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CCST Project

Advanced Well Stimulation Technologies in California

COMPLETED: July 2016

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  • Overview
  • Publications
  • Process

Process

CCST studies follow a process modeled after the National Academies study process with checks and balances at each stage.

  • Defining the Study

  • Study Authors and Steering Committee (SC) Selection and Approval

  • Author and Steering Committee Meetings, Information Gathering, Deliberations, and Drafting the Study

  • Report Review

The report is a collaborative effort by a large number of experts serving in various capacities.

Learn More

Authors

Staff of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the Pacific Institute, and California Council on Science and Technology researched and wrote the body of the report.

  • Heather Cooley, M.S., B.S.

  • Patrick F. Dobson, Ph.D.

  • Kristina Donnelly, M.S., B.S.

  • Laura C. Feinstein, Ph.D.

  • Marc L. Fischer, Ph.D.

  • Bill Foxall, Ph.D.

  • Matthew G. Heberger, M.S., B.S.

  • James E. Houseworth, Ph.D.

  • Preston D. Jordan, M.S., B.A.

  • Nathaniel J. Lindsey, M.Sc., B.S.

  • Dev E. Millstein, Ph.D.

  • Matthew T. Reagan, Ph.D.

  • Ruth M. Tinnacher, Ph.D.

  • William T. Stringfellow, Ph.D.

  • Charuleka Varadharajan, Ph.D.

Report Development Process

Specific steps in the committee selection and approval process are as follows:

Steering Committee

The steering committee oversaw the report authors, reached conclusions based on the findings of the authors, and wrote the executive summary.

Peer Review

Peer review is the process of the evaluation of the scientific and technical merit (and likelihood of success) of the proposed research project/program by a panel of reviewers with direct expertise in the area of research to be evaluated who have no personal stake or interest in the outcome of the evaluation process. The salient features of the peer review process are the evaluation of the research program by "peer" experts in relevant fields who are deemed qualified to evaluate the product based solely on the scientific and technical merit of the content. It is standard practice to keep the identity of peer reviewers confidential as well as all of the comments and deliberations.

All CCST reports are peer reviewed using guidelines and processes established by CCST to assure the highest scientific and technical standards. Guidelines are similar to those of the National Academy of Science, adapted to be appropriate for California. Peer reviewers for this report included:

  • David Allen, PhD, Gertz Regents Professor in Chemical Engineering, and Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Resources, University of Texas at Austin
  • James Boyd, Senior Advisor, Clean Tech Advocates
  • Brian Clark, PhD, Schlumberger Fellow, Schlumberger Technology Corporation
  • Ziyad Duron, PhD, Jude and Eileen Laspa Professor of Engineering, Department of Engineering, Harvey Mudd College
  • Iraj Ershaghi, PhD, University of Southern California, Director of the Petroleum Engineering Program, USC Executive Director of the Center for Smart Oilfield Technologies
  • Donald L Paul, PhD, University of Southern California, Executive Director of the USC Energy Institute, Professor of Engineering, and William M. Keck Chair of Energy Resources
  • Four anonymous reviewers at the United States Geological Survey
Review Monitors

The review monitors verify that the authors and steering committee respond adequately to peer review comments.

  • Robert F. Sawyer, Professor of Energy Emeritus, at the University of California at Berkeley Mechanical Engineering Department
  • Yannis C. Yortsos, Dean, University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering

Committee Members' Bios

  • Jane Long Ph.D

  • Jens Birkholzer Ph.D

  • Adam Brandt Ph.D

  • Donald L. Gautier Ph.D

  • Peter H. Gleick Ph.D

  • Robert Harriss Ph.D

  • A. Daniel Hill Ph.D

  • Amy Myers Jaffe

  • Preston Jordan P.G., C.E.G., C.HG.

