A map of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations within the Williston Basin of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota

On April 30, 2013, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released an updated oil and gas resource assessment for the Bakken Formation and a new assessment for the Three Forks Formation in North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana.  The assessments found that the formations contain an estimated mean of 7.4 billion barrels (BBO) of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil.  The updated assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks represents a twofold increase over what has previously been thought.

The USGS assessment found that the Bakken Formation has an estimated mean oil resource of 3.65 BBO and the Three Forks Formation has an estimated mean resource of 3.73 BBO, for a total of 7.38 BBO, with a range of 4.42 (95 percent chance) to 11.43 BBO (5 percent chance). This assessment of both formations represents a significant increase over the estimated mean resource of 3.65 billion barrels of undiscovered oil in the Bakken Formation that was estimated in the 2008 assessment.

“These world-class formations contain even more energy resource potential than previously understood, which is important information as we continue to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign sources of oil,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.  “We must develop our domestic energy resources armed with the best available science, and this unbiased, objective information will help private, nonprofit and government decision makers at all levels make informed decisions about the responsible development of these resources.”

A key component of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is the availability of sound science to guide informed decision-making regarding the safe and responsible development of America’s domestic energy resources.

“The USGS undertook this assessment of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations as part of a nationwide project assessing U.S. petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol,” said Acting Director of the USGS Suzette Kimball.  “Through this improved understanding of our energy resources, government, industry, and citizens are better able to understand our domestic energy mix and make wiser decisions for the future.”

Since the 2008 USGS assessment, more than 4,000 wells have been drilled in the Williston Basin, providing updated subsurface geologic data.  Previously, very little data existed on the Three Forks Formation and it was generally thought to be unproductive.  However, new drilling resulted in a new understanding of the reservoir and its resource potential.

In addition to oil, these two formations are estimated to contain a mean of 6.7 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas and 0.53 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas liquids.  Gas estimates range from 3.43 (95 percent chance) to 11.25 (5 percent chance) trillion cubic feet of gas and 0.23 (95 percent chance) to 0.95 (5 percent chance) billion barrels of natural gas liquids.  This estimate represents a nearly threefold increase in mean natural gas and a nearly threefold increase in mean natural gas liquids resources from the 2008 assessment, due primarily to the inclusion of the Three Forks Formation.

The primary source of oil for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations are the Upper and Lower Bakken Shale Members of the Bakken Formation. USGS assessed the Bakken and Three Forks Formations for both continuous and conventional resources.  Unlike conventional oil accumulations, continuous oil remains in or near the original source rock, and instead of occurring in discrete accumulations is dispersed heterogeneously over large geographic areas.

The geological foundation that underpins the assessment was facilitated by data provided by the North Dakota Geological Survey, North Dakota Industrial Commission, Montana Board of Oil and Gas, and multiple industry groups working in this region.  This new information and data allowed USGS to develop a more robust geologic model and understanding of the petroleum system of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations.

Technically recoverable oil resources are those producible using currently available technology and industry practices. USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources.

More Resources:

• 2013 Bakken and Three Forks Formations Assessment Fact Sheet
• Podcast Interview on the Assessment
• Bakken FAQs
• Bakken Media Gallery
• Energy Glossary

To learn more about USGS energy assessments and other energy research, please visit the USGS Energy Resources Program website, sign up for the Newsletter, and follow USGS on Twitter.  For more information on the Interior Department, see www.doi.gov.

The greater sage-grouse is emblematic of the sagebrush ecosystem of the Great Basin of the Western United States. USGS scientists will host several talks and poster at The Wildlife Society meeting, describing research that can improve sagebrush habitat management and land-use decisions.

More than just Rocks

You could say that the U.S. Geological Survey is about more than just rocks.

When wildlife scientists, managers and students gather in Portland, Oregon, this October for The Wildlife Society’s 2012 Conference, they’ll find a conference program with close to 60 presentations, 5 symposia and at least 26 posters featuring a USGS contributor or mentor.

Now nested in the Ecosystems mission of the agency, wildlife research programs at USGS match the longevity of The Wildlife Society, which commemorates its 75^th anniversary this year. The Cooperative Research Unit program was founded in 1935, and one USGS Ecosystems science center — the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center — came into being in 1936, when President Franklin Roosevelt established the Patuxent Research Refuge.

With over a century of history under various U.S. Department of Interior entities, these wildlife research units now form a crucial and complementary element of USGS.

