Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center

Comprehensive, Interdisciplinary Research and Surveys

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Scientists within the GEMSC represent a breadth of programs focused on the USGS mission; Energy Resources Program, Mineral Resources Program, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, and Environmental Health Programs. GEMSC conducts comprehensive, interdisciplinary research and surveys of the origin, occurrence, distribution, quantity, and composition of oil, gas, coal, minerals, and more.

What We Provide

GEMSC conducts comprehensive, interdisciplinary research and surveys of the origin, occurrence, distribution, quantity, and composition of oil, gas, coal, minerals, and associated deposits. We provide up-to-date, publicly available, scientific data.

Explore Our Science

What We Address

GEMSC was established in 2020 through the merger of the Eastern Energy Resources and the Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Centers. Our work is broadly applicable to current and emerging geology, energy, and minerals issues.

About The Center

Science Priorities

News

August 28, 2025

USGS Unveils New National Geologic Map

July 23, 2025

Department of the Interior launches effort to recover critical minerals from mine waste

May 12, 2025

USGS offers funding to states to find critical minerals in mine waste

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Publications

December 1, 2025

Estimation of dynamic geologic CO2 storage resources in the Illinois Basin, including effects of brine extraction, anisotropy, and hydrogeologic heterogeneity Estimation of dynamic geologic CO2 storage resources in the Illinois Basin, including effects of brine extraction, anisotropy, and hydrogeologic heterogeneity

Since the vast majority of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage resources in the United States are in deep saline aquifers, optimizing the use of these saline storage resources could be crucial for efficient development of geologic CO2 storage (GCS) resources and basin- or larger-scale deployment of GCS in the country. Maximum CO2 injection rates can be enhanced by extracting brine from the CO2...

Authors

Michelle Plampin, Steven Anderson, Stefan Finsterle, Ashton Wiens

Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

November 15, 2025

Performance analysis of oil recovery and CO2 retention in a greenfield residual oil zone: CO2-EOR in Tall Cotton Field (Permian Basin, West Texas, USA) Performance analysis of oil recovery and CO2 retention in a greenfield residual oil zone: CO2-EOR in Tall Cotton Field (Permian Basin, West Texas, USA)

Residual oil zones (ROZs) can offer significant oil resources via enhanced oil recovery (EOR) as well as subsurface carbon dioxide (CO2) retention during injection. If injected CO2 is anthropogenic, the ROZs can offer a substantial geologic storage potential. The ROZs below the oil/water contact (OWC) of main pay zones (MPZ) in conventional reservoirs or brownfields, are more commonly...

Authors

C. Karacan

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

October 21, 2025

Sedimentological and geochemical characterization of lacustrine deposits of the Babouri-Figuil basin, northern Cameroon: Implications for source rocks distribution and petroleum exploration Sedimentological and geochemical characterization of lacustrine deposits of the Babouri-Figuil basin, northern Cameroon: Implications for source rocks distribution and petroleum exploration

The West and Central African Rift System (WCARS) refers to the series of Cretaceous rift basins where commercial hydrocarbon accumulations have been discovered. Some of the WCARS frontier basins are currently being investigated to increase our understanding of these basins in light of new commercial discoveries. The present study was performed in the Babouri-Figuil Basin (BFB), which is...

Authors

William Manga, Paul Hackley, Moïse Bessong, Javin Hatcherian, Ethel Ashukem, Alifa Guedala, Arsène Meying, Elias Samankassou

Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

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