  • Larry Lake Ph.D

  • Seth B. Shonkoff Ph.D, MPH

  • Sam Traina Ph.D

Jane Long Ph.D

Steering Committee Chair

Principal Associate Director at Large, Retired

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Dr. Long recently retired from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where she was the Principal Associate Director at Large, Fellow in the LLNL Center for Global Strategic Research and the Associate Director for Energy and Environment. She is currently a senior contributing scientist for the Environmental Defense Fund, Visiting Researcher at UC Berkeley, Co-chair of the Task Force on Geoengineering for the Bipartisan Policy Center and chairman of the California Council on Science and Technology's California's Energy Future committee. Her current work involves strategies for dealing with climate change including reinvention of the energy system, geoengineering and adaptation. Dr. Long was the Dean of the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno and Department Chair for the Energy Resources Technology and the Environmental Research Departments at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. She holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from Brown University and Masters and PhD from U. C. Berkeley. Dr. Long is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was named Alum of the Year in 2012 by the Brown University School of Engineering. Dr. Long is an Associate of the National Academies of Science (NAS) and a Senior Fellow and council member of the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and the Breakthrough Institute. She serves on the board of directors for the Clean Air Task Force and the Center for Sustainable Shale Development.

Jens Birkholzer Ph.D

Deputy Director, Earth Sciences Division

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Dr. Birkholzer joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1994 as a post-doctoral fellow and has since been promoted to the second-highest scientist rank at this research facility. He currently serves as the deputy director of the Earth Sciences Division and as the program lead for the nuclear waste program, and also leads a research group working on environmental impacts related to geologic carbon sequestration and other subsurface activities. His area of expertise is subsurface hydrology with emphasis on understanding and modeling coupled fluid, gas, solute and heat transport in complex subsurface systems, such as heterogeneous sediments or fractured rock. His recent research was mostly in the context of risk/performance assessment, e.g., for geologic disposal of radioactive wastes and for geologic CO2 storage. Dr. Birkholzer has authored about 90 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and has over 230 conference publications and abstracts.

Adam Brandt Ph.D

Assistant Professor

Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University

Dr. Brandt is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Stanford University. His research focuses on reducing the greenhouse gas impacts of energy production and consumption, with a focus on fossil energy systems. Research interests include life cycle assessment of transportation fuels, and the energy efficiency of energy extraction and refining systems. A particular interest is in unconventional fossil fuel resources such as oil shale, oil sands, and tight oil. He also leads research into computational optimization techniques as applied to the design and operation of CO2 capture and storage systems for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil energy consumption. Dr. Brandt received his PhD and MS degrees from the Energy and Resources Group, UC Berkeley.

Donald L. Gautier Ph.D

Consulting Petroleum Geologist

DonGautier L.L.C.

With a career spanning almost four decades, Dr. Donald L. Gautier is an internationally recognized leader and author in the theory and practice of petroleum resource analysis. As a principal architect of modern USGS assessment methodology, Gautier's accomplishments include leadership of the first comprehensive evaluation of undiscovered oil and gas resources north of the Arctic Circle, the first national assessment of United States petroleum resources to be fully documented in a digital environment, and the first development of performance-based methodology for assessment of unconventional petroleum resources such as shale gas or light, tight oil. He was lead scientist for the San Joaquin Basin and Los Angeles Basin Resource Assessment projects. His recent work has focused on the analysis of growth of reserves in existing fields and on the development of probabilistic resource/cost functions. Gautier is the author of more than 200 technical publications, most of which concern the evaluation of undiscovered and undeveloped petroleum resources. He holds a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Colorado.

Peter H. Gleick Ph.D

President

Pacific Institute

Dr. Peter H. Gleick is an internationally recognized environmental scientist and co-founder of the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California. His research addresses the critical connections between water and human health, the hydrologic impacts of climate change, sustainable water use, privatization and globalization, and international security and conflicts over water resources. Dr. Gleick was named a MacArthur "genius" Fellow in October 2003 for his work on water, climate, and security. In 2006 Dr. Gleick was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C. Dr. Gleick's work has redefined water from the realm of engineers to the world of social justice, sustainability, human rights, and integrated thinking. His influence on the field of water has been long and deep: he developed one of the earliest assessments of the impacts of climate change on water resources, defined and explored the links between water and international security and local conflict, and developed a comprehensive argument in favor of basic human needs for water and the human right to water - work that has been used by the UN and in human rights court cases. He pioneered the concept of the "soft path for water," developed the idea of "peak water," and has written about the need for a "local water movement." Dr. Gleick received a B.S. in Engineering and Applied Science from Yale University and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the Energy and Resources Group of the University of California, Berkeley. He serves on the boards of numerous journals and organizations, and is the author of many scientific papers and ten books, including Bottled & Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water and the biennial water report, The World's Water, published by Island Press (Washington, D.C.).

