Energy Resources Program
Research
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Assessing Emissions from Active and Abandoned Coal Mines
The gas emission zone liberates and accumulates significant amounts of coal mine methane as a by-product of active mining. In most active mines, coal mine methane is controlled by wellbores, called gob gas ventholes. Despite the presence of these wellbores, it is not possible to capture all of the methane generated within the gas emission zone. As a consequence, a large amount of gas migrates...
Critical Mineral Resources in Produced and Saline Waters
Many minerals are deemed critical or strategic to the U.S. based upon the impact in the case of a lack of supply, a lack of suitable alternatives, and supply risk. One potential source of minerals is the highly saline groundwater found deep in geologic basins, which can greatly exceed seawater salinity. However, there is a dearth of reliable data to understand the critical mineral resource...
Geochemical Fingerprinting and Laboratory Investigations of Energy Associated Waters
In the “Geochemical fingerprinting and laboratory investigations of energy associated waters” task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project we produce chemical and physical data of the composition and nature of waters injected and produced during hydrocarbon development, including major and minor ions, total dissolved...
Geochemistry of Waters Produced from and Injected for Energy Development
In the “Geochemistry of waters produced from and injected for energy development” task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project, we collect and analyze produced water samples from oil and gas reservoirs of greatest national priority, and use brine geochemistry as a tool to: chemically fingerprint formation brines to...
Induced Seismicity Associated with Carbon Dioxide Geologic Storage
As a national science agency, the USGS is responsible for assessing hazards from earthquakes throughout the United States. The USGS studies induced seismicity across the spectrum of energy issues: carbon sequestration, geothermal energy, and conventional and unconventional oil and gas. In the central and eastern United States, earthquakes induced by fluid injection activities contribute...
Geologic Carbon Dioxide and Energy-related Storage, Gas Resources, and Utilization
The objectives of this task are to conduct relevant research needed to 1) evaluate helium (He) and CO2 resources; 2) support future assessments of low-thermal gases and better understand their resources and potential for use as analogues for anthropogenic CO2 storage; 3) study the feasibility of large-scale CO2 mineralization in the United States; 4) develop...
Methodology Development and Assessment of National Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery and Associated Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential
The objective of this research task is to conduct a national assessment of recoverable oil related to CO2 injection. The amount of CO2 stored (utilized) during the hydrocarbon recovery process will also be evaluated.
Economics of Global Marginal Hydrocarbon and Non-traditional Resources
During the last decade many producing countries have reassigned conventional oil and gas development rights to their national oil companies (NOCs). In fact the 13 largest energy companies, when measured by oil and gas reserves, are controlled by sovereign governments. The result is that the NOC’s will control a significant share of future oil and gas production. The international oil companies...
Economics of U.S. Oil and Gas Resources
The U.S. Geological Survey prepares geologic assessments of undiscovered and undeveloped (identified) oil and gas resources (see National Oil and Gas Assessment website). In addition to our USGS oil and gas geologic assessments, economic research gives policymakers and analysts in the private sector additional information by scaling economic variables. Economic attributes must include the...
Vitrinite Reflectance Service
Vitrinite reflectance is regarded at the gold standard thermal maturity parameter. The USGS plans to provide vitrinite reflectance and qualitative organic petrography of shale and other unconventional reservoir samples as a routine in-house service. This service will primarily support the National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment project and also research conducted in the Petroleum Processes...
Thermal Indices Innovation Project
The presence of an interconnected organic nano-porosity network has emerged as an important control on reservoir permeability and hydrocarbon storage space in shale petroleum systems. Application of SEM techniques to Ar ion-milled rock surfaces has become standard industry practice for identification of organic pore systems and mudstone reservoir characterization. There is general consensus...
Hydrous Pyrolysis and Kerogen Conversion
Vitrinite suppression/retardation, and the misidentification of solid bitumen as vitrinite, can lead to large variance in measurements of reflectance, cause trends with respect to depth that are difficult to explain by any known geologic phenomena, and cause problems in evaluation of thermal histories and timing of petroleum generation. Accordingly, experimental identification and...