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Geologic models underpinning the 2024 U.S. Geological Survey assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Hosston and Travis Peak Formations of the onshore Gulf Coast region, U.S.A. Geologic models underpinning the 2024 U.S. Geological Survey assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Hosston and Travis Peak Formations of the onshore Gulf Coast region, U.S.A.

The Early Cretaceous (Berriasian–Hauterivian) Hosston Formation in Louisiana and eastward is time correlative to the Travis Peak Formation of Texas and southern Arkansas. The formation is a first-order clastic sequence with a regional carbonate transgressive surface as an upper contact. The Hosston and Travis Peak formations contain conventional natural gas and oil accumulations that...
Authors
Lauri A. Burke, Stanley T. Paxton, Scott A. Kinney, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Russell F. Dubiel, Janet K. Pitman

Detecting hidden sedimentary geothermal systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin Detecting hidden sedimentary geothermal systems in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Geothermal resources exist in sedimentary rock where circulation of water for efficient extraction or storage of heat is possible. Except in rare instances where hot water is expressed at the land surface, sedimentary geothermal resources are hidden, so the identification of these systems is optimally accomplished using predictive subsurface modeling. An integrated approach using...
Authors
Rand Gardner, Justin E. Birdwell, Donald S. Sweetkind, Patrick Sullivan, Melia Eaton, Holger Petermann, Annaka Clement, James Hagadorn, Joshua C. Woda

Geothermal potential of orphan oil and gas wells Geothermal potential of orphan oil and gas wells

The United States is estimated to have hundreds of thousands of orphan oil and gas wells. Orphan wells are abandoned wells that are both unremediated and have no responsible operator. While traditionally considered environmental and economic liabilities, orphan oil and gas wells may offer new opportunities in sustainable geothermal energy development. This study evaluates the potential...
Authors
Rand Gardner, Justin E. Birdwell, Matthew D. Merrill, Ashton M. Wiens, Karl B. Haase, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Uei I. Lei, Patrick Sullivan

Exploring Martian geothermal and liquid water potential with basin modeling Exploring Martian geothermal and liquid water potential with basin modeling

Assessing the potential for geothermal energy and liquid water presence in the Martian subsurface is crucial for future exploration and habitability studies. In this work, we employed comprehensive finite element model simulations adapted specifically for Martian conditions to estimate subsurface temperatures and the potential for liquid water at depth within Martian crater basins. Rock...
Authors
Rand Gardner, Justin E. Birdwell, Katherine L. French, Chris Okubo, Janet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Jason A. Flaum

Potential for co-production of lithium and geothermal resources in the Gulf Coast Potential for co-production of lithium and geothermal resources in the Gulf Coast

Lithium brine extractions and geothermal resource developments often are not economically viable as standalone projects, but they May become cost effective when the potential for both resources exist within the same reservoir. Subsurface datasets were analyzed to identify areas in the U.S. Gulf Coast region with potential for lithium brine and geothermal heat recovery. Temperature...
Authors
Rand Gardner, Justin E. Birdwell

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Santa Maria Basin Province, California, 2024 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Santa Maria Basin Province, California, 2024

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 67 million barrels of oil and 56 billion cubic feet of gas in the Santa Maria Basin Province of California.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Ronald M. Drake II, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller

The abiotic background as a central component of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol for Mars Sample Return The abiotic background as a central component of a Sample Safety Assessment Protocol for Mars Sample Return

Martian rock and regolith samples are being collected and cached by NASA’s Perseverance rover, with the goal of returning them to Earth as soon as the mid-2030s. Upon return, samples would be housed in a sample receiving facility under biological containment to prevent exposing Earth’s biosphere to any potential biohazards that might be present. Samples could be released from high...
Authors
Bronwyn L. Teece, David W. Beaty, Heather V. Graham, Gerald McDonnell, Barbara Sherwood Lollar, Sandra M. Siljeström, Andrew Steele, SSAP Tiger Team, Rachel Mackelprang, Brooke M. Ahern, Nicolle Baird, Noel Cressie, Richard Davis, Katherine L. French, Mihaela Glamoclija, Kimberly B. Hummel, Lisa E. Mayhew, John McQuiston, William Page, Neil Pearce, Aaron B. Regberg, David A. Relman, Mark Sephton, Timothy B. Shirey, Jessica Vanhomwegen, Mary Beth Wilhelm

Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project measurement definition team final report Mars Sample Return Sample Receiving Project measurement definition team final report

