Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Research
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This site highlights the research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources of the Gulf Coast of Mexico. This portion of the project also conducts assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources. The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin.
Research is a fundamental part of the assessment process, as it provides new data and interpretations to better inform the geologic models that underpin the assessment results. The Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project has ongoing research in several areas, but is generally focused on understanding the stratigraphic and structural evolution of the Gulf Coast region, and/or petroleum system processes in general. We have recently drilled three research cores behind the outcrop in the Eagle Ford Group, which is one of the most productive continuous hydrocarbon plays in North America. The cores were drilled near Waco, Dallas and Uvalde, Texas, and provide important information on lateral variability of this unit. Ongoing research is focused on differences in the mineralogy, geochemistry and trace element content between the cores. We have also partnered with the University of Texas-Austin/Bureau of Economic Geology, Texas A&M University and Texas Christian University for further study of these important cores. Additional ongoing research tasks include characterization of the stratigraphic and petroleum system framework of the Tuscaloosa Group; investigation of the eastern limit of key Mesozoic source rocks of the eastern Gulf Coast; reconstruction of the stratigraphic and structural evolution, and petroleum migration history, of Maverick basin; and the provenance and petrography of Jurassic to Cenozoic reservoir-forming sandstones. Much of this research is done in coordination with various external collaborators.
Listed on this site are the publications related to our research as well as related data, FAQ's, news articles and more. Information related Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project's Oil and Gas Assessments are found on Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Assessment page.
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Date published: August 9, 2018Status: ActiveGulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Assessments
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...
Contacts: William H Craddock, Justin BirdwellAttribution: Energy and Minerals, Energy Resources Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center
Characterization of the unconventional Tuscaloosa marine shale reservoir in southwestern Mississippi, USA: Insights from optical and SEM petrography
This study presents new optical petrography and electron microscopy data, interpreted in the context of previously published petrophysical, geochemical, and mineralogical data, to further characterize the Tuscaloosa marine shale (TMS) as an unconventional reservoir in southwestern Mississippi. The basal high resistivity zone has a higher...
Lohr, Celeste D.; Valentine, Brett J.; Hackley, Paul C.; Dulong, Frank T. Correlation of the Tuscaloosa marine shale in Mississippi, Louisiana, and east Texas, U.S.A.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable unconventional petroleum resources in the Upper Cretaceous marine shale of the Tuscaloosa Group (Tuscaloosa marine shale; TMS) in 2018. As part of the geologic characterization in preparation for the assessment, a series of wireline log cross...
Rouse, William A.; Enomoto, Catherine B.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J. Carbon dioxide sealing capacity of the Tuscaloosa marine shale: Insights from mercury injection capillary pressure analyses
No abstract available.
Lohr, Celeste D.; Hackley, Paul C. Methodology for correcting bottomhole temperatures acquired from wireline logging measurements in the onshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico Basin to characterize the thermal regime of total petroleum systems
Characterization of the subsurface thermal regime is critical for understanding many facets of the petroleum system, from thermal maturation of organic-rich source rocks to thermal preservation and non-degradation of hydrocarbon accumulations. On a broad scale, paleo-heatflow has been mapped for the North American continent (Blackwell and Richards...
Burke, Lauri A.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Kinney, Scott A.; Pitman, Janet K. Comparing uncorrected and corrected bottom-hole temperatures using published correction methods for the onshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico
Wireline logging temperature readings are known to be imprecise and need to be corrected to more accurately show what the formation temperature is. One issue with correcting logging temperatures is what correction factor to use. Because there are so many correction factors and they are based on different types of data and locations choosing a...
Kinney, Scott A.; Pearson, Ofori N. Geopressure gradient maps of Southern Louisiana, state, and vicinity
This series of five maps characterizes the subsurface pressure system of southern Louisiana, including the associated State and Federal waters. These maps were generated using the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) comprehensive geopressure-gradient model (Burke et al., 2012b, 2013) that delineates the regional pressure system spanning the onshore...
Burke, Lauri; Kinney, Scott A; Dubiel, Russell F; Pitman, Janet K. A synoptic examination of causes of land loss in southern Louisiana as related to the exploitation of subsurface geologic resources
During the last 80 years, Louisiana has been losing wetlands at an average rate of 62 km2/y (24 mi2/y) for an accumulated loss of approximately 4900 km2 (1900 mi2). The loss seems to be the combined result of natural and anthropogenic causes that are behind primarily land subsidence averaging about 10 mm/y (0.4 in/y) coinciding with a sea...
Olea, Ricardo A.; Coleman, James L.
Regional maps of subsurface geopressure gradients of the onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico basin
The U.S. Geological Survey created a comprehensive geopressure-gradient model of the regional pressure system spanning the onshore and offshore Gulf of Mexico basin, USA. This model was used to generate ten maps that included (1) five contour maps characterizing the depth to the surface defined by the first occurrence of isopressure gradients...
Burke, Lauri A.; Kinney, Scott A.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Pitman, Janet K.
Challenge theme 5: Current and future needs of energy and mineral resources in the Borderlands and the effects of their development: Chapter 7 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science
Exploration and extraction activities related to energy and mineral resources in the Borderlands—such as coal-fired power plants, offshore drilling, and mining—can create issues that have potentially major economic and environmental implications. Resource assessments and development projects, environmental studies, and other related evaluations...
Updike, Randall G.; Ellis, Eugene G.; Page, William R.; Parker, Melanie J.; Hestbeck, Jay B.; Horak, William F. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Tertiary Mississippi River delta plain in central Louisiana: Insights into sediment provenance
The sources of the tremendous amount of Cenozoic siliciclastic sediment deposited in the Gulf of Mexico region remain debated because of a lack of definitive provenance-identifying characteristics. In an effort to build on prior provenance analysis, we present 101–160 single-grain detrital zircon U-Pb ages for each of 10 outcrop samples from Upper...
Craddock, William H.; Kylander-Clark, Andrew R. C. Extended Abstract: Geologic evaluation of regional production trends in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk
The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk, which extends across Texas and Louisiana, is characterized by reservoirs that produce oil, gas, and in some cases, anomalously large amounts of water. Reservoirs typically have low matrix permeability and contain natural fractures. Horizontal drilling has been used to enhance and connect these fracture systems to...
Pearson, Krystal M. Geology and sequence stratigraphy of undiscovered oil and gas resources in conventional and continuous petroleum systems in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and related strata, U.S. Gulf Coast Region
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently assessed the technically recoverable undiscovered oil and gas onshore and in State waters of the Gulf Coast region of the United States. The USGS defined three assessment units (AUs) with potential undiscovered conventional and continuous oil and gas resources in Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian to Turonian)...
Dubiel, Russell F.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pearson, Krystal M.; Kinney, Scott A.-
Date published: October 14, 2020Data Release for “Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS”
This data release includes biomarker ratio values calculated from measurements made at the USGS for the reference oil NSO-1 that were reported in a journal article entitled Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS.
Attribution: Central Energy Resources Science Center -
Date published: July 27, 2020
Input forms for 2019 water and proppant assessment of the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas
The input form provides a record of the complete input values required for the quantitative assessment of water and proppant associated with oil and gas production for the continuous oil and gas resource in a geologically defined Assessment Unit. The same input form template is used for all such assessments. Each USGS water and proppant assessment builds from a USGS petroleum assessment that...
Attribution: Central Energy Resources Science Center -
Date published: May 1, 2020
U-Pb ages of detrital zircons in Paleogene strata of the Gulf Coast
This data release contains 60 detrital zircon age spectra, based on U and Pb isotope ratio measurements for 9399 single grains. The samples are from Paleogene strata of the U.S. Gulf Coast. Of the 9399 single grain measurements, we recommend that 8640 yield ages that are suitable for construction of detrital zircon age spectra. Comments tagged to individual grains explain the reasoning for ex...
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Date published: June 17, 2019
Geochemistry data for the USGS Gulf Coast #1 West Woodway core - A thermally immature core of the Eagle Ford Group in central Texas
Petroleum source rocks deposited during Cenomanian – Turonian time (late Cretaceous) are major generators of continuous and conventional oil and gas resources in the Gulf of Mexico Basin. The Eagle Ford Shale is a particularly important petroleum system and represents a substantial fraction of total oil and gas production in the United States. Significant lateral and vertical geochemi
Attribution: Energy Resources Program -
Date published: November 28, 2018Downloadable Data for Gulf Coast Oil and Gas Assessments
Follow this link to access downloadable GIS and tabular data for this province.
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Date published: November 13, 2018
Petroleum geology data from Cenozoic rock samples in the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast collected 2014 to 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey assessed undiscovered petroleum resources in the downdip Paleogene formations of the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2018. During the assessment new data and information were collected to evaluate thermal maturity, source rock character, and unconventional reservoir rock prospectivity for the Cenozoic-aged section in south Louisiana. Samples were analyzed using multiple analytic...
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Date published: May 2, 2018
Petroleum geology data from Mesozoic rock samples in the eastern U.S. Gulf Coast collected 2011 to 2017
This data release contains Rock-Eval pyrolysis, organic petrographic (reflectance), and X-ray diffraction mineralogy data for subsurface Mesozoic rock samples from the eastern onshore Gulf Coast Basin (primarily Mississippi and Louisiana). Samples were analyzed in support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of undiscovered petroleum resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tu
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Date published: June 22, 2018USGS Estimates Oil and Gas in Texas’ Eagle Ford Group
The Eagle Ford Group of Texas contains estimated means of 8.5 billion barrels of oil, 66 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.9 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to a new assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey. This estimate consists of undiscovered, technically recoverable resources in continuous accumulations.