These days USGS is working on science issues that are more complex, larger in scale, and involve more scientific uncertainty than in the past. The agency’s expertise in mapping and landscape surveys, satellite tools and natural hazards analysis has injected technological innovations into wildlife research. At the same time, the legacy of these wildlife research programs — and the collaborative partnerships they have nurtured — are ever more critical as USGS assists other Interior agencies on addressing complex wildlife resource issues, such as climate change, energy, ecosystem restoration, water availability, and human impacts on the landscape.

USGS at The Wildlife Society’s 2012 Conference

White-nose syndrome is devastating bat species, and this one will be one of many wildlife diseases to be discussed by USGS scientists at The Wildlife Society Conference.

A quick glance through the 2012 conference program and you’ll find USGS scientists alongside academia, agency and institutional partners slated to discuss wildlife topics such as:

• Bat interactions with wind energy installations,
• energy development decision support and greater sage-grouse, songbirds, raptors and other species,
• white-nose syndrome, chronic wasting disease and other wildlife health trends,
• innovations in spatial capture-recapture models and hierarchical models, as well as applications of population genetics, LiDAR and stable isotope analysis,
• conservation, climate change impacts and habitat modeling of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, and
• pika, polar bear, clapper rail, spotted owl, salamanders and other species of concern.

Furthermore, USGS is proud to continue its support of the TWS Native Students Professional Development Program, welcoming the next generation of wildlife scientists and enriching the cultural and technical knowledge base of the wildlife research community.

Follow Us!

USGS scientists will present research on many waterfowl species at The Wildlife Society conference, including northern pintails, lesser scaup, Hawaiian goose, and diving ducks.

Fans can follow the USGS at TWS 2012 Conference via social media. Follow @USGSlive on Twitter as well as the #TWS2012 conference hashtag, friend us on Facebook at facebook.com/usgeologicalsurvey, browse the schedule of USGS talks on Google Calendar or add the schedule to your smartphone.

More importantly, say hello to our many scientists in person and stop by the USGS exhibit booth. It’s said that you learn the most being out in the field, but the same can be said for the great face-to-face exchange of ideas and inspired collaborations that are sparked at TWS conferences.

Happy 75^th Birthday, TWS!

Scan this to browse the schedule of USGS talks on Google Calendar:

Browse the schedule of USGS talks at The Wildlife Society’s conference on Google Calendar

Scan this to add the schedule to your smartphone:

Add the Schedule of USGS Presentations at The Wildlife Society’s Conference to Your Mobile Device

Canyonlands National Park in Utah has numerous cayons and buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. This picture was taken in the Needles District of the park. Photo by Tonya Troxler, USGS.

On the surface, the southwestern United States may not seem a likely choice for growing biofuels, since this part of the country is dry and has soils with low fertility. But because the region is also rich in sunlight, it has the potential to contribute a significant proportion of our energy portfolio as biofuels, especially with new technologies that reduce the need for water.

Biofuels are combustible materials derived directly or indirectly from biomass – in this case, plants or algae – and they offer a renewable fuel alternative to fossil fuel burning. Scientific studies are helping the United States grow a responsible, sustainable, and diversified energy future while minimizing conflicts between renewable energy, water, and ecosystems.

To help in this effort, USGS scientist Sasha Reed and other USGS researchers are actively evaluating the potential for and consequences of biofuel production in the Southwest. These scientists are conducting research to find answers to questions such as, what happens when biofuels are incorporated in different soil types and landscapes of the Southwest? And what effects will biofuel production have on ecosystems, dust production, or water quality and quantity?

“Even renewable energy has consequences, and we want decision makers to have the data available to make informed decisions about incorporating a variety of energy sources into our national energy portfolio,” Reed says.

A Two-Pronged Approach to Evaluating Biofuel Potential

Reed and her colleagues are using a two-pronged approach to unravel the biofuel potential of the American Southwest. First, they are using remote sensing and modeling to help determine the amount of energy that could be added to our national energy portfolio by biofuel production. Second, they are using biogeochemistry to assess how different approaches to biofuel development will affect greenhouse gas emissions, water availability and quality, air quality, and soil fertility and stability.

Spatially explicit landcover classification of the conterminous United States. Classes represent the composite of National Landcover Data (U.S. Geological Survey), Global Human Footprint (Wildlife Conservation and Center for International Earth Science Information Network) and World Database on Protected Areas (IUCN and UNEP-WCMC) data sets. Figure created by Bill Smith, University of Montana, bill.smith@ntsg.umt.edu.

What crops are used for biofuels is quite important, Reed notes. Thus far, biofuel production has primarily focused on liquid biofuels – ethanol and biodiesel – from agricultural plants such as corn. Yet other kinds of combustible material – for example, plants adapted to dry climates and algae – may prove to be more energy efficient over time, Reed points out.

