Santa Maria Basin

Sulfur, carbon and hydrogen stable isotope ratios of pyrite, kerogens, and bitumens of two high-sulfur Monterey formation samples from the onshore Santa Maria Basin in California were determined. Kerogens from these were pyrolyzed at 300°C for periods of 2, 10 and 100 hours in closed systems and the yields and isotopic compositions of S-containing fractions (residual kerogens, bitumens and hydrogen sulfide) were determined. 

Two Type II-S kerogens (as defined by Orr (i)) from the onshore Santa Maria Basin Monterey formation were pyrolyzed in this study to determine (a) the distribution of sulfur and its isotopic composition among the various products formed during artificial maturation, and (b) maturation trends reflected in the sulfur isotopic and elemental S/C ratios of kerogens, and in the variation of C and H isotopes. In addition, S isotopes in pyrites, kerogens and bitumens from the two Monterey shale samples were examined to speculate on the mode of S incorporation into Santa Maria Basin sediments. 

Compton J.S. and Siever R. (1984) Stratigraphy and dolostone occurrence in the Miocene Monterey Formation, Santa Maria Basin area, California. In Dolomites of the Monterey Formation and Other Organic-Rich Units (eds. R.E. Garrison, M. Kastner and D.H. Zenger), pp. 141-153. Society Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists Pacific Section 41. 

Orr W. L. (1984a) Sulfur and sulfur isotope ratios in Monterey oils of the Santa Maria basin and Santa Barbara channel, area offshore. Technical Program Abstracts, 1984 SEPM Annual Meeting, San Jose, California, 10-13, 62 pp. 

Orr W. L. (1984b) Geochemistry of asphaltic Monterey oils from Santa Maria basin and Santa Barbara Channel area offshore. ACS Division of Geochemistry Abstracts, 187th ACS National Meeting, April 8-13. 

Fig. 3. Correlation between sulfur wt% and gravity (API) for oils from the Santa Barbara channel and offshore Santa Maria basin (Monterey Formation, California, USA). The authors (Baskin and Peters, 1992) suggest the line for maturity assuming no biodegradation. See also the detailed description of keiogens isolated and analyzed from the Monterey Formation.

Odermatt, J., Curiale, J., (1991), Organically bound metals and biomarkers in the Monterey formation of the Santa Maria basin, California, Chem. Geol. 91, 99-113. 

The highest concentrations of dicarboxylic acid anions are those reported by MacGowan and Surdam (1988) for the 12-31 well in the North Coles Levee field, San Joaquin Basin. They reported an oxalate concentration of 95 mg/1 and a malonate concentration of 2540 mg/1 in formation water from the 12-31 well. MacGowan and Surdam (1988) reported similarly high concentrations of oxalate and malonate for other wells in the San Joaquin and Santa Maria basins. Another analysis of organic acid concentrations in formation water from the 12-31 well was tabulated by MacGowan and... 

Other uses include the cooling of nuclear (at Asco and Santa Maria de Garona) and thermic centrals (Andorra, Escucha and Escatron), as well as some aquiculture activity is developed in the Ebro River basin (about 80 fisheries, which mainly commercially produce trouts). 

A California groundwater survey in 1982 showed no pesticides (i.e., DBCP, EDB, carbofuran, or simazine) in the Santa Maria or Salinas Valley groundwater basins (76). DBCP was present in 6 of 23 wells in the Upper Santa Ana basin (0.1-8 ppb), and in 21 of 166 wells in the San Joaquin basin (0.1-10 ppb). The authors were unable to correlate well characteristics with DBCP concentration in water. Simazine was also found in 5 wells, carbofuran in 1 well, and EDB in 2 wells. 

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