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SACRAMENTO --
According to the 2001 Annual Report of
the State Oil and Gas Supervisor,
released today by the California
Department of Conservation, oil
production decreased in California for
the sixth straight year, while natural
gas production continued an incremental
rise over the same six-year period.
According to the
report, oil production was down across
the board from last year’s figures – 3.8
percent for onshore fields, 7.4 percent
for state offshore leases and 7.6
percent for federal offshore leases, for
an overall decline of 4.5 percent.
Average production was about 800,000
barrels of oil per day, compared to
842,000 per day in 2000. California
continued to rank fourth among oil
producing states behind Louisiana, Texas
and Alaska, respectively.
California produced
293.7 million barrels of oil in 2001
from 47,263 wells in 206 active oil
fields, including federal offshore
fields. The 2000 figure was 307.4
million barrels. The all-time high for
the state was 423.9 million barrels in
1985.
"Typically, oil
fields experience a decline in
production over time,” said Ken
Henderson, acting state oil and gas
supervisor. “Oil fields have a lifespan,
just like many other natural resources.
If additional resources aren’t
discovered, production totals go down.”
Henderson added,
however, that oil production should
remain a viable industry in California
well into the current century. Even with
declining annual production,
enhancements in techniques to recover
oil and additional oil discoveries are
expected to extend the life of the
state’s oil supplies.
The Midway-Sunset oil
field in Kern County continued as the
state's leading
oil producer in 2001
at 51.7 million barrels, down from 58
million the previous year.
Kern County continued
its longstanding position as the state’s
leading oil-producing county, accounting
for 200.8 million barrels, or 68 percent
of the state’s total production. Kern
County contains 2.3 billion of the
state’s known oil reserves of 3.4
billion barrels.
Meanwhile, net
natural gas production rose to about 380
billion cubic feet, up from 379.1
billion cubic feet in 2000. Although it
was the sixth straight year gas
production has risen in the state, the
figure is well below the peak year for
natural gas in the state, 1968, when
714.9 billion cubic feet were produced.
The Elk Hills oil
field in Kern County continued to be the
state's largest producer of gas
associated with oil production, with 152
billion cubic feet. The Rio Vista Gas
field in Contra Costa, Solano and
Sacramento counties continued to be the
leading producer of "dry" gas (natural
gas not produced in conjunction with
oil), with 18.3 billion cubic feet.
Other highlights from
the report include:
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Prices for Kern
River heavy crude oil began the year
at $15.75 per barrel, peaked at $22.50
on May 18 and then began a decline to
$11 per barrel on Nov. 15. At the end
of the year, the price was $13.25.
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Natural gas prices
spiked to $14.32 per million Btu in
January, capping a gradual increase
that began in 2000. The price remained
high for the first half of the year,
but fell to $3.69 in July and remained
below $4 the rest of the year.
The Annual Report is
available free of charge as a paper
volume from any Division office, or it
can be accessed online at
http://www.consrv.ca.gov/DOG/pubs_stats/pub_index.htm.
Call (916) 445-9686 for more
information.
In addition to
regulating oil, gas and geothermal
wells, the Department of Conservation
studies and maps earthquakes and other
geologic phenomena; maps and classifies
areas containing mineral deposits;
ensures reclamation of land used for
mining; administers agricultural and
open-space land conservation programs;
and promotes beverage container
recycling.
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