Measuring the greenhouse gases produced by different biofuel crops under different agricultural scenarios and in different landscapes is also critical, Reed notes. “Some biofuel crops can add more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than they would help take out, so we need to explore which biofuels processes, crops, and landscapes are best for reducing greenhouse gas contributions to the atmosphere.”

And Then There’s Water

In the Southwest, USGS biofuel research is zeroing in on water quality and water demand because water is already in short supply there. But technology comes into play here too, Reed says. “Can we couple bio-energy with new technologies so we aren’t using a lot more water?”

In addition, the fragile top soils in the Southwest are basically glued together by soil crusts, which, when disturbed, lose the ability to hold the soil together. The result: dust. Sometimes lots of dust.

“Dust is a big deal in the Southwest, not only because big dust storms can be a nuisance and a safety hazard, but also because of the cascading effects caused by dust,” Reed says. “For example, recent USGS-led research found that dust on snow makes it melt faster, which changes the timing of snowmelt. This change in timing can reduce the amount of water that makes it into the Colorado River Basin, which provides essential water for people, ecosystems, and livestock.”

The results of the USGS’s ongoing biofuels research will help land managers and policy makers make science-based decisions about if, when, where, and how to promote bioenergy development on the lands that they manage.

Dust carried by the wind has far-reaching effects, including the loss of nutrients and water-holding capacity from landscapes, and the speeding up of the melting of snow, which affects the timing and magnitude of runoff into streams and rivers. Photo by Seth Munson, USGS.

“With alternative energy, the country has a really exciting opportunity to make wise decisions about how we go about new energy development,” Reed says. “We can integrate technological advances and decision making in ways that maximize potential while minimizing effects on the environment.”

More Information

Other USGS Energy-Related Research: http://energy.usgs.gov/

USGS ecosystem research in the Southwest: http://sbsc.wr.usgs.gov/

A desert tortoise walks in the Mojave Desert. Photo by Phillip Adams, USGS.

Icebergs immediately offshore from Illulissat, Greenland. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.

The U.S. Geological Survey released today a new global estimate for conventional oil and gas resources.  The USGS estimates that the undiscovered, conventional resources in the world total 565 billion barrels of oil (bbo), 5,606 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, and 167 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.

All of these numbers represent technically recoverable resources, which are those quantities of oil and gas producible using currently available technology and industry practices, regardless of economic or accessibility considerations.

“In the twelve years since the last assessment, the steady progress in technology now allows additional resources to be regarded as technically recoverable,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt.  “By placing this information in the public domain, government leaders, investors, public and private corporations, and citizens have a common information base for planning and decisions that affect the global environment and market place.”

Vertical limestone beds forming cliffs along Three Pagodas-Fault Zone near Hua Hin, Thailand. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.

This new assessment is complete reassessment of the world since the last World Petroleum Assessment in 2000 by the USGS.

The report includes mean estimates of resources in 171 geologic provinces of the world.  These estimates include resources beneath both onshore and offshore areas.

Resources in the United States

This assessment does not include undiscovered, conventional resources in the United States, which the USGS currently estimates holds 27 bbo and 388 tcf of natural gas onshore and in State waters.  Additionally, there are an estimated 81 bbo and 398 tcf of natural gas in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

75 Percent of Oil Resources in Four Regions

The assessment results indicate that about 75 percent of the undiscovered and technically recoverable conventional oil of the world is in four regions: South America and the Caribbean (126 bbo); sub-Saharan Africa (115 bbo); the Middle East and North Africa (111 bbo); and the Arctic provinces portion of North America (61 bbo).

Significant undiscovered, conventional gas resources remain in all of the world’s regions.

Conventional and Unconventional Resources

These new estimates are for conventional oil and gas resources only.  Unconventional oil and gas resources, such as shale gas, tight oil, tight gas, coalbed gas, heavy oil, oil sands, may be significant around the world, but are not included in these numbers.

Eolian dunes of the An Nefud sand sea, northern Saudi Arabia. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.

More Information

The USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered and technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the world.  This global assessment was undertaken as part of a project assessing global petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol.

The Department of the Interior released a press release on this new assessment.

To learn more about this or other geologic assessments, please visit the Energy Resources Program website.

Recorded Press Conference

Listen to a podcast recording of the press conference held on April 18, 2012, to announce this report. Speakers were Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, USGS Director Marcia McNutt, USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce, and USGS Research Geologist Chris Schenk.

Anthracite coal is hard, compact, and has high luster. It also has the highest carbon concentration of all ranks of coal.

