Traditional, Renewable, and Emerging
We provide the Nation with publicly available assessments of diverse geologic energy resources.
We provide the Nation with publicly available assessments of diverse geologic energy resources.
Energy Waste Science
We supply science about the wastes produced during energy production and ways of repurposing them.
We supply science about the wastes produced during energy production and ways of repurposing them.
The Energy-Water Nexus
We inform decisions at the intersection of water and energy resource development.
We inform decisions at the intersection of water and energy resource development.
Energy Security and Sustainability
We deliver science needed to plan a secure and sustainable energy economy.
We deliver science needed to plan a secure and sustainable energy economy.
Energy Resources Program
From transportation to electricity, energy resources are critical to keep the Nation running. We provide actionable science and tools to support decision-making related to all aspects of the energy resource lifecycle.
Our work includes assessing domestic and international oil, gas, geothermal and other geologic energy resources.
Our Data
Our Data
Explore our data about a broad array of energy resources and the environmental and societal impacts of their full life cycle.
Our Science
Our Science
Click each topic below to explore our research and impact.
News
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Bossier Formation of Gulf Coast
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Bossier Formation of Gulf Coast
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Woodford and Barnett shales
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Woodford and Barnett shales
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered gas resources in SW Wyoming’s Mesaverde Group and Lance Formation
USGS releases assessment of undiscovered gas resources in SW Wyoming’s Mesaverde Group and Lance Formation
Publications
Geothermal district energy systems coupled with seasonal underground thermal energy storage: A U.S. techno-economic screening by climate and geology Geothermal district energy systems coupled with seasonal underground thermal energy storage: A U.S. techno-economic screening by climate and geology
In the United States, cooling-dominated commercial building loads can cause geothermal heat pump-based district energy systems to accumulate a long-term subsurface thermal imbalance, motivating the incorporation of seasonal underground thermal energy storage. We developed a transferable workflow to evaluate geothermal district systems that pair ground heat exchangers with seasonal...
Neutron scattering reveals fractionation of natural gas mixtures in unconventional petroleum reservoir pores: Perspectives on energy resource recovery and storage Neutron scattering reveals fractionation of natural gas mixtures in unconventional petroleum reservoir pores: Perspectives on energy resource recovery and storage
In unconventional petroleum reservoirs hydrocarbon fluids are hosted by both mineral and organic matter pores. These pores can have diameters that range from microns to less than a single nanometer and, for unconventional reservoirs, there is evidence that small pores (
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa, 2026 Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa, 2026
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 419 million barrels of oil and 5.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Berkine, Illizi, Hamra, Murzuq, and Erdis Kufra Basins of northern Africa.
Science
Geologic Mapping and Foundational Science
We deliver detailed mapping and foundational science about our Nation and world’s geology and geologic resources.
SBSC: Providing Unbiased Actionable Science & Information to Support Natural Resource Management Needs of the U.S. & Department of the Interior Priorities
The U.S. Geological Survey Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) is uniquely positioned in the Colorado River Basin to provide sound information, specialized expertise, and innovative tools to support the management and sustained use of natural resources on public and Tribal lands in the Southwest U.S.
WebDART: A Cutting-edge Web Tool that Evaluates Land Condition
WebDART is an online ecological assessment tool available to a wide audience that incorporates Landsat satellite remote sensing imagery, topography, geology, soil conditions, and rangeland geospatial and vegetation mapping to compare altered terrain with an unspoiled area that has similar characteristics in the same region. The tool gives resource managers, landowners, companies, and other...