Field Trip

Attendees are invited to participate in a field trip to the McDonald Island Underground Gas Storage Project following the symposium (Thursday, March 23).

McDonald Island is located approximately 30 miles east of Berkeley in the Sacramento River delta.  The ground level of the field is 13 feet below sea level and there are about 16 miles of levee surrounding the island.  The reservoir below the island is a depleted dry gas sand reservoir with a total storage capacity of approximately 135 BCF.  The field was originally a dry gas field discovered by Standard Oil of Calif., now Chevron, in 1936. After depletion in 1958, it was converted to be gas storage field and has been in operation since. Currently there are 81 injection and withdrawal wells at McDonald Island. We will tour the gas storage field in the first half of the day, visiting well sites, production and compressor facilities, as well as the operation/control station.

On our way back, we will visit one or two wineries in the Livermore valley. We will have lunch in the Café Garre, a restaurant at the Garre Winery (http://www.garrewinery.com). Following lunch, we will have the opportunity for some wine tasting at the Steven Kent Winery (http://www.stevenkent.com). We will be back in Berkeley by 5 pm at the latest.

There is a $85 registration fee for the field trip, which covers transportation, lunch, and refreshments. Due to limited space in the gas storage facility, we can only accommodate about 20 participants.

If you like to participate, please register HERE.