Robert Harriss Ph.D

Senior Scientist, Lead Senior Scientist

Environmental Defense Fund

Robert Harriss is a Lead Senior Scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, with a primary focus on characterizing and mitigating fugitive methane leakage from the United States natural gas system. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Houston Advanced Research Center and holds adjunct professorships at Texas A&M–Galveston and the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Houston. Other career positions have included Senior/Project Scientist at NASA Langley Research Center, Director of Earth Sciences at NASA Headquarters, Senior Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), and senior faculty positions at Florida State University, University of New Hampshire, and Texas A&M. Dr. Harriss currently serves on a variety of volunteer scientific activities including the current NASA Science Definition Team for the Arctic-Boreal Vulnerability Experiment, CCST Independent Review of Scientific and Technical Information on Advanced Well Stimulation Technologies in California, and as a Contributing Editor of Environment Magazine.

A. Daniel Hill Ph.D

Department Head, Professor and holder of the Noble Chair, Petroleum Engineering Department

Texas A&M University

Dr. A. D. Hill is Professor, holder of the Noble Endowed Chair, and Department Head of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. Previously, he taught for 22 years at The University of Texas at Austin after spending five years in industry. He holds a B. S. degree from Texas A&M University and M. S. and Ph. D. degrees from The University of Texas at Austin, all in chemical engineering. He is the author of the Society of Petroleum Engineering (SPE) monograph, Production Logging: Theoretical and Interpretive Elements, co-author of the textbook, Petroleum Production Systems (1st and 2nd editions), co-author of an SPE book, Multilateral Wells, and author of over 170 technical papers and five patents. He has been a Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Distinguished Lecturer, has served on numerous SPE committees and was founding chairman of the Austin SPE Section. He was named a Distinguished Member of SPE in 1999 and received the SPE Production and Operations Award in 2008. In 2012, he was one of the two inaugural winners of the SPE Pipeline Award, which recognizes faculty, who have fostered petroleum engineering Ph.Ds. to enter academia. He currently serves on the SPE Editorial Review Committee, the SPE Global Training Committee, and the SPE Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Conference Program Committee. Professor Hill is an expert in the areas of production engineering, well completions, well stimulation, production logging, and complex well performance (horizontal and multilateral wells), and has presented lectures and courses and consulted on these topics throughout the world.

Disclosure of Conflict of Interest: Prof. Dan Hill

In accordance with the practice of the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), CCST makes best efforts to ensure that no individual appointed to serve on a committee has a conflict of interest that is relevant to the functions to be performed, unless such conflict is promptly and publicly disclosed and CCST determines that the conflict is unavoidable. A conflict of interest refers to an interest, ordinarily financial, of an individual that could be directly affected by the work of the committee. An objective determination is made for each provisionally appointed committee member whether or not a conflict of interest exists given the facts of the individual's financial and other interests, and the task being undertaken by the committee. A determination of a conflict of interest for an individual is not an assessment of that individual's actual behavior or character or ability to act objectively despite the conflicting interest.

We have concluded that for this committee to accomplish the tasks for which it was established its membership must include among others, individuals with research and expertise in the area of acid treatments for petroleum wells who have studied oil and gas industry operations in the United States and are internationally recognized for this expertise. Acid treatment is of particular public concern in California and is the subject of regulation under SB4.

To meet the need for this expertise and experience, Dr. Dan Hill is proposed for appointment to the committee even though we have concluded that he has a conflict of interest because of investments he holds and research services provided by his employer.

As his biographical summary makes clear, Dr. Hill is a recognized expert in petroleum reservoir engineering with many publications to wit. He is also known as one of the world's key experts in acid treatment.

After an extensive search, we have been unable to find another individual with the equivalent combination of expertise in acid treatment as Dr. Hill, who does not have a similar conflict of interest. Therefore, we have concluded that this potential conflict is unavoidable.

