Groundwater Salinity and the Effects of Produced Water Disposal in The
Groundwater salinity and the AUTHORS Janice M. Gillespie ~ California Water effects of produced water disposal Science Center, US Geological Survey (USGS), Sacramento, California; in the Lost Hills–Belridge oil jmgillespie@usgs.gov Jan Gillespie received her B.S. degree in fields, Kern County, California geology from Bemidji State University, Minnesota, her M.S. from South Dakota School Janice M. Gillespie, Tracy A. Davis, Michael J. Stephens, of Mines and Technology, and her Ph.D. from Lyndsay B. Ball, and Matthew K. Landon the University of Wyoming. Formerly a petroleum and hydrogeology professor in the Department of Geosciences at California State ABSTRACT University, Bakersfield, and a petroleum Increased oil and gas production in many areas has led to concerns over geologist in the San Joaquin Valley of California, she is now a research scientist for the USGS’s the effects these activities may be having on nearby groundwater regional aquifer monitoring project for quality. In this study, we determine the lateral and vertical extent California SB4 (the Well Stimulation Bill) of groundwater with less than 10,000 mg/L total dissolved solids delineating protected aquifers near oil – fi near the Lost Hills Belridge oil elds in northwestern Kern County, producing areas. California, and document evidence of impacts by produced water disposal within the Tulare aquifer and overlying alluvium, the primary Tracy A. Davis ~ California Water Science protected aquifers in the area. Center, USGS, San Diego, California; The depth at which groundwater salinity surpasses 10,000 mg/L tadavis@usgs.gov ranges from 150 m (500 ft) in the northwestern part of the study area to Tracy Davis received her B.S.
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