After several weeks of field testing, sponsors of a high-profile,deep-drilling project in the southern end of California’s San JoaquinValley reported Thursday (June 22) “pure, sweet oil” with an APIgravity of 48.6 degrees and associated natural gas with a very highnet Btu content of 1,460 with no water. However, definitiveinformation on the projected volumes is still several weeks away,according to Tri-Valley Oil & Gas Co., operator of the ProjectEkho No. 1 well about 45 miles northwest of Bakersfield, CA.

The natural gas is “very clean,” said Lynn Blystone, Tri-ValleyCEO, noting that it should not require a lot of processing. Volumeseventually could determine if the gas is used directly near thewell site or whether it has to go through processing prior to beingput in the state’s transmission pipeline network. Original qualityestimates were for oil of 41 or 42-gravity range, and gas Btucontent around 1,250, Blystone said. (The average Btu of gasdistributed by local utilities is around 1,000 Btu.)

“We don’t have a valid flow test yet, but we are pleased withthe porosity, saturation and, of course, the quality of the oil andgas in the formation,” Blystone said. “We still need to find outwhat the permeability is going to be. That is the unknown; theknown is the fact that we have the desired porosity, saturation andquality of the hydrocarbons in about 660 feet of oil sand. We haveconfirmed that we have the oil/gas in the formations we’ve beengoing after, but now we have to confirm we can get it out, too.

“What remains to be seen is do we have the kind of delivery ratethat would justify a cogeneration plant on site to convert it toenergy right there, or do we have to process it so it can go in thepipeline. That’s another question.” He said if processing isrequired, Tri-Valley would consider building a pipeline to get thegas to a nearby processing plant that Chevron Corp. operates atLost Hills, CA.

Blystone said the additional flow testing should be completed bymid-July.

According to Tri-Valley’s web site-based report, the Ehko No.1is still regarded as the first of three wells in a comprehensiveprogram to determine the potential of deep structures in one of thenation’s oldest and most productive areas is what Tri-Valley isbetting will be “the largest onshore oil/gas play in NorthAmerica.”

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