Amy Myers Jaffe

Executive Director, Energy and Sustainability

UC Davis

Amy Myers Jaffe is a leading expert on global energy policy, geopolitical risk, and energy and sustainability. Jaffe serves as executive director for Energy and Sustainability at University of California, Davis with a joint appointment to the Graduate School of Management and Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS). At ITS-Davis, Jaffe heads the fossil fuel component of Next STEPS (Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways). She is associate editor (North America) for the academic journal Energy Strategy Reviews. Prior to joining UC Davis, Jaffe served as director of the Energy Forum and Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Energy Studies at Rice University's James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy. Jaffe's research focuses on oil and natural gas geopolitics, strategic energy policy, corporate investment strategies in the energy sector, and energy economics. She was formerly senior editor and Middle East analyst for Petroleum Intelligence Weekly. Jaffe is widely published, including as co-author of Oil, Dollars, Debt and Crises: The Global Curse of Black Gold (Cambridge University Press, January 2010 with Mahmoud El-Gamal). She served as co-editor of Energy in the Caspian Region: Present and Future (Palgrave, 2002) and Natural Gas and Geopolitics: From 1970 to 2040 (Cambridge University Press, 2006). Jaffe was the honoree for Esquire's annual 100 Best and Brightest in the contribution to society category (2005) and Elle Magazine's Women for the Environment (2006) and holds the excellence in writing prize from the International Association for Energy Economics (1994).

Preston Jordan P.G., C.E.G., C.HG.

Geologist

Earth Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Preston Jordan is a Staff Research Associate in the Earth Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He received his B.A. in Geology in 1988 and M.S. Eng.Sci. in Geotechnical Engineering in 1997, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a California Professional Geologist, Certified Hydrogeologist and Certified Engineering Geologist. Prior to joining LBNL, Jordan worked at a geotechnical engineering consultancy. Since joining LBNL, he has performed paleoseismic research, characterized the geology and hydrogeology of the lab for environmental remediation and conducted contaminant remediation pilot tests. Over the last decade his research focus has been geologic carbon storage with a particular emphasis on risk assessment. He has published on worker safety and well blowout and fault leakage risk, and participated in risk reviews of geologic carbon storage projects. His risk review of one of the world’s few industrial- scale geologic carbon storage projects led to reduction of injection pressures. He recently was the PI for a multi-year research project for the California Energy Commission regarding wide-scale pressure changes in response to historic oil and gas production in Kern County for the purpose of gaining insight into pressure changes in response to prospective geologic carbon storage. This involved dataset assembly and database construction using results of searches of California Department of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources records.

Larry Lake Ph.D

Professor, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

University of Texas, Austin

Larry W. Lake is a professor of the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and director of the Center for Petroleum Asset Risk Management. He holds B.S.E and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Arizona State University and Rice University. Dr. Lake has published widely; he is the author or co-author of more than 100 technical papers, the editor of 3 bound volumes and author or co-author of four textbooks. He has been teaching at UT for 34 years before which he worked for Shell Development Company in Houston, Texas. He was chairman of the PGE department twice, from 1989 to 1997 and from 2008 to 2010. He formerly held the Shell Distinguished Chair and the W.A. (Tex) Moncrief, Jr. Centennial Endowed Chair in Petroleum Engineering. He currently holds the W.A. (Monty) Moncrief Centennial Chair in Petroleum Engineering. Dr. Lake has served on the Board of Directors for the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) as well as on several of its committees; he has twice been an SPE distinguished lecturer. Dr. Lake is a member of the US National Academy of Engineers and won the 1996 Anthony F. Lucas Gold Medal of the SPE. He won the 1999 Dad's Award for excellence in teaching undergraduates at The University of Texas and the 1999 Hocott Award in the College of Engineering for excellence in research. He also is a member of the 2001 Engineering Dream Team awarded by the Texas Society of Professional Engineers. He is an SPE Honorary Member.

Seth B. Shonkoff Ph.D, MPH

Executive Director

Physicians Scientists & Engineers for Healthy Energy

Dr. Shonkoff is the executive director of the energy science and policy institute, PSE Healthy Energy. Dr. Shonkoff is also a visiting scholar in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley, and an affiliate in the Environment Energy Technology Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley California. An environmental and public health scientist by training, he has more than 15 years of experience in water, air, climate, and population health research. Dr. Shonkoff completed his PhD in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and his MPH in epidemiology in the School of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a contributing author to the Human Health chapter of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). He has worked and published on topics related to the intersection of energy, air pollution, water quality, climate, and human health from scientific and policy perspectives. Dr. Shonkoff's research also focuses on the development of the effectiveness of anthropogenic climate change mitigation policies that generate socioeconomic and health co-benefits. Dr. Shonkoff's current work focuses on the human health, environmental and climate dimensions of oil and gas development in the United States and abroad.

