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Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research Project

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By Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center September 12, 2023

Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Research

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Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments

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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 Coast region. The Gulf Coast GEAR project also conducts associated research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources.

USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database

USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database Viewer

The USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD) is an online repository for all publicly available source rock data (outcrop and subsurface) from the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

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Featured Products

The Gulf Coast GEAR project is part of the USGS Energy Resources Program with staff in Reston, Virginia at the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center and the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center; Denver, Colorado at the Central Energy Resources Science Center; and Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Science Center.

Filter Total Items: 25
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Filter Total Items: 122

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 147.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, 2.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, and 2.96 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Russell F. Dubiel, Peter D. Warwick, Sharon Swanson, Lauri Burke, Laura Biewick, Ronald R. Charpentier, James L. Coleman, Troy A. Cook, Kris Dennen, Colin A. Doolan, Catherine Enomoto, Paul C. Hackley, Alexander W. Karlsen, Timothy R. Klett, Scott A. Kinney, Michael D. Lewan, Matthew D. Merrill, Krystal Pearson, Ofori N. Pearson, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Elizabeth L. Rowan, Christopher J. Schenk, Brett Valentine
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Comprehensive database of wellbore temperatures and drilling mud weight pressures by depth for Judge Digby field, Louisiana Comprehensive database of wellbore temperatures and drilling mud weight pressures by depth for Judge Digby field, Louisiana

This document serves as the repository for the unprocessed data used in the investigation of temperature and overpressure relations within the deep Tuscaloosa Formation in Judge Digby field. It is a compilation of all the publicly accessible wellbore temperature and pressure data for Judge Digby field, a prolific natural gas field producing from the Upper Cretaceous lower part of the...
Authors
Lauri Burke
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Thermal Maturity Data Used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region Oil and Gas Assessment Thermal Maturity Data Used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region Oil and Gas Assessment

The U.S. Geological Survey is currently assessing the oil and natural gas resources of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region using a total petroleum system approach. An essential part of this geologically based method is evaluating the effectiveness of potential source rocks in the petroleum system. The purpose of this report is to make available to the public RockEval and vitrinite reflectance...
Authors
Kristin O. Dennen, Peter D. Warwick, Elizabeth Chinn McDade

Preliminary use of uric acid as a biomarker for wading birds on Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, United States Preliminary use of uric acid as a biomarker for wading birds on Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, United States

Concentrations of organic biomarkers and concentrations of phosphorus in soil cores can potentially be used as proxies for historic population densities of wading birds on tree islands in the Florida Everglades. This report focuses on establishing a link between the organic biomarker uric acid found in wading bird guano and the high phosphorus concentrations in tree island soils in the...
Authors
Anne L. Bates, William H. Orem, Susan Newman, Dale E. Gawlik, Harry E. Lerch, M.D. Corum, Monica Van Winkle
By
Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas

The Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation, a regionally occurring limestone and shale interval of 500-600-ft maximum thickness (Rose, 1986), is being evaluated as part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in onshore Lower Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this report is to release preliminary vitrinite...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Kristin O. Dennen, Rachel M. Gesserman, Jennie L. Ridgley

Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04 Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04

Mercury contamination of aquatic ecosystems is an issue of national concern, affecting both wildlife and human health. Detailed information on mercury cycling and food-web bioaccumulation in stream settings and the factors that control these processes is currently limited. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) conducted detailed...
Authors
Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Michelle A. Lutz, David P. Krabbenhoft, George R. Aiken, William H. Orem, Britt D. Hall, John F. DeWild, Mark E. Brigham
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, M3 Research Laboratory

Biogenic origin of coalbed gas in the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, U.S.A Biogenic origin of coalbed gas in the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, U.S.A

New coal-gas exploration and production in northern Louisiana and south-central Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico Basin, is focused on the Wilcox Group (Paleocene–Eocene), where the depth to targeted subbituminous C to high volatile C bituminous coal beds ranges from 300 to 1680 m, and individual coal beds have a maximum thickness of about 6 m. Total gas content (generally excluding residual...
Authors
Peter D. Warwick, F. Clayton Breland, Paul C. Hackley

