a cache of old temperature logs

were posted for the Calistoga field.

These databases are ready for the scientific community to utilize in order to better understand and further the wise development of

the geothermal resources of the State.

2. INTRODUCTION

“Geothermal energy is natural heat generated deep inside the earth. Generally, such heat is not useable unless it occurs near the

earth’s surface and heats rocks and underground water. Water temperature, pressure, volume, and mineralization determine how

geothermal heat, once captured, can be used.” [Ritzius, et al (1993)] Most geothermal energy is captured by the drilling of wells. If

the geothermal fluids produced are above boiling, then electricity may be generated. If the fluids are below boiling, the heat may

be used for such things as space heating, aquaculture, snow melting, food processing, and bathing (balneology). The California

Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) is the leader in regulating geothermal

wells in California. The Geothermal Unit has three district offices from which the entire State is regulated.

Figure 1: Geothermal district boundaries and office locations

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In addition to the State’s 962 geothermal production wells, and 278 geothermal injection wells, many observation and temperature

gradient wells have been drilled within California. California law requires well records to be furnished to DOGGR. Where these

wells are not on Federally-owned lands, the well data become public records. DOGGR has digitized these well records and made

them available for the public to access via the internet. From these well records, data can be gathered to further geological and

engineering studies of geothermal resources in California.

3. WELL FINDER AND LINKS TO THE GEOSTEAM DATABASE

The “GeoSteam” database and the “Well Finder” on-line mapping system are internet-based methods by which the public can gain

access to geothermal well data from the State of California. To connect to theses databases, start from the California Department of

Conservation’s internet home page: www.conservation.ca.gov

Go to the DOGGR home page and then choose GEOTHERMAL. From the Geothermal Unit Home Page, choose MAPS. From the

Maps Page, select WELL FINDER. (As revisions to the website occur periodically, some pages may be changed.) Before Well

Finder opens, the user must read, scroll downward, and accept a disclaimer. When Well Finder opens, several search options and

layer controls become immediately available on the left side panel of the screen. One of the options available is to search by API

Number. [“The API Well Number is a unique, permanent, numeric identifier assigned for identification purposes to a well…”

American Petroleum Institute (1979)]. When searching by API Number, leave off the leading California State Code of “04.” For

this example, we will search for one of the latest injection wells drilled in The Geysers Geothermal field by its API Number:

09790854.

Figure 2: Searching Well Finder by API Number

Using this API Number will bring the user to a well in The Geysers Geothermal field, located in Sonoma and Lake Counties.

Figure 3: The Geysers Geothermal field location

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Several basemap and layer options may be explored, including color orthophoto images. The user may also zoom in and out by

using the bar on the left, and may hide the side panel menu.

Figure 4: The location of Geysers Power Company, LLC’s “LF State 4597” 22, a new injection well

When the user zooms-in on these images, the active well symbols plot at the ends of their respective flowlines. We believe that we

may have sub-meter accuracy for many of the well locations.

Figure 5: Well Finder maximum zoom view of a well location.

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Searching by API Number, or a single click on a well symbol causes it to be highlighted in red, and a rectangular dialogue box

appears, appended to the well symbol. The dialogue box has two options for learning generalized WELL INFORMATION or

detailed GEOSTEAM INFORMATION. By choosing the GEOSTEAM INFORMATION link, a well data query window is

opened which shows pdf files of well records. The Well Summary, History, Surveys, and Logs are available from this window.

Figure 6: Well data query window/data example: a color mudlog available from the GeoSteam link

In the well data query window, there are several gray tabs that can be selected. For this well, there are injection reports available

for viewing. Total volume of water injected is displayed on a monthly basis in 103 kilograms. A single click of the “Export to

Excel” button will also export these data to an Excel file. The Excel file will be written by default to the user’s “My Documents”

folder with the file name: WellInjecReports_(API Number)_(numerical date).xls.

Figure 7: Well data query window: injection report

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4. DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GEOSTEAM DATABASE

In order to gain direct access to the GeoSteam database, go back to the Geothermal Unit home page and select GEOSTEAM

(instead of MAPS). The main GeoSteam query page has several search parameter options. These include County, Field, Operator,

API Number, and Section/Township/Range. This time we will search for the API Number: 09790817.

Figure 8: Main GeoSteam query page: search by API Number

This search brings us to Geysers Power Company, LLC’s “Aidlin” 7 well in the northwestern portion of The Geysers geothermal

field. The well data query window (well records tab) shows a large amount of available well records in pdf files.

Figure 9: Well data query window: well records

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By clicking on the STEAM REPORT tab, the user can view this well’s 24 years of steam production reports. Total volume of

steam produced is displayed on a monthly basis in 103 kilograms.

Figure 10: Well data query window: steam report

If the user returns to the main GeoSteam query page, a search can be made on Section/Township/Range. For this example we

search on Section 4- Township 11N/Range 9W Mount Diablo Baseline & Meridian.

Figure 11: Main GeoSteam query page: search by Section/Township/Range

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Because there are four different operators with wells drilled in Section 4, the database prompts us to choose one of the operators. I

selected Geysers Power Company, LLC, since they are the only operator with active wells (the others have been plugged &

abandoned). The resultant query shows seven wells. By clicking on the API Number of a specific well, the user is once again

brought to a well data query window.

Figure 12: Resultant query of one operator’s wells in Section 4- T11N/R9W MDB&M

5. CALISTOGA UPDATE

There is a low- to moderate-temperature geothermal field in Calistoga.

Figure 13: Location of Calistoga in northwestern Napa County

Some unique mapping problems were found when plotting geothermal wells in Calistoga. An original Spanish land grant,

projected sections, a heads-up digitizing process, and change of projection served to compound some mapping errors. In 2012,

DOGGR undertook a program to visit well sites, take photographs, and perform modern GPS surveys that, for the most part, have

sub-meter accuracy.

The user is able to drag and zoom the map view in Well Finder. As previous, a single click on a well symbol will cause the dialog

box to appear: In this case, the “Godward” 1 well.

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Figure 14: The Calistoga area and geothermal well locations

As previous, clicking on the GeoSteam Information link opens a well data query window which has several well records in pdf

format. A cache of temperature logs was found that are referenced by Youngs, et al (1980). As these wells are identified, the

temperature logs have been posted to their respective files, and are available via the internet. As an example, the temperature

survey from 1977 in the “Godward” 1 well shows 181o F (83o C) at 190 feet.

Figure 15: “Godward” 1 well temperature survey from 1977 shows 181o F (83o C) at 190 feet.

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6. CONCLUSION

We have shown several examples of how the public may gain access to individual well records and production/injection data from

the California Department of Conservation, Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources’ internet website. We encourage the

user to click, drag, zoom, explore, and download data with the Well Finder mapping system and the GeoSteam database. These

databases will continue to be updated. They are ready and available for the scientific community to utilize in order to better

understand and further the wise development of the geothermal resources of the State of California.

REFERENCES

Ritzius, D. E., Hodgson, S. F., Guerard, W. F.Jr., Wilkinson, E. R., and Lande, D.: California Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources

– An Introduction, DOGGR Publication TR03 (1993), Page 73

American Petroleum Institute: The API Well Number and Standard State and County Numeric Codes Including Offshore Waters,

API Bulletin 12A (1979), page i

Youngs, L. G., Bacon, C. F., Chapman, R. H., Chase, G. W., Higgins, C. T., Hasmukhrai, H. M., Taylor, G. C.: Resource

Assessment of Low- and Moderate-Temperature geothermal Waters in Calistoga, Napa County, California, CDMG Publication

(1980)