Publications
Browse recent USGS publications related to energy resources.
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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 (
Authors
Aaron M. Jubb, Justin E. Birdwell, Leslie F. Ruppert, Martha Stokes, Ashton M. Wiens, Thomas Headen, Tristan G. A. Youngs
Mars sample return campaign: Biological risk and a proposed sample safety assessment protocol Mars sample return campaign: Biological risk and a proposed sample safety assessment protocol
Returning surface samples from Mars to Earth has been a major planetary science objective, with the potential for the detection of microbiological life and the possibility of improving our understanding of the origins of life. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency assembled a team to assess the level of risk that returned samples could contain...
Authors
G. McDonnell, L.E. Mayhew, A. Steele, S. Siljeström, B. M. Ahern, N. Baird, R.E. Davis, Katherine L. French, M. Glamoclija, H. Graham, K. B. Hummel, W. Page, N. Pearce, A. Regberg, D. Relman, M. A. Sephton, B. Sherwood Lollar, J. Vanhomwegen, M.B. Wilhelm, B. Shirey, D.W. Beaty
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.
Authors
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Thomas M. Finn, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Michael E. Brownfield, Phuong A. Le, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Marilyn E. Tennyson
Uncertainty quantification of geologic energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs using material balance equations embedded in a hierarchical errors-in-variables model Uncertainty quantification of geologic energy storage in depleted gas reservoirs using material balance equations embedded in a hierarchical errors-in-variables model
The storage potential for gas in geologic settings, such as depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and solution-mined salt caverns, is becoming salient to future energy infrastructure planning. Technologies such as carbon capture, utilization, and storage, carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery, and natural gas and hydrogen storage help meet growing energy demands, reduce carbon emissions to meet...
Authors
Ashton M. Wiens, Matthew M. Jones, