The Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research (GEAR) project assesses and characterizes undiscovered, technically recoverable domestic petroleum resources. It focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin. The primary goal of this project is to meet the needs of Congress and other stakeholders for timely and robust assessments of petroleum resources in the Gulf Coast region. The Gulf Coast GEAR project also conducts associated research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources.
The Gulf Coast GEAR project is part of the USGS Energy Resources Program with staff in Reston, Virginia at the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center and the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center; Denver, Colorado at the Central Energy Resources Science Center; and Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Science Center.
Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Research
Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments
USGS Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research Project-Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation Continuous Resources: Assessment Unit Boundaries, Assessment Input Data, and Fact Sheet Data Tables
United States Gulf Coast Basin Curated Wells and Logs Database (ver. 2.0, November 2023)
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-U.S. Gulf Coast, Deep Tuscaloosa Conventional Gas: Assessment Unit Boundary, Assessment Input Data, and Fact Sheet Data Tables
Wireline geophysical logging curves and infrared spectral data for the USGS Gulf Coast #1 West Woodway research wellbore, McLennan County, Texas
Apatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track geochronologic and thermochronologic data along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States
U-Pb ages of detrital zircons in Paleogene strata of the Gulf Coast
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Gulf Coast Mesozoic Province, Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk Group and Tokio and Eutaw Formations Assessment Units and Input Data Forms
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
Data Release for "Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measured by GC-QQQ-MS"
Input forms for 2019 water and proppant assessment of the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas
Oil-source rock correlation studies in the unconventional Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale petroleum system, Mississippi and Louisiana, USA (2019)
USGS Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems and National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Projects-Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basins and Western Gulf Provinces, Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast, 2022
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean continuous resources of 0.8 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Geologic assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain
Assessment of undiscovered conventional gas resources in the Deep Tuscaloosa Group Sandstones of the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2021
Tuscaloosa Marine Shale, Gulf Coast Basin, Louisiana and Mississippi
Multimineral petrophysics of thermally immature Eagle Ford Group and Cretaceous mudstones, U.S. Geological Survey Gulf Coast 1 research wellbore in central Texas
Quantitative modeling of secondary migration: Understanding the origin of natural gas charge of the Haynesville Formation in the Sabine Uplift area of Louisiana and Texas
Geochemical and mineralogical properties of Boquillas Shale geochemical reference material ShBOQ-1
Multivariate classification of the crude oil petroleum systems in southeast Texas, USA, using conventional and compositional data analysis of biomarkers
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2019
Steps taken for calculating estimated ultimate recoveries of wells in the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018
Characterization of the unconventional Tuscaloosa marine shale reservoir in southwestern Mississippi, USA: Insights from optical and SEM petrography
Trends in thermal maturity indicators for the organic sulfur-rich Eagle Ford Shale
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD)
The database is designed to be a convenient resource for any member of the public to easily access source rock data from across the Gulf Coast region, circumventing the need for extensive, time-consuming literature searches.
Below is a project staff list containing the current staff members of the Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research project:
Justin Birdwell
Research Engineer and Geochemist
Lauri Burke, Ph.D.
Research Geophysicist
Marc L. Buursink, Ph.D.
Research Geologist
John W. Counts, Ph.D.
Research Geologist
William H. Craddock, Ph.D.
Research Geologist
Colin Doolan
Research Geologist
Jason Flaum, PhD
Research Sedimentologist
Nicholas Gianoutsos
Physical Scientist
Javin J. Hatcherian
Physical Science Technician
Cevat O. Karacan, Ph.D.
Research Petroleum Engineer
Scott Kinney
Physical Scientist
Celeste D. Lohr
Physical Scientist
Kate Whidden
Research Geologist
- Overview
The Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research (GEAR) project assesses and characterizes undiscovered, technically recoverable domestic petroleum resources. It focuses on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast basin. The primary goal of this project is to meet the needs of Congress and other stakeholders for timely and robust assessments of petroleum resources in the Gulf Coast region. The Gulf Coast GEAR project also conducts associated research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence, and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources.
The Gulf Coast GEAR project is part of the USGS Energy Resources Program with staff in Reston, Virginia at the Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center and the Florence Bascom Geoscience Center; Denver, Colorado at the Central Energy Resources Science Center; and Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska Science Center.