Sam Traina Ph.D

Vice Chancellor of Research

University of California, Merced

Dr. Traina is the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University of California, Merced, where he holds the Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology. He serves as a Board Member of the California Council of Science and Technology. Prior to joining UC Merced in 2002 as a Founding Faculty member and the Founding Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute, Dr. Traina was a faculty member for 17 years at The Ohio State University, with concomitant appointments in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Department of Earth Science and Geology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Microbiology and Chemistry. He has served on the National Research Council's Standing Committee on Earth Resources. In 1997 - 1998, he held the Cox Visiting Professorship in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University. Dr. Traina's past and current research has dealt with the fate, transformation, and transport of contaminants in soils and natural waters, with an emphasis on radionuclides, heavy metals, and mining wastes. Dr. Traina holds a B.S. in soil resource management and a Ph.D. in soil chemistry. He is a fellow of the Soil Science Society of American and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, as well as a recipient of the Clay Scientist Award of the Clay Minerals Society.

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CCST Project

SB 1281 - Oil and Gas Water Cycle Reporting

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Overview

In the context of severe drought, Senate Bill 1281 (2014, Pavley) expanded reporting requirements for the California oil and gas industry regarding produced water—the water extracted from oil and gas production—intending to ensure the ability to assess impacts on California’s water resources, public health, and the environment. Within the Executive Branch, this responsibility falls under the Department of Conservation and its Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR). After two years of data collection, the division—now called the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM)—contracted with CCST to conduct a study to evaluate how well the collected data meet this intent.

The report was guided by an expert steering committee chaired by Mike Kavanaugh, PhD, PE, NAE of Geosyntec Consultants with members from Berkeley Lab, NREL, UCLA, University of the Pacific, Yale, and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority.

Authors from PSE Healthy Energy and the Pacific Institute analyzed water data from 2015 to 2017 and—representing work completed in August 2019—determined the SB 1281 dataset provides an important step forward for managing water use, reuse, and disposal in oil and gas production, and provided recommendations for improvements moving forward.

An image of the cover of the report, which has a blue stripe down the left side, and the title with details on a white background and a photo of an oil field.
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Project Description

CCST conducted an early assessment of the data collection required by SB 1281 to be carried out in two phases. The intent of the study was to enable the state to implement the important provisions of SB 1281 in the most illuminating and efficient manner possible. Where improvements can be made, an early assessment of the data will allow a prompt correction to make the program as productive as possible in the long term.

Phase I:
The Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (the Division), now CalGEM, has instituted the mandated data reporting required by SB 1281. In collaboration with the Division, the State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) and other relevant state agencies and entities, CCST sought to:

  • Identify important questions for State decision makers about the water life cycle in California's oil and gas production
  • Provide a description of the analyses required to answer these questions
  • Clarify how this information may be used to inform decision making

This first phase resulted in a document describing the questions that could be answered through mandated water reporting and the impact of various forms of data collection on the ability to answer the questions.

Phase II:
The second phase carried out an early and preliminary assessment of the SB 1281 data set, along with other available relevant data, via quantitative data analyses of key questions identified from Phase I. The combination of evaluating the dataset by working toward answering these questions with a direct assessment of the raw data and reporting methods will help to determine whether the type of information reported is accurate, necessary and sufficient to answer the questions identified in Phase I. Where possible, CCST made recommendations on how the data reporting can be improved and streamlined, and identify new questions that may arise through the preliminary data assessment.

It is quite likely that relatively minor adjustments in some data collection requirements would make it possible to answer some of these questions that could not be answered otherwise. For example, if operators report volumes of produced water without identifying enough information to track the eventual disposition of the water, certain questions about the risks of reuse could not be answered. It is also possible that some of the data being collected are not particularly useful or are redundant.

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Summary Report

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Press Release – June 7, 2018

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CCST One Pager: Biomethane in California Common Carrier Pipelines

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Frequently Asked Questions: CCST Report on Biomethane in California Common Carrier Pipelines

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Briefing PowerPoint presentation

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CCST Facilitated Expert Opinion on Siloxanes Concentration

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CCST Project

Biomethane

COMPLETED: June 2018

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Overview

Pursuant to AB 1900 (Gatto, Chapter 602, Statutes of 2012), Public Utilities Code §784 requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to adopt common carrier pipeline access rules to "ensure that each gas corporation provides nondiscriminatory open access to its gas pipeline system to any party for the purposes of physically interconnecting with the gas pipeline system and effectuating the delivery of gas." The purpose of the law was to increase California's use of biomethane, thereby decreasing California's greenhouse gas emissions.

