Groundwater quality of a public supply aquifer in proximity to oil development, Fruitvale oil field, Bakersfield, California

• Published in: Applied geochemistry 2019-07, Vol.106, p.82-95
• Main Authors: Wright, Michael T., McMahon, Peter B., Landon, Matthew K., Kulongoski, Justin T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Environmental tracers; Groundwater mixing; Oil formation fluids; Public supply aquifer; Water quality
• ISSN: 0883-2927; 1872-9134
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apgeochem.2019.05.003

Due to concerns over the effects of oil production activities on groundwater quality in California, chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas and age-dating tracers were analyzed in samples collected from public-supply wells and produced-water sites in the Fruitvale oil field (FVOF). A combination of newly collected and historical data was used to determine whether oil formation fluids have mixed with groundwater used for public supply and what the potential pathways for the migration of oil formation fluids into groundwater may be. Stable isotopes of water (δ2H and δ18O) and age dating (3H, 3Hetrit, SF6 and 14C) tracers in groundwater samples were consistent with the Kern River being the main source of recharge to aquifers. The distribution of major ion concentrations and pH with distance from the Kern River indicate that natural processes were the primary controls on groundwater salinity. Two of 14 groundwater samples had δ13C-DIC values (−2.4 to +1.9 per mil) consistent with mixtures of