Delineating a
Diatomite Reservoir Extension of the Casmalia Field,
Wilson, Mark L.1, E. L. Berger2,
R. Elias2 (1) Consulting Geologist,
Santa Maria Pacific, LLC is currently
delineating and testing an oil-saturated diatomite reservoir in the Sisquoc Formation on the NW end of the Casmalia
Field,
The Neavada
Texas Utah (NTU) Mining Company attempted to mine and recover oil from the
resource beginning in 1923 usisng oil shale retort
methods. The Standard Oil Company (Chevron) tested productivity of the resource
using conventional wells in the 1950s. Union Oil revisited the mining idea in
the late 1970s with some delineation drillling.
Similarly, gulf Oil core-drilled the Airox mine in
the northern Casmalia Field in 1981-1982 to define mineable oil ressource. Neither
of these have developed into viable projects.
Exploitation of a similar resource by
Chevron et al. at the Cymric Field in
Pilot steaming of oil saturated diatomite
by Breitburn Energy in the Orcutt
Field has been performed. A drilling program conducted by Santa Maria Pacific
(SMP) in 2005-2006 has started to delineate a large resource of oil-saturated
diatomite in the Sisquoc Formation near the old NTU
mine. A site specific, pilot cyclic steam injection project was initiated on
the SMP Casmalia leaseholds in the fourth quarter of
2006.
AAPG Search and Discover Article #90063©2007 AAPG Annual Convention, Long Beach, California