The CPUC made a series of decisions on how to implement AB 1900's directive to allow delivery of biomethane to the pipeline, two of which were as follows:

  1. To keep the minimum heating value (HV) for gas entering the pipelines of San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) at 990 British thermal units per standard cubic foot (BTU/scf).
  2. To permit biomethane generators to blend biomethane with gases possessing a higher heating value before gas enters the pipeline, but to prohibit downstream blending.


Biomethane in California Common Carrier Pipelines - Full Report Cover


Full Report

updated June 2018


Summary Report

Project Description

Biomethane generated by landfills, sewage treatment plants, and dairies typically has a heating value below 990 BTU/scf. To meet the standard of 990 BTU/scf, biomethane would need to undergo an upgrading process, such as blending with a gas source of a higher heating value. Upstream upgrading costs would be borne by the biomethane generator prior to injection into the pipeline system.

The CPUC decision noted a number of items where there was insufficient evidence presented to justify altering their heating value standard; e.g. they note a lack of scientific evidence that lowering the heating value will not cause end use equipment problems, and that the policies of other states is not in itself evidence that such a change would not cause problems.

Seeking to obtain a more thorough review of the scientific information available, the CPUC requested CCST to undertake a study in accordance with SB 840 (Budget Bill, 2016). The purpose of the study was to provide the state with an up-to- date, independent assessment of the minimum heating value and the maximum siloxanes content of biomethane before it can be injected into the pipeline.

The CCST report conducted an independent scientific assessment of the minimum heating value and maximum siloxane specification for the delivery of biomethane to public gas pipelines. The purpose of the study was to examine the impacts to cost, volume of biomethane sold, equipment operation, and safety. The assessment included an evaluation of other states' standards, the source of biomethane, the dilution of biomethane after it is injected into the pipeline, and the equipment and technology upgrades required to meet the specifications. Recommendations to public policy makers were made where appropriate.

The study scope of work was organized into five key subject areas:

  • Chapter 1: Heating Value Specification for Pipeline Injection of Biomethane
  • Chapter 2: Siloxane Specifications for Pipeline Injection of Biomethane
  • Chapter 3: Options for Purification and Upgrading Biomethane's Heating Value
  • Chapter 4: Case Studies on Region-Specific and Utility-Specific Considerations
  • Chapter 5: Summary and Future Directions

CCST established an interdisciplinary steering committee to oversee the effort that included experts in technical areas relevant to biomethane injection into the pipeline system in California. Dr. James Sweeney served as the chair for the project and Stanford University was the primary research institution supporting CCST in writing the report. CCST delivered the final report following peer review to the CPUC in June 2018 as required by SB 840 (2016).

This study was conducted as a synthesis of existing publically available data including the results of many currently on-going or recently related studies, protocols and proposed regulations. The study included an assessment of data adequacy and limitations posed by time constraints.

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Executive Summary

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Front Matter

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Chapter 1 Abstract

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Chapter 1 Section 1.0: Introduction

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Chapter 1 Section 1.1: Characteristics of California’s underground natural gas storage facilities

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Chapter 1 Section 1.2: Failure modes, likelihood, and consequences

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Chapter 1 Section 1.3: Effects of age and integrity on underground gas storage capacity

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Chapter 1 Section 1.4: Human health hazards, risks, and impacts associated with underground gas storage in California

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Chapter 1 Section 1.5: Quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from underground gas storage in California

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Chapter 1 Section 1.6: Risk mitigation and management

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Chapter 1 Section 1.7: Summary and Conclusions

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Chapter 1 Section 1.8: References

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.A: California gas storage and geologic trap type

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.B: Dispersion modeling

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.C: Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Assessment

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.D: Human Population Proximity analysis

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.E: Efforts to Seek Information on Stored Gas Composition

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.F: Operator Response Letters

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Chapter 1 Appendix 1.G: Best Practices in Occupational Safety and Health

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Chapter 2: Does California Need Underground Gas Storage to Provide for Energy Reliability through 2020?

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Chapter 3: How will implementation of California’s climate policies change the need for underground gas storage in the future?

