Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Assessments
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This site highlights the assessments of the Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project. Scientifically robust assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources are published in a variety of USGS publications. This project also conducts research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources. The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin.
The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project is part of the USGS Energy Resources Program, with staff in Reston, Virginia at the Eastern Energy Energy Resources Science Center and Denver, Colorado at the Central Energy Resources Science Center. Our mission is to conduct scientifically robust assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources and to conduct research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources. The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin. The offshore Gulf of Mexico Basin outboard of the State-Federal boundary (map) is within the purview of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
The project conducts geologic-based quantitative assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources across the Gulf Coast basin, and we conduct research on petroleum systems elements that provides the underlying data and interpretations for each assessment. Different methodologies are used for assessments of conventional and continuous oil and gas accumulations. Conventional oil and gas accumulations develop through migration of generated hydrocarbons into a porous and permeable rock unit, while continuous accumulations are regional accumulations of oil and/or gas that is dispersed throughout the matrix of the host rock unit (see Schmoker (2005) and Schmoker and Klett (2005) for more information).
Listed below are the publications related to the most recent assessment results for the Gulf Coast; upcoming assessments and older assessment results and publications are also listed. Access to supporting data can be found by clicking on the 'data' tab. A summary of research within the Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project and resulting publications can be found at the Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Research page.
Recent Assessments
- 2018 Eagle Ford Continuous (Factsheet)
- 2018 Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Continuous (Factsheet)
- 2017 Haynesville Formation Conventional and Continuous (Open File Report, Factsheet, Assessment Unit Spatial Data, Input data)
- 2017 Bossier Formation Conventional and Continuous (Open File Report, Factsheet, Assessment Unit Spatial Data, Input data)
- 2017 Downdip Paleogene Conventional (Factsheet, Assessment Unit Spatial and Input Data)
- 2016 South Florida Conventional and Continuous (Factsheet, Assessment Unit Spatial and Input Data)
- 2015 Cotton Valley Conventional and Continuous(Factsheet, Assessment Unit Spatial Data)
- 2010 Austin Chalk Conventional and Continuous (Factsheet)
Upcoming Assessments (timeline is subject to funding/available staff)
- Downdip Tuscaloosa Sandstone (conventional)
- Austin Chalk (conventional and continuous)
- Smackover (continuous)
- Campanian-Oligocene sandstones of southern Texas
Previous Assessments (select publications):
- 2011 Eagle Ford Assessment (Factsheet)
- 2010 Jurassic and Cretaceous (Factsheet)
- 2007 Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations (Factsheet)
- 2007 Tertiary Strata (Factsheet)
- 2003 Navarro and Taylor Groups (Factsheet, Geologic Report)
- 2002 Cotton Valley Group and Travis Peak-Hosston Formations (Cotton Valley Factsheet, Travis-Pk Factsheet, Geologic Report)
- 2000 South Florida Basin Conventional and Continuous (Digital Data Series Report)
- 1995 Assessment of Western Gulf and East Texas Basin & Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basins