Speakers

Abstract:

In this study, the economic benefits of the oil and gas industry on Kern County's economy will be presented.

Professional Bio:

Nyakundi Michieka is a Professor in the department of Economics at California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB), where he also serves as the Director for the Center for Economic Education and Research. His primary research focuses on energy, environmental economics and regional economics. Dr. Michieka has presented his work at numerous conferences and has authored over 38 research publications in esteemed journals, including Energy Economics, Applied Energy, Energy Policy, Economic Modelling and Economic Analysis and Policy. His current research examines the long- and short-run effects of oil prices on Kern County's economy. Originally from Kenya, Dr. Michieka earned his undergraduate degree in Mechatronic Engineering from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. He was honored with the CSUB Unity Award in 2024.

Abstract:

This talk will cover two geomechanics-related issues for CO2 sequestration: stress estimation and the effect of thermoelastic stress changes. During CO2 sequestration, it is important to inject below the frac gradient to maintain seal integrity. Fracture injection tests are commonly used to estimate stress, however some methods systematically underestimate stress. During long-term injection, the formation gradually cools around the well, inducing localized stress reduction which can cause small fractures to form, potentially affecting cap rock integrity.

Professional Bio:

Mark McClure established ResFrac in 2015 to help operators maximize value through the application of advanced geomechanics and reservoir simulation. Before founding ResFrac, Mark was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin in the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. After earning a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and a Master of Science in petroleum engineering from Stanford University, Mark earned a PhD in energy resources engineering at Stanford.

Abstract:

This presentation explores five key technologies that will need to be adapted from the oil and gas industry for advanced geothermal energy extraction: horizontal drilling, multi-stage propped hydraulic fracturing, well design, materials selection, and insulated tubulars. We'll examine their importance to the geothermal world, current state-of-the-art, and the challenges needed to scale them for modern geothermal energy including enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) and superhot rock (SHR) resources.

Professional Bio:

PV Suryanarayana (Suri) has over 34 years of professional experience as a practicing engineer in upstream energy, focusing on well integrity, thermal problems, multiphase flow modeling and probabilistic design. In 2000, Suri co-founded Blade Energy Partners, where he leads their engineering and R&D groups. His current interests include carbon sequestration, alternative energy engineering, thermal and geothermal well engineering, and reliability-based design. With over 100 archival publications and four patents, Suri has made fundamental contributions including reliability-based design for complex wells, strain-based and low-cycle fatigue design for thermal and geothermal wells, and well integrity assessment for carbon sequestration projects.

Abstract:

Darcy Partners will share insights on how recent trends in the energy industry (Data Centers, load growth, technology evolution) are bringing together erstwhile disparate energy industries of Oil & Gas and Utilities. Priorities of each industry, their position in the evolving chain (molecules to electrons), and examples of how the industries are collaborating will be shared in this session.

Professional Bio:

Nikhil brings together a background in energy and management consulting to his current role at Darcy Partners, a technology research and innovation advisory firm focused on the energy industry. His career started at Indian Oil Corporation (India's largest oil refiner) in Corporate Planning & Economic Studies, followed by an LNG Procurement role. After earning his MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business, he worked at Boston Consulting Group focusing on Energy & Sustainability topics. In his current role, Nikhil helps O&G producers understand the latest technologies and identify the right partners to unlock value.

Abstract:

Traditional compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology has been around for decades, but has not been broadly deployed because of constraints around heat, siting, and efficiency. Hydrostor has improved on this model with their patented advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) technology. The result is the Willow Rock Energy Storage Center, being built in Kern County, California. In this session, Hydrostor will discuss how they solved these issues to create an efficient, long-duration energy storage system with emissions-free operations.

Professional Bio:

Lucas is an Engineering manager at Hydrostor who has been working on the development and advancement of the Advanced Compressed Energy Storage (A-CAES) technology for over 8 years. Lucas has been supporting the adoption of the A-CAES technology at Hydrostor's Willow Rock project in Rosamond, CA from the project conception.

Abstract:

Borates have been used as an industrial mineral for thousands of years. Sodium Borates have been mined and refined at Rio Tinto Borates Boron Operations for 100 years. Borates are used in many everyday products with wide-ranging applications including agricultural uses, wood building material preservatives, fiberglass insulation, ceramics, heat tempered glass, electronics, computer chips, and vehicle parts. The US Geological Survey has recently included Boron on the list of Critical Minerals for the United States, underscoring boron's economic and national security importance.

Professional Bio:

Brandon Griffiths is the Senior Geologist at Rio Tinto Borates Boron Operations with over 20 years of experience in geology roles. A Kern County native from Boron, CA, Brandon attended UC Santa Barbara and graduated with a degree in Geological Sciences in 2001. He worked in Environmental Consulting for 4 years before joining Rio Tinto Borates, where he has spent 20 years performing geotechnical and mine geology work. He currently manages the Mine Geology program at Boron Operations overseeing ore control and resource geology, and serves as the Competent Person for Ore Reserve & Resource reporting.