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Appendices

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CCST Project

Natural Gas Storage

COMPLETED: January 2018

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Overview

The blowout of well Standard Sesnon 25 in the Aliso Canyon Field resulted in the temporary displacement of thousands of residents in the community surrounding the Aliso Canyon field and demonstrated vulnerabilities to the California energy supply chain that placed at risk the energy reliability to 21 million customers in the greater Los Angeles Basin. The broad health and environmental impacts are still being investigated as many of the contaminants released are known to be toxic at high doses but have limited health impact data for long- term chronic exposure. The event substantially increased the amount of methane emitted to the atmosphere for the entire state, and consequently the amount of greenhouse gas pollution emitted due to the state's economic activities.

Because of this incident, the State of California sought more information about all of the underground natural gas storage fields in California. The California Public Utilities Commission, in consultation with the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, the California Air Resources Board, and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources within the California Department of Conservation commissioned the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) to conduct an independent, scientific assessment.

The CCST report will assess the long-term viability of gas storage facilities in California. The assessment will include an evaluation of the current state of the thirteen gas storage fields in California, a broad review of the potential health risks and community impacts associated with their operation, fugitive gas emissions, and the linkages between gas storage capacity and California's current and future energy needs. Recommendations to public policy makers will be made where appropriate.

Long-Term Viability of Underground Natural Gas Storage in California: An Independent Review of Scientific and Technical Information
Full Report
updated February 2018
Executive Summary
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Project Description

The scope of the study covers three key questions.

  1. What are the risks to health, safety, environment, and gas storage system infrastructure at California's subsurface gas storage facilities?
  2. In the near term (through 2020), what role does gas storage play in gas supply reliability and in meeting the demand for electricity?
  3. Given greenhouse gas goals for 2030 and 2050, what viable gas storage facilities and other gas infrastructure will the state likely require?

CCST established an interdisciplinary steering committee to oversee the effort that included experts in technical areas relevant to underground natural gas storage and its impacts in California. Dr. Jane C.S. Long and Dr. Jens Birkholzer served as the co-chairs for the project and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) and Aspen Environmental Group (Aspen) were the primary research institutions supporting CCST in writing the report. CCST will deliver the final report following peer review to the CPUC by December 31, 2017.

This study will be conducted as a synthesis of existing publicly available data including the results of many currently on-going or recently related studies, protocols and proposed regulations. The quality of the assessment will depend on the quality of the information and time available for the study and the study will include an assessment of data adequacy and limitations posed by time constraints.

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CCST Project

Maker Space Movement

COMPLETED: December 2017

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Engaging with the Maker Space Movement

The Maker Movement is rapidly growing at educational institutions around the world and across age and employment levels. "Making" offers complementary learning environments to the traditional classroom, helping participants develop skills that differ from those developed in traditional student projects. Within the past decade, makerspaces have sprung up in schools and campuses around the country.

California's Community Colleges are interested in growing more of these interdisciplinary, participatory, peer-supported learning environments. However, there's an inherent challenge in bringing together traditional academic institutions with Maker culture. The California Community College Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) turned to CCST to help inform their efforts.

Blueprint for the Future

There are two phases to the project. In the first, CCST developed a guide to develop a sustainable network which aligns with the educational goals of the Community Colleges while preserving the uniquely independent culture of the makerspace. In the second phase, CCST is convening three regional symposia to discuss the report and the issue of integrating a network of makerspaces into the Community College system.

Promoting Engagement of the California Community Colleges with the Maker Movement
Summary Report
updated May 2015
Makerspace Budget Example (.XLSX)

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CCST Project

Science & Policy Beyond California

COMPLETED: January 2016

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CCST and the State Policy Community

The California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization established via the California State Legislature in 1988 to provide objective advice from California’s best scientists and research institutions on policy issues involving science. We respond to the Governor, the Legislature, and other State entities who request independent assessment of public policy issues affecting the State of California relating to science and technology.

As this independent science advisory institution serving the State of California, CCST has nearly three decades of experience bridging science with policymaking at the state government level. Recognizing the value of sharing these lessons and resources, CCST is cultivating a network of like-minded organizations around the country, who pursue the mutual goal of providing independent scientific advice in their respective states.

CCST supports science policy engagement at the state government level, and we seek to build relationships with key partners around the United States, and with relevant national organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 

Through these conversations — and timely programs such as our State Fellowships Planning Grants — CCST hopes to help make state policies stronger with science, in California and beyond.

