ASCE Los Angeles Section

Kern County

Current oil production practices lead to significant quantities of water being extracted from oil fields as a byproduct of petroleum production.  The produced water is then re-injected into deep aquifers in order to dispose of it safely, while at the same time, making the water unavailable for beneficial use.  The North Kern Water Storage District (NKWSD) Drought Relief Project (DRP) was identified in the 2014 Poso Creek Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (developed by North Kern and several other neighboring water districts), as having the potential to significantly contribute to improving water conservation and supply reliability for the Region. Completed in January of 2016, the NKWSD DRP resulted from a partnership between the NKWSD and the California Resources Corporation (CRC). The total investment by NKWSD and CRC was about $14 Million, with funding assistance being sought from the State of California under Proposition 84.  Both phases of the project included approx. 38,500 ft of 24-inch steel pipeline and appurtenances to provide an additional water supply to NKWSD and local area agricultural operations. The pipeline augments the current source of NKWSD water primarily by blending oil-field produced water into the Lerdo Canal for use in agricultural applications.  A secondary leg of the pipeline also created an alternate capability to recharge the groundwater basin at the Rosedale Spreading Ponds.  The project also includes a treatment/filtration plant and two control stations that are fully automated utilizing “state of the art” treatment, control and monitoring technology incorporated into the CRC Kern Front Produced Water System.  This completely automated system includes pneumatic valves, digital gauges, and electronic communication systems, providing constant monitoring of temperature, water quality, and flow from a centralized location.  Potential future improvements to the pipeline include in-line power generation capabilities.

The 24-inch Produced Water Pipeline project extends more than seven miles from the CRC - Kern Front Water Plant to augment local irrigation systems with 21,200 acre-feet per year of previously disposed water for beneficial use in the agricultural industry.

The project contained a number of unique challenges, requiring extensive engineering capabilities in order to overcome these challenges.  First, the entire project required crossing a major highway (SR-99), the Union-Pacific Railroad, Hwy 65, Zerker Road, three separate canals - Friant-Kern Canal, Lerdo Canal and the Calloway Canal using direct burial, over-crossing, and bore jacking methods.  Second, the elevation differential was 400’+ and water temps approach 160 degrees.  Third, the contract traversed the properties of many land owners including Federal, State, and private entities, agricultural lands, and those slated for future development - containing a vast array of impediments. 

The variable temperature and pressure conditions required extensive evaluation during design and construction, including a stress analysis of the entire pipe system, provisions for expansion, contraction and waterhammer, onsite pipe bending, comprehensive inspection of welds and coatings by rapid, non-destructive testing including X-Ray/Phased Array/Magnetic Particle methods.  The unique composition of the oil-field produced water coupled with the harsh geological characteristics of the site also required the design and installation of in-place epoxy lining and an effective cathodic protection and testing system. 

Finally, this project exemplified the cooperation, perseverance and ingenuity of the engineering, agriculture and oilfield community.  While CRC was able to save costs and safely dispose of produced water in an environmentally friendly way, North Kern increased its capabilities and water supply by 15% in the midst of an historic drought.  The use of produced water from the Kern Front Water Plant delivers a reliable, year-round source and provides an offset of current groundwater supplies to conserve the community’s groundwater basin.

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The 24-inch Produced Water Pipeline project extends more than seven miles from the CRC - Kern Front Water Plant to augment local irrigation systems with 21,200 acre-feet per year of previously disposed water for beneficial use in the agricultural industry.

The 24-inch Produced Water Pipeline project extends more than seven miles from the CRC - Kern Front Water Plant to augment local irrigation systems with 21,200 acre-feet per year of previously disposed water for beneficial use in the agricultural industry.

The project contained a number of unique challenges, requiring extensive engineering capabilities in order to overcome these challenges.  First, the entire project required crossing a major highway (SR-99), the Union-Pacific Railroad, Hwy 65, Zerker Road, three separate canals - Friant-Kern Canal, Lerdo Canal and the Calloway Canal using direct burial, over-crossing, and bore jacking methods.  Second, the elevation differential was 400’+ and water temps approach 160 degrees.  Third, the contract traversed the properties of many land owners including Federal, State, and private entities, agricultural lands, and those slated for future development - containing a vast array of impediments. 

The variable temperature and pressure conditions required extensive evaluation during design and construction, including a stress analysis of the entire pipe system, provisions for expansion, contraction and waterhammer, onsite pipe bending, comprehensive inspection of welds and coatings by rapid, non-destructive testing including X-Ray/Phased Array/Magnetic Particle methods.  The unique composition of the oil-field produced water coupled with the harsh geological characteristics of the site also required the design and installation of in-place epoxy lining and an effective cathodic protection and testing system. 

Finally, this project exemplified the cooperation, perseverance and ingenuity of the engineering, agriculture and oilfield community.  While CRC was able to save costs and safely dispose of produced water in an environmentally friendly way, North Kern increased its capabilities and water supply by 15% in the midst of an historic drought.  The use of produced water from the Kern Front Water Plant delivers a reliable, year-round source and provides an offset of current groundwater supplies to conserve the community’s groundwater basin.

This project was awarded “Water Project” of the year by the Southern San Joaquin Branch.