I wasn't clear apparently - they drilled it to explore the hydrothermal/geothermal and brine salt potential. Union Oil was a fully integrated energy company - hence the foray into geothermal, with a chemical processing and mining component. They had the largest natural gas fueled fertilizer operation in California at one point in time. Plant was in Yorba Linda - Imperial and Bastanchury vicinity if memory serves. They demolished and reclaimed it circa 1990s, and it then got buried under subdivisions!