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Tertiary strata of the Gulf Coast, 2007 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Tertiary strata of the Gulf Coast, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 113.7 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, a mean of 690 million barrels of undiscovered oil, and a mean of 3.7 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Russell F. Dubiel, Janet K. Pitman, Ofori N. Pearson, Peter D. Warwick, Alexander W. Karlsen, James L. Coleman, Paul C. Hackley, Daniel O. Hayba, Sharon M. Swanson, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk
By
Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the Gulf Coast region, 2007 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the Gulf Coast region, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 4.06 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Peter D. Warwick
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Organic geochemistry of sediments in nearshore areas of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers: I. General organic characterization Organic geochemistry of sediments in nearshore areas of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers: I. General organic characterization

This report presents results on the general organic characteristics of sediment cores collected from the coastal zone of the Mississippi River system, including distributions of the important nutrient elements (C, N, P, and S). This was part of a larger study conducted from 2001-2005 to examine the delivery of sediment-associated contaminants to the Gulf of Mexico by the Mississippi...
Authors
William H. Orem, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Peter W. Swarzenski, Harry E. Lerch, M.D. Corum, Anne L. Bates
By
Energy Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Results from Coalbed Methane Drilling in Winn Parish, Louisiana Results from Coalbed Methane Drilling in Winn Parish, Louisiana

A coalbed methane (CBM) well in Winn Parish, Louisiana, named CZ Fee A No. 114, was drilled by Vintage Petroleum, Inc., in January 2004. The CZ Fee A No. 114 CBM well was drilled to a total depth of 3,114 ft and perforated at 2,730-2,734 ft in a Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) coal bed. Analytical data from the drilling project have been released by Vintage Petroleum, Inc., and by the...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Peter D. Warwick, F. Clayton Breland, Troy E. Richard, Kirk Ross

Assessment of Undiscovered Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations, Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas, 2007 Assessment of Undiscovered Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations, Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 20.8 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas and a mean of 0.60 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas.
Authors
Water Resources Division U.S. Geological Survey
By
Energy Resources Program

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 Coast region. The Gulf Coast GEAR project also conducts associated research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources.

USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database

USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database Viewer

The USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD) is an online repository for all publicly available source rock data (outcrop and subsurface) from the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.

Launch Viewer

Featured Products

The Gulf Coast GEAR project is part of the USGS Energy Resources Program with staff in Reston, Virginia at the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center and the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center; Denver, Colorado at the Central Energy Resources Science Center; and Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Science Center.

Filter Total Items: 25
No Result Found
Filter Total Items: 122

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Gulf Coast, 2010

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 147.4 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, 2.4 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, and 2.96 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in Jurassic and Cretaceous strata in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Russell F. Dubiel, Peter D. Warwick, Sharon Swanson, Lauri Burke, Laura Biewick, Ronald R. Charpentier, James L. Coleman, Troy A. Cook, Kris Dennen, Colin A. Doolan, Catherine Enomoto, Paul C. Hackley, Alexander W. Karlsen, Timothy R. Klett, Scott A. Kinney, Michael D. Lewan, Matthew D. Merrill, Krystal Pearson, Ofori N. Pearson, Janet K. Pitman, Richard M. Pollastro, Elizabeth L. Rowan, Christopher J. Schenk, Brett Valentine
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Comprehensive database of wellbore temperatures and drilling mud weight pressures by depth for Judge Digby field, Louisiana Comprehensive database of wellbore temperatures and drilling mud weight pressures by depth for Judge Digby field, Louisiana

This document serves as the repository for the unprocessed data used in the investigation of temperature and overpressure relations within the deep Tuscaloosa Formation in Judge Digby field. It is a compilation of all the publicly accessible wellbore temperature and pressure data for Judge Digby field, a prolific natural gas field producing from the Upper Cretaceous lower part of the...
Authors
Lauri Burke
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Thermal Maturity Data Used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region Oil and Gas Assessment Thermal Maturity Data Used by the U.S. Geological Survey for the U.S. Gulf Coast Region Oil and Gas Assessment

The U.S. Geological Survey is currently assessing the oil and natural gas resources of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region using a total petroleum system approach. An essential part of this geologically based method is evaluating the effectiveness of potential source rocks in the petroleum system. The purpose of this report is to make available to the public RockEval and vitrinite reflectance...
Authors
Kristin O. Dennen, Peter D. Warwick, Elizabeth Chinn McDade

Preliminary use of uric acid as a biomarker for wading birds on Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, United States Preliminary use of uric acid as a biomarker for wading birds on Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, United States

