Publications
Browse recent USGS publications related to energy resources.
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A chemo-mechanical snapshot of in-situ conversion of kerogen to petroleum A chemo-mechanical snapshot of in-situ conversion of kerogen to petroleum
Organic matter (OM) from various biogenic origins converts to solid bitumen in-situ when it undergoes thermal maturation. It is well documented that during this process, the ratios of both hydrogen and oxygen to carbon will decrease, resulting in an increase in OM aromaticity and molecular chemo-mechanical homogeneity. Although there have been extensive efforts to reveal molecular...
Authors
Arash Abarghani, Mehdi Ostadhassan, Paul C. Hackley, Andrew E. Pomerantz, Siamak Nejati
Coal biomethanation potential of various ranks from Pakistan: A possible alternative energy source Coal biomethanation potential of various ranks from Pakistan: A possible alternative energy source
The present study investigated the possibility of microbial transformations of coal to gas (biogasification) as an alternative to conventional coal mining because this approach has the potential to be less expensive, cleaner, and providinge greater access to deeper coal resources. Biogasification is often associated with low rank coal such as lignite and subbituminous coal that hasve...
Authors
Aneela Y. Malik, Muhammad Ishtiaq Ali, Asif Jamal, Uzma Farooq, Nazia Khatoon, William H. Orem, Elliott P. Barnhart, John R. SanFilipo, Huan He, Zaixing Huang
Sulfur isotope composition of individual compounds in immature organic-rich rocks and possible geochemical implications Sulfur isotope composition of individual compounds in immature organic-rich rocks and possible geochemical implications
We applied compound-specific sulfur isotope analysis (CSSIA) to organic matter (OM) extracted from ancient and immature organic-rich rocks from the Cretaceous Ghareb (Shefela Basin locality, Israel) and Miocene Monterey (Naples Beach locality, California, USA) Formations. Large variations in the δ34S values of different organosulfur compounds (OSCs), that reach up to 28‰ and 36‰, were...
Authors
Lubna Shawar, Ward Said-Ahmad, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Alon Amrani
Evidence of cosmic impact at Abu Hureyra, Syria at the Younger Dryas Onset (~12.8 ka): High-temperature melting at >2200 °C Evidence of cosmic impact at Abu Hureyra, Syria at the Younger Dryas Onset (~12.8 ka): High-temperature melting at >2200 °C
At Abu Hureyra (AH), Syria, the 12,800-year-old Younger Dryas boundary layer (YDB) contains peak abundances in meltglass, nanodiamonds, microspherules, and charcoal. AH meltglass comprises 1.6 wt.% of bulk sediment, and crossed polarizers indicate that the meltglass is isotropic. High YDB concentrations of iridium, platinum, nickel, and cobalt suggest mixing of melted local sediment with...
Authors
Andrew M.T. Moore, James P. Kennett, Douglas J. Kennett, William M. Napier, Ted E. Bunch, James C. Weaver, Malcolm A. LeCompte, Victor Adedji, Paul C. Hackley, Jacob B. Lowenstern, Gunther K. Kletetschka, Brendan J. Culleton, Robert E. Hermes, James H. Wittke, Joshua J. Razink, Michael Gaultois, Allen West
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019 Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Eagle Ford Group in south Texas, the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the required water and proppant demands and formation water production volumes associated with possible future development of these petroleum resources. The results of the water and proppant assessment are...
Authors
Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Katherine J. Whidden, Justin E. Birdwell, Lauri A. Burke, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Katherine L. French, Karen E. Jenni, Scott A. Kinney, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. Schenk, Brian N. Shaffer, Chilisa M. Shorten, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Cheryl A. Woodall
Element cycling in the Middle-Late Triassic Shublik Formation: Mineralization vs. recycling of biolimiting nutrients in an unconventional resource play Element cycling in the Middle-Late Triassic Shublik Formation: Mineralization vs. recycling of biolimiting nutrients in an unconventional resource play
The Triassic Shublik Formation in northern Alaska is one of the major source rocks in North America, having generated much of the petroleum in Prudhoe Bay and associated fields. The middle Shublik Formation, the focus of this study, is a highly phosphatic, organic-rich carbonate mudstone interval. Apatite cements can occur as phosphatic peloids, steinkerns, elongate or angular nodules...
Authors
Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, James Macquaker, Justin E. Birdwell, Adam Boehlke, Katherine L. French
Implications of aggregating daily production data on estimates of ultimate recovery from horizontal hydraulically fractured Bakken oil wells Implications of aggregating daily production data on estimates of ultimate recovery from horizontal hydraulically fractured Bakken oil wells
The level to which data are aggregated can impact analytical and predictive modeling results. In this short paper we discuss some of our findings regarding the impacts of data aggregation on estimating change points in the production profiles of horizontal hydraulically fractured Bakken oil wells. Change points occur when production transitions from one flow regime to another. Change...
Authors
T. C. Coburn, Emil D. Attanasi
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019 Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 118 million barrels of continuous oil and 170 billion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Jurassic Posidonia Shale Total Petroleum System of western Greece and southern Albania.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Thomas M. Finn, Cheryl A. Woodall, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Phuong A. Le, Ronald M. Drake
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019 Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5.6 billion barrels of oil and 109.1 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Jurassic Hanifa-Tuwaiq Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Thomas M. Finn, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Phuong A. Le, Ronald M. Drake, Scott A. Kinney
Berea Sandstone petroleum system Berea Sandstone petroleum system
Since 2011, production of sweet high gravity oil from the Upper Devonian Berea Sandstone in northeastern Kentucky has caused the region to become the leading oil producer in the state. Remarkably, Berea oil is being produced at depths of 2,200 ft or less and in an area in which the prospective source rocks—the overlying Mississippian Sunbury Shale and underlying Devonian Shale—are...
Authors
T. Marty Parris, Stephen F. Greb, Cortland F. Eble, Paul C. Hackley, David C. Harris
A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of the potential volume of hydrocarbons recoverable by injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into known oil reservoirs with historical production. The implementation of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques could increase the U.S. recoverable...
Authors
Peter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Ricardo A. Olea, Madalyn S. Blondes, Philip A. Freeman, Sean T. Brennan, Matthew D. Merrill, Mahendra K. Verma, C. Özgen Karacan, Jenna L. Shelton, Celeste D. Lohr, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, Jacqueline N. Roueche
Assessment of coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming Assessment of coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming
The assessment of the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert area covers approximately 2,300 square miles in the eastern portion of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central Wyoming. Coal-bearing formations are present throughout the Eocene, Paleocene, and Cretaceous strata in the assessment area. Paleogene-age coal beds are present in the Eocene Wasatch Formation and...
Authors
Brian N. Shaffer, Paul E. Pierce, Scott A. Kinney, Ricardo A. Olea, James A. Luppens