Headquartered in Bakersfield, our San Joaquin Valley Business Unit develops crude oil and natural gas throughout Kern, Kings, Fresno and Monterey counties. We operate major oil fields and pipelines and maintain regional offices and technical support facilities. Our International Heavy Oil Center of Excellence is also based here.
Projects
Digital Oil Fields
Digital Oil Field technology was pioneered at our Kern River Field. Since introducing the i-field™ digital oil field in 2002, our operations are safer, cleaner and more productive. Chevron also sponsors the Center for Interactive Smart Oil Field Technologies at the University of Southern California.
Solar-to-Steam Project
In Coalinga, Chevron Technology Ventures is conducting a unique demonstration project to test the viability of using solar energy to enhance oil production. The project—the largest of its kind in the world—focuses more than 7,600 mirrors that reflect the sun's energy onto a solar boiler. The steam it generates is injected into oil reservoirs to increase production.
Project Brightfield
At the site of our former refinery in Bakersfield, Project Brightfield evaluates the performance of new thin-film solar technologies and crystalline-silicon photovoltaic technology. The electricity generated from the project is used to supply some of the power needed at our Kern River Field.
Operations
Chevron is the largest oil and gas producer in California. The majority of our production comes from company-operated leases in three major crude oil fields: Kern River, Midway Sunset and Cymric.
Kern River
The Kern River Field, in northeast Bakersfield, covers approximately 16 square miles and is one of the largest oil fields in the United States. The field has been in continuous operation since 1899 and produced its 2 billionth barrel of oil in 2007.
Kern River is home to Chevron's International Heavy Oil Center of Excellence, where we train the next generation of heavy oil experts. In California, most of our crude oil production comes from heavy oil. To maximize production, we have spent years developing effective and innovative thermal recovery techniques. Technologies tested here are often transferred to our heavy oil fields around the world.
Temblor Thermal Area
The Midway Sunset, McKittrick and Cymric fields lie in the Temblor Thermal Area, which runs along the southwestern edge of the San Joaquin Valley. These fields have been producing for more than 100 years. Today we use conventional and enhanced recovery techniques to produce heavy oil.
West Central California
Our West Central fields include Coalinga, Lost Hills, Kettleman Hills and San Ardo. They produce heavy oil, light oil and natural gas.
At the Lost Hills Field, waterflood technology is being used to improve recovery. San Ardo features a large water reclamation project. Chevron acquired the Kettleman Hills Field in 2007.
Non-Operated Joint Ventures
Chevron also has non-operating interests in more than 70 properties in the San Joaquin Valley. One of these is the Elk Hills Unit, formerly a U.S. Naval Petroleum Reserve. Here, a variety of primary and enhanced oil recovery techniques are used to allow production of crude oil and natural gas that could not be recovered using conventional methods.