- Science
Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Research
The Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research (GEAR) project also conducts research on the properties and processes relevant to the Gulf Coast Jurassic-Cretaceous-Tertiary composite total petroleum system (TPS). This research aims to improve ongoing and future undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources assessments on the onshore and State waters portion of the Gulf Coast...Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments
One of the main goals of the Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research (GEAR) project is to conduct assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources of the U.S. Gulf Coast region. This goal is in accordance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) and is performed in collaboration with the USGS National Oil and Gas Assessment project. These high-quality... - Data
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USGS Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research Project-Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation Continuous Resources: Assessment Unit Boundaries, Assessment Input Data, and Fact Sheet Data Tables
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Smackover formation in the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined within the context of the higheUnited States Gulf Coast Basin Curated Wells and Logs Database (ver. 2.0, November 2023)
The United States Gulf Coast Basin Curated Wells and Logs Database (CWLDB) is an online repository with stratigraphic information for petroleum wells in the United States portion of the onshore Gulf of Mexico Basin that provides several of the following attributes: a) deep penetrations (generally, total depth of 10,000 feet or more), b) high quality and diverse geophysical well log suites, c) lithUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-U.S. Gulf Coast, Deep Tuscaloosa Conventional Gas: Assessment Unit Boundary, Assessment Input Data, and Fact Sheet Data Tables
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered Deep Tuscaloosa Group sandstones conventional gas resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined wiWireline geophysical logging curves and infrared spectral data for the USGS Gulf Coast #1 West Woodway research wellbore, McLennan County, Texas
As part of a broader research program to examine domestic source rock reservoirs, the Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems project of the USGS Energy Resources Program drilled a research borehole into Late Cretaceous mudstones in McLennan County, Texas, including the Cenomanian-Turonian Eagle Ford Group. A comprehensive wireline geophysical logging suite and over 600 ft of continuous core were obtained tApatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track geochronologic and thermochronologic data along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States
This data release contains apatite and zircon U/Pb and fission track data for six samples collected along the Fall Line of the southeastern United States, from Virginia to the Georgia-South Carolina border. The data resolve phases of rapid exhumational cooling in the Permo-Triassic, additional cooling in the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous and slower cooling since the middle of the Cretaceous. The dataU-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 exclusiUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Gulf Coast Mesozoic Province, Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk Group and Tokio and Eutaw Formations Assessment Units and Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk Group and Tokio and Eutaw Formations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Arkansas. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resourcesUSGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (ver. 2.0, October 2023)
The USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD) is an online repository for all publicly available source rock data (outcrop and subsurface) from the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. "Source rock data" are defined in this context as data that include any of the following measured or calculated parameters: -total organic carbon (TOC), -various pyrolData 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 (French et al., 2020). French, K.L., Leider, A., and Hallmann, C., 2020, Comparability and reproducibility of biomarker ratio values measuredInput 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 proviOil-source rock correlation studies in the unconventional Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale petroleum system, Mississippi and Louisiana, USA (2019)
The U.S. Geological Survey assessed undiscovered unconventional hydrocarbon resources reservoired in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale (TMS) of southern Mississippi and adjacent Louisiana in 2018. As part of the assessment, oil- source rock correlations were examined in the study area where operators produce light (38-45 degrees API), sweet oil from horizontal, hydraulically-fractured wUSGS Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems and National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Projects-Louisiana-Mississippi Salt Basins and Western Gulf Provinces, Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa Marine Shale Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered gas hydrate resources on the north slope of Alaska. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined within the context of the higher-level Total Petroleum System. - Publications
Filter Total Items: 109
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast, 2022
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean continuous resources of 0.8 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Upper Jurassic Smackover Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast region.
