The Petroleum Geochemistry Research Laboratory (PGRL) provides analytical capabilities and technical expertise in support of research and assessment projects within the Energy Resource Program (ERP) with a commitment to the provision of quality petroleum organic geochemistry and mineralogy data. PGRL is active in the development and in the distribution of petroleum organic geochemistry rock and na
To access our Geochemistry Database which contains the analytical data for over 200,000 samples, please click here.
Please click on an analysis listed below to see a PDF of the analytical method for that analysis.
| 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 |
| 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
Be sure sample names are clearly identified on samples before beginning.
The login form is an excel spread sheet with macros that run the drop down list.
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.
Items with a drop down list must be selected from the list.
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.