No abstract available.
Authors
Brandi L. Carrier, Elliot Sefton-Nash, Heather V. Graham, John C. Bridges, Vinciane Debaille, Christopher D.K. Herd, Allison C. Fox, Katherine L. French, Timothy Haltigin, Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Agata M. Krzesinska, Daniel Paardekooper, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Michelle Viotti, Jean Duprat, Marco Ferrari, Mihaela Glamoclija, Andrea Harringon, Aurore Hutzler, Yang Liu, Cara Magnabosco, Jeffrey J. Marlow, Clara Maurel, Hannah McLaurin, Ryan Ogliore, Andreas Pack, Segaran Pillai, Christian Schroeder, Alex L. Sessions, Sandra M. Siljeström, Andrew Steele, Bronwyn L. Teece, Valerie M. Tu, Kun Wang

Sample Science Traceability Matrix (SSTM) for Perseverance’s Mars sample return collection Sample Science Traceability Matrix (SSTM) for Perseverance’s Mars sample return collection

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign aims to retrieve a set of carefully selected and documented samples collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover in and around Jezero Crater on Mars and deliver this set to Earth for comprehensive laboratory analyses. To emphasize the immense scientific return of this unique collection, this work presents a Sample Science Traceability Matrix (SSTM), a...
Authors
Maria-Paz Zorzano, Andrew D. Czaja, Tanja Bosak, Audrey Bouvier, Brandi L. Carrier, Katherine L. French, Daniel P. Glavin, Andrea D. Harrington, Elisabeth M. Hausrath, Christopher D.K. Herd, Keyron Hickman-Lewis, Lisa E. Mayhew, Francis M. McCubbin, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Elliot Sefton-Nash, Sandra M. Siljeström, Justin L. Simon, Bronwyn L. Teece, Fiona Thiessen, Ben P. Weiss, the MSR Campaign Science Group, Gerhard Kminek, Lindsay E. Hays, Nicolas Dauphas, Lydia Hallis, Rachel Harris, Ernst Hauber, Laura Rodriguez, Andrew Steele, Kimberly Tait, Michael T. Thorpe, Tomo Usui, Michael Velbel, Jessica Vanhomwegen

Planning considerations related to contamination control for the return and analysis of Martian samples Planning considerations related to contamination control for the return and analysis of Martian samples

The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign is a proposed multi-mission effort to bring selected geological samples from Mars to Earth for the purpose of scientific investigation. Significant parts of these investigations could be affected by Earth-sourced contamination that is either misinterpreted as having a...
Authors
Alex L. Sessions, Cara Magnabosco, Hazel A. Barton, Christoph Burkhardt, Caroline Freissinet, Katherine L. French, Jason P. Dworkin, Daniel P. Glavin, Natalie Leys, Frank Maixner, Karen Olsson-Francis, Alexander J. Probst, Ghylaine Quitté, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Andrew Steele, Brandi L. Carrier, Lindsay E. Hays, Fiona Thiessen, Daniel Paardekooper, Aurore Hutzler, Andrea D. Harrington, Bronwyn L. Teece

Proceedings of the Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition UT-GOM2-2 Proceedings of the Deepwater Hydrate Coring Expedition UT-GOM2-2

This report was the result of a scientific collaboration between the following institutions The University of Texas at Austin (UT), DOE, NETL, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), The Ohio State University, Columbia University, University of New Hampshire, Oregon State University, University of Washington, Tufts University, Colorado...
Authors
Peter Flemings, Carla Thomas, Stephen C. Phillips, Timothy Collett, Ann E. Cook, Evan Solomon, Frederick S. Colwell, Joel E. Johnson, David Awwiller, Irita Aylward, Athma Bhandari, Donald Brooks, Jessica Z. Buser-Young, Alejandro Cardona, Michael Casso, Rachel Coyte, Tom Darrah, Marcy Davis, Brandon Dugan, Dan Duncan, John T. Germaine, Melanie Holland, Jesse Houghton, Saffron Martin, N. Tanner Mills, Michael Mimitz, Daniel Minarich, Yuki Morono, Zachary Murphy, Joshua O’Connell, Ethan Petrou, Tom Pettigrew, John W. Pohlman, Alexey Portnov, Marcie Purkey Phillips, Thomas Redd, Derek E. Sawyer, Peter Schultheiss, Kelly Shannon, Cathal Small, Camille Sullivan, Kayla Tozier, Man-Yin Tsang, Camila Van Der Maal, William F. Waite, Taylor Walton

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Yemen, 2024 Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Yemen, 2024

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 261 million barrels of oil and 4.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in Yemen.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Andrea D. Cicero, Sarah E. Gelman, Jane S. Hearon, Benjamin G. Johnson, Jenny H. Lagesse, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
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