Energy

Although the traditional use of solid fuels such as coal has been electric power generation, the increasing demand for stable energy and the development of other uses for solid fuels and their byproducts are rapidly evolving. The Evolving Utilization of Solid Energy Fuels (EUSEF) project balances energy and non-energy resource aspects of coal and other solid fuels together with consideration of...

Carbon dioxide (CO2) can react with silicate rocks that are rich in magnesium, calcium, and iron to precipitate carbonate minerals. This natural process, called CO2 mineralization, can be engineered as a method for permanent geologic CO2 removal. The reaction has the additional potential to liberate critical minerals, such as nickel and cobalt, as extractable byproducts. Since 2023, the United...

The Oil and Gas Waters (OGW) project, funded by the Energy Resources Program, aims to provide information on the volume, quality, impacts, and potentially commodity recovery from water co-produced during the generation and development of domestic petroleum resources. The primary goals of this project are to meet the needs of Congress and other stakeholders in the quantification of lithium and...

The Geoinformatics Technology Optimization (GTO) project develops applications, databases, and other related technologies to assist Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (GEMSC) scientists in their research activities and distribution of their data to the public.

The United States Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB) provides the locations and array boundaries of U.S. ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) facilities with capacity of 1 megawatt or more. It includes corresponding PV facility information, including panel type, site type, and initial year of operation. The creation of this database was jointly funded by the U.S. Department of Energy...

The Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research (GEAR) project assesses and characterizes undiscovered, technically recoverable domestic petroleum resources. It focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin. The primary goal of this project is to meet the needs of Congress and other stakeholders for timely and robust assessments of petroleum resources in the Gulf...

A petrographic thermal index is typically an organic matter indicator in sedimentary rocks that allows for estimations of burial temperature. Petrographic thermal indices include the commonly used proxy vitrinite reflectance as well as other approaches such as solid bitumen reflectance, fluorescence, micro-Raman, and micro-Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. Measurements from these...

The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) began as a cooperative venture between the USGS and State geological agencies in 1975 and focused on the stratigraphy and chemistry of coal.

The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) State Cooperatives project supports a publicly available database of coal knowledge that encompasses the entire United States. State-level partnering for coal resource assessment and fundamental research of energy-bearing strata improves the ability of Federal, State and local planners to make optimum policy decisions in the areas of energy...

The AGGER project’s purpose is to advance the understanding of geologic energy sources, generation, composition, movement, and production potential, including resource recovery from energy wastes.

Since its establishment in 1879, USGS geoscientists have investigated the geochemistry of energy resources. Research conducted in the Geochemistry of Energy Fuels project continues this tradition. Goals include 1) understanding the geologic, geochemical, microbiological, and other factors that control production, quality, and composition of coal, petroleum, and nuclear fuels, and 2) predicting the...

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is utilized by industry to enhance oil recovery. Subsurface CO2 storage could significantly impact reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, but the economics and potential risks associated with the practice must be understood before implementing extensive programs or regulations. Utilization of other energy-related gases such as helium (He), if separated and concentrated...