Please click on an analysis listed below to see a PDF of the analytical method for that analysis.
Analyses Performed| Requested Analysis | Most Common Sample Types
(note if different) | Container Type | Amount
of Sample | Comments |
|---|
| API Gravity | Oil | Glass | 10 mg | |
| Fractionation | Oil or Rock Extract | Glass | 100 mg | |
| FTIR | Rock or Oil | Glass | 1 mg | |
| GCFID_Arom | Aromatic Fraction | Glass | NA | |
| GCFID_Sat | Saturate Fraction | Glass | NA | |
| GCFID_WhOil | Oil or Rock Extract | Glass | 10 mg | |
| Isotope_C | Oil, Oil Fraction, Solids | Glass for oil or oil fractions,
various for solid samples | 10 mg for oil and oil
fractions, variables for
solids | |
| Isotope_C | Natural Gas | Isotube or stainless steel
cylinder | 50 psi | samples must have minimally
>2 mol% of compound(s) for analysis |
| Isotope_HD | Natural Gas | Isotube or stainless steel cylinder | 50 psi | samples must have >10 mol% C1 for analysis |
| MSD_BIOM_SAT | Saturate Fraction | Glass | 50 mg | |
| MSD_BIOM_ARO | Aromatic Fraction | Glass | 50 mg | |
| Outside Lab Analysis* | Variable | Variable | Variable | contact prior to submittal |
| Programmed Pyrolysis | Solid | Variable | 10 g | please grind to ~60 mesh, or request sample prep on the sample submittal form |
| Sample Prep** | Variable | Variable | Variable | variable |
| SEM*** | Solid | Variable | | contact prior to submittal |
| Total Carbon | Solid | Variable | 10 g | please grind to ~60 mesh, or request sample prep on the sample submittal form |
| Total Organic Carbon (TOC) | Solid | Variable | 10 g | please grind to ~60 mesh, or request sample prep on the sample submittal form |
| XRD | Solid | Variable | 5 g | please grind to ~60 mesh, or request sample prep on the sample submittal form |
*In-house method not available, samples sent to outside lab
**Includes various techniques (the following is an incomplete list: crushing and sawing)
***SEM Analysis requires Mineralogy lab manager approval prior to acceptance (aboehlke@usgs.gov)
Sample Submittal Procedure
Please clearly identify sample names on sample containers before submission
The login form is an excel spread sheet with macros that populate the drop-down list.
For submitting samples, fill out login form (available for download below) with required information: submitter information, analysis requested (Must be English language), Field Id, Sample Type, Lat/Long Qualifier, Lat/Long, and units. All other information, like depth, should be filled in where possible.
Sample Login Form Ver. 2.3
Items with a drop-down list must be selected.
Naming convention for file should be last name, underscore, and a unique identifer (Example: Smith_Anadarko1)
Send login form to energylabs@usgs.gov
Please send a packing list detailing the unique names for the samples in the box with the samples.
Send samples to:
U.S. Geological Survey
Attn: PGRL
One Denver Federal Center
Building 810, Entrance E-11, MS 977
Denver, CO 80225
or if you are located on the DFC you can bring the samples to Bldg. 20, A-wing.
Once samples arrive they will be matched up and checked against the login form for accuracy. If there are any discrepancies or questions you will be contacted before the samples are logged in.
Confirmation of login will be sent to submitter via email.
The submitter must verify all information is correct. If it is not, send email to energylabs@usgs.gov with a detailed description of what is wrong.
Please send all sample login and lab-related questions to energylabs@usgs.gov