Traditionally the “gift” left for naughty children, coal has developed a bit of a negative association with the holidays. Unlike those tinsel twins, reindeer and mistletoe, coal does not enjoy the same holiday cheer.  Which is strange, when you think about it, as back in Northern Europe where most of our holiday traditions began, coal was essential in keeping your house warm during long winters.  In fact, according to the University of Oxford, traditions developed in Scotland and Wales where visitors during the holidays would bring a small lump of coal to herald warmth and cheer for the New Year.

Although no one is quite sure where the coal for naughty kids custom came from, the truth is that coal has long been a very important part of our daily lives, let alone our holiday traditions.  Originally burned for warmth and steam power for locomotives, nowadays nearly half of the electricity produced in the United States is generated by coal-fired power plants. Coal is also used in the refining of metals such as steel.

Bituminous Coal is a middle rank coal (between subbituminous and anthracite) formed by additional pressure and heat on lignite. Usually has a high heating (Btu) value and is the most common type of coal used in electricity generation in the United States. Bituminous coal appears smooth when you first see it, but look closer and you may see it is in layers. Bituminous is the most abundant kind of coal and the most often used.

What is Coal?

Coal is a sedimentary rock made predominantly of carbon that can be burned for fuel. Coal formed when prehistoric forests and marshes were buried and compressed over hundreds of millions of years.  As time went on, the other elements in the rock were squeezed out due to the pressure of the rock around it, leading to higher and higher concentrations of carbon.  This process resulted in the various types of coal we have today, which are ranked according to their moisture content and concentration of carbon.

USGS and Coal

Cannel Coal is a type of bituminous coal with a high pollen and spore content from prehistoric plants. One theory for how it got its name is that, due to its high pollen content, it could be lit by a match and serve as a candle. Over time, "candle coal" evolved to "cannel coal."

USGS has studied coal for much of our more than 130-year existence. We work with state cooperators, predominantly state geological surveys, to assess the Nation’s coal resources. The largest and most well-known basins of coal we have assessed are the Appalachian Basin and Illinois Basin in the East and the Williston Basin and Powder River Basin in the West. All of our other research on coal can be found on our National Coal Resources Data Systems and our World Coal Quality Inventory.

We also study the environmental  effects of developing and using coal, such as greenhouse gas emissions from underground coal fires, air quality impacts from coal utilization, and acid mine drainage.

Coalbed Gas

And finally, there’s another important aspect of the Nation’s coal: coalbed gas. Methane, also known as natural gas, takes on many of the same tasks as coal, such as it’s vital for the production of electricity in many states and it’s used for warmth during the winter. In addition, it can be used to create fertilizers, or even used for transportation in place of gasoline. Although mostly produced from gas fields or found with oil, methane can also be found in coal seams.

Lignite coal, aka brown coal, is the lowest grade coal with the least concentration of carbon.

Peat is not actually coal, but rather the precursor to coal. When peat is placed under high pressure and heat, it can become coal.

That’s where the phrase “Canary in a coal mine” came from. Before modern mine ventilation techniques, methane was considered a hazard for miners, as it could lead to suffocation and was extremely flammable in combination with coal dust. Miners would bring canaries into the mines to help them know when large concentrations of methane were in the area.  Today, although methane can still pose significant mining hazards, we are able extract this methane for energy uses, with coalbed gas accounting for eight percent of annual US natural gas production.

Contact: Alex Demas

Research on carbon sequestration provides critical information for considering mitigation options for greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and adaptation opportunities for climate change. These research and assessments activities are conducted under the requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-140).

This USGS graphic shows the concept of geologic carbon sequestration.

Geologic Carbon Sequestration:

USGS scientists are conducting a national assessment to assess the capacity to store CO₂ in geologic formations. They will be using a USGS science-based methodology for this assessment. This USGS method will also serve as the first step in developing a global sequestration roadmap by the International Energy Agency and as an international standard for global geologic carbon sequestration assessment potential. In addition, the USGS is conducting research to understand what happens in the subsurface when CO₂ is injected into rocks, to better understand the effects of this practice.

Biological Carbon Sequestration:

The USGS is working to create a series of national maps depicting annual carbon storage for U.S. ecosystems. This project will allow the United States to be the first nation in the world to complete such a cutting-edge biological assessment. This product will help land managers visualize and understand the effects of land use, management practices, and wildfire on carbon storage and greenhouse gas emissions. The USGS previously developed a science-based method for conducting a national assessment of biological carbon sequestration, and that is being used to produce these maps.

This USGS graphic shows the concept of biological carbon sequestration

For more information on the USGS methodology for geologic carbon sequestration, visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1127/. For more information on biological carbon sequestration, visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5233/.

Contact: Jessica Robertson                                        (703) 648-6624

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