AuthorsKatherine J. Whidden, Justin E. Birdwell, Rand D. Gardner, Scott A. Kinney, Stanley T. Paxton, Janet K. Pitman, Christopher J. SchenkGeologic assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment in 2007 of the undiscovered, technically recoverable, continuous gas potential of Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the onshore areas and State waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain. The assessment was based on geologic elements including hydrocarbon source rocks, availability of suitable reservoir rocks, and hydrocarbon accumuAuthorsPeter D. WarwickAssessment of undiscovered conventional gas resources in the Deep Tuscaloosa Group Sandstones of the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2021
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 14,785 billion cubic feet of gas resources in the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region.AuthorsMatthew D. Merrill, Catherine B. EnomotoTuscaloosa Marine Shale, Gulf Coast Basin, Louisiana and Mississippi
No abstract available.AuthorsCeleste D. LohrMultimineral petrophysics of thermally immature Eagle Ford Group and Cretaceous mudstones, U.S. Geological Survey Gulf Coast 1 research wellbore in central Texas
Traditional petrophysical methods to evaluate organic richness and mineralogy using gamma-ray and resistivity log responses are not diagnostic in source rocks. We have developed a deterministic, nonproprietary method to quantify formation variability in total organic carbon (TOC) and three key mudrock mineralogical components of nonhydrocarbon-bearing source rock strata of the Eagle Ford Group byAuthorsLauri A. Burke, Justin E. Birdwell, Stanley T. PaxtonQuantitative modeling of secondary migration: Understanding the origin of natural gas charge of the Haynesville Formation in the Sabine Uplift area of Louisiana and Texas
The Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) mudstones of the Haynesville Formation in the Sabine Uplift, Louisiana and Texas, are widely considered to be a self-sourced natural gas reservoir; however, additional sources of gas may have charged the mudstones in the Louisiana portion of the uplift. Secondary migration of hydrocarbons into the Sabine Uplift from downdip, gas-generating Jurassic source rocks inAuthorsLauri A. BurkeGeochemical and mineralogical properties of Boquillas Shale geochemical reference material ShBOQ-1
The ShBOQ-1 geochemical reference material is relevant to studies of the organic geochemistry and mineralogy of petroleum source rocks containing high concentrations of carbonate minerals and organic sulfur-rich, oil-prone marine organic matter. ShBOQ-1 is geochemically and mineralogically similar to the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Shale.AuthorsJustin E. Birdwell, Stephen A. WilsonMultivariate classification of the crude oil petroleum systems in southeast Texas, USA, using conventional and compositional data analysis of biomarkers
Chemically, petroleum is an extraordinarily complex mixture of different types of hydrocarbons that are now possible to isolate and identify because of advances in geochemistry. Here, we use biomarkers and carbon isotopes to establish genetic differences and similarities among oil samples. Conventional approaches for evaluating biomarker and carbon isotope relative abundances include statistical tAuthorsRicardo A. Olea, J. A Martin-Fernandez, William H. CraddockAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 6.9 billion barrels of oil and 41.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in conventional and continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk and Tokio and Eutaw Formations onshore and in State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.AuthorsJanet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Scott A. Kinney, Katherine J. Whidden, Seth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Christopher J. Schenk, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Ofori N. Pearson, Lauri A. Burke, Phuong A. Le, Justin E. Birdwell, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Katherine L. French, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Geoffrey S. Ellis, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Chilisa M. ShortenSteps taken for calculating estimated ultimate recoveries of wells in the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018
In 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey published an assessment of technically recoverable continuous oil and gas resources of the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata in the U.S. Gulf Coast of Texas. Estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) were calculated with production data from IHS MarkitTM using DeclinePlus software in the Harmony interface. These EURs were a major component ofAuthorsHeidi M. Leathers-MillerCharacterization 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 proportion of Type II sedimentary organic matter than the ovAuthorsCeleste D. Lohr, Brett J. Valentine, Paul C. Hackley, Frank T. DulongTrends in thermal maturity indicators for the organic sulfur-rich Eagle Ford Shale
Thermal maturity is critical to evaluate petroleum systems and to interpret biomarker results for paleoenvironmental and geobiology studies. Many thermal maturity indices were developed for marine source rocks containing type II kerogen, but their behavior in organic sulfur-rich source rocks requires more investigation. Here, we present geochemical analyses of whole and extracted rock, isolated keAuthorsKatherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Michael Lewan - Web Tools
USGS Gulf Coast Source Rock Database (GCSRD)
The database is designed to be a convenient resource for any member of the public to easily access source rock data from across the Gulf Coast region, circumventing the need for extensive, time-consuming literature searches.
- Connect
Below is a project staff list containing the current staff members of the Gulf Coast Geologic Energy Assessments and Research project:
Justin Birdwell
Research Engineer and GeochemistEmailPhoneLauri Burke, Ph.D.
Research GeophysicistEmailPhoneMarc L. Buursink, Ph.D.
Research GeologistEmailPhoneJohn W. Counts, Ph.D.
Research GeologistEmailPhoneWilliam H. Craddock, Ph.D.
Research GeologistEmailPhoneColin Doolan
Research GeologistEmailPhoneJason Flaum, PhD
Research SedimentologistEmailPhoneNicholas Gianoutsos
Physical ScientistEmailPhoneJavin J. Hatcherian
Physical Science TechnicianEmailPhoneCevat O. Karacan, Ph.D.
Research Petroleum EngineerEmailPhoneScott Kinney
Physical ScientistEmailPhoneCeleste D. Lohr
Physical ScientistEmailPhoneKate Whidden
Research GeologistEmailPhone