Concentrations of organic biomarkers and concentrations of phosphorus in soil cores can potentially be used as proxies for historic population densities of wading birds on tree islands in the Florida Everglades. This report focuses on establishing a link between the organic biomarker uric acid found in wading bird guano and the high phosphorus concentrations in tree island soils in the...
Authors
Anne L. Bates, William H. Orem, Susan Newman, Dale E. Gawlik, Harry E. Lerch, M.D. Corum, Monica Van Winkle
By
Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas Preliminary vitrinite and bitumen reflectance, total organic carbon, and pyrolysis data for samples from Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, Maverick Basin, south Texas

The Lower Cretaceous Pearsall Formation, a regionally occurring limestone and shale interval of 500-600-ft maximum thickness (Rose, 1986), is being evaluated as part of an ongoing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources in onshore Lower Cretaceous strata of the northern Gulf of Mexico. The purpose of this report is to release preliminary vitrinite...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Kristin O. Dennen, Rachel M. Gesserman, Jennie L. Ridgley

Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04 Total mercury, methylmercury, methylmercury production potential, and ancillary streambed-sediment and pore-water data for selected streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2003-04

Mercury contamination of aquatic ecosystems is an issue of national concern, affecting both wildlife and human health. Detailed information on mercury cycling and food-web bioaccumulation in stream settings and the factors that control these processes is currently limited. In response, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) conducted detailed...
Authors
Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale, Michelle A. Lutz, David P. Krabbenhoft, George R. Aiken, William H. Orem, Britt D. Hall, John F. DeWild, Mark E. Brigham
By
Water Resources Mission Area, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, M3 Research Laboratory

Biogenic origin of coalbed gas in the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, U.S.A Biogenic origin of coalbed gas in the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain, U.S.A

New coal-gas exploration and production in northern Louisiana and south-central Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico Basin, is focused on the Wilcox Group (Paleocene–Eocene), where the depth to targeted subbituminous C to high volatile C bituminous coal beds ranges from 300 to 1680 m, and individual coal beds have a maximum thickness of about 6 m. Total gas content (generally excluding residual...
Authors
Peter D. Warwick, F. Clayton Breland, Paul C. Hackley

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Tertiary strata of the Gulf Coast, 2007 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Tertiary strata of the Gulf Coast, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 113.7 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas, a mean of 690 million barrels of undiscovered oil, and a mean of 3.7 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Russell F. Dubiel, Janet K. Pitman, Ofori N. Pearson, Peter D. Warwick, Alexander W. Karlsen, James L. Coleman, Paul C. Hackley, Daniel O. Hayba, Sharon M. Swanson, Ronald R. Charpentier, Troy A Cook, Timothy R. Klett, Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk
By
Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the Gulf Coast region, 2007 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the Gulf Coast region, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 4.06 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas in Cretaceous-Tertiary coal beds of the onshore lands and State waters of the Gulf Coast.
Authors
Peter D. Warwick
By
Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Organic geochemistry of sediments in nearshore areas of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers: I. General organic characterization Organic geochemistry of sediments in nearshore areas of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers: I. General organic characterization

This report presents results on the general organic characteristics of sediment cores collected from the coastal zone of the Mississippi River system, including distributions of the important nutrient elements (C, N, P, and S). This was part of a larger study conducted from 2001-2005 to examine the delivery of sediment-associated contaminants to the Gulf of Mexico by the Mississippi...
Authors
William H. Orem, Robert J. Rosenbauer, Peter W. Swarzenski, Harry E. Lerch, M.D. Corum, Anne L. Bates
By
Energy Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Results from Coalbed Methane Drilling in Winn Parish, Louisiana Results from Coalbed Methane Drilling in Winn Parish, Louisiana

A coalbed methane (CBM) well in Winn Parish, Louisiana, named CZ Fee A No. 114, was drilled by Vintage Petroleum, Inc., in January 2004. The CZ Fee A No. 114 CBM well was drilled to a total depth of 3,114 ft and perforated at 2,730-2,734 ft in a Wilcox Group (Paleocene-Eocene) coal bed. Analytical data from the drilling project have been released by Vintage Petroleum, Inc., and by the...
Authors
Paul C. Hackley, Peter D. Warwick, F. Clayton Breland, Troy E. Richard, Kirk Ross

Assessment of Undiscovered Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations, Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas, 2007 Assessment of Undiscovered Gas Resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations, Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas, 2007

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 20.8 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas and a mean of 0.60 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Western Gulf Province of the Gulf Coast Region, Louisiana and Texas.
Authors
Water Resources Division U.S. Geological Survey
By
Energy Resources Program
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