Resources for teams interested in establishing a state-level science policy fellowship

For teams seeking to establish and fund a state-level science policy fellowship like the CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellows program, the following documents can inform the planning process:

  • A 2016 CCST report entitled “Elements of a Successful Science and Technology Policy Fellowship Program for State Legislatures”, which outlines recommended best practices to follow when seeking to establish a similar program in another state.
  • Two legal memoranda articulating (1) the legal basis for funding the CCST Science Fellows program and associated ethical issues, and (2) considerations for creating and funding this type of fellowship program for jurisdictions other than the California State government.
  • A list of frequently asked questions for prospective fellowship applicants.


Beyond California Report Cover


Full Report

updated January 2016

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Executive Summary (All Volumes)

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Summary Report (All Volumes)

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Vol. 3 Front Matter

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Vol. 3 Chapter 1

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Vol. 3 Chapter 2

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Vol. 3 Chapter 3

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Vol. 3 Chapter 4

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Vol. 3 Chapter 5

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General Appendices A (SB4 Language Mandating Study); B (CCST Steering Committee Members); C (Report Author Biosketches); D (Glossary); E (Review of Information Sources); F (CCST Study Process); G (Expert Oversight & Review)

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Chapter 3 Appendices

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Chapter 4 Appendices

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Chapter 5 Appendices

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Appendix 5.C (ONLINE ONLY)

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Executive Summary (All Volumes)

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Summary Report (All Volumes)

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Vol. 2 Front Matter

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Vol. 2 Chapter 1

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Vol. 2 Chapter 2

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Vol. 2 Chapter 3

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Vol. 2 Chapter 4

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Vol. 2 Chapter 5

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Vol. 2 Chapter 6

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Vol. 2 General Appendices: A (SB4 Language Mandating Study); B (CCST Steering Committee Members); C (Report Author Biosketches); D (Glossary); E (Review of Information Sources); F (CCST Study Process); G (Expert Oversight & Review)

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Chapter 2 Appendices

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Chapter 4 Appendices

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Chapter 5 Appendices

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Chapter 6 Appendices

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Appendix 2.G: Data on Wastewater Disposal Ponds (ONLINE ONLY)

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Appendix 5.E: Estimate of the Number Hydraulic Fracturing Operations by Pool in California (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.B-1: Chronic Hazard Screening Criteria, Inhalation Route (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.B-2, Chronic Hazard Screening Criteria, Oral Route (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.C-1: Hazard Screening Matrix for Acute Human Health Effects of Well Stimulation Fluid Substance (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.C-2: Hazard Screening Matrix for Chronic Human Health Effects of Well Stimulation Fluid Substances (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.C-3: Hazard Screening Matrix for Acute Human Health Effects of SCAQMD Acidization Fluid Substances (ONLINE ONLY)

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Table 6.C-4: Hazard Screening Matrix for Chronic Human Health Effects of SCAQMD Acidization Fluid Substances (ONLINE ONLY)

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Executive Summary (All Volumes)

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Summary Report (All Volumes)

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Vol. 1 Executive Summary

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Vol. 1 Appendix L: Well-Record Result Data Set

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Vol. 1 Appendix M: Integrated hydraulic fracturing data set regarding occurrence, location, date, and depth

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Vol. 1 Appendix N: Pools with Production Predominantly Facilitated By Hydraulic Fracturing

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Vol. 1 Appendix O: Water Volume Per Stimulation Event

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CCST Project

Well Stimulation in California (SB4)

COMPLETED: July 2015

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Overview

Pursuant to Senate Bill 4 (Pavley 2013), the California Natural Resources Agency commissioned the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) to conduct an independent scientific assessment of well stimulation treatments, including hydraulic fracturing, in California.

The purpose of the report was to synthesize and assess the available scientific information associated with well stimulation treatments (WST) in California. The review surveyed hydraulic fracturing, matrix acidizing, and acid fracturing as they are applied both onshore and offshore for oil and gas production in the state. The study workscope was organized in three major areas, which were documented in three separate report volumes, described below.

CCST established an interdisciplinary steering committee to oversee the effort that included experts in technical areas relevant to well stimulation and its impacts in California. Dr. Jane C.S. Long served as the science lead for the project and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) was the primary research institution supporting CCST in the scientific assessment. CCST issued the final report following peer review. "Our effort is to provide independent, scientific, peer-reviewed information that can inform policymakers," said Susan Hackwood, Executive Director of CCST.

Well Stimulation Cover
Summary Report
updated July 2015
Executive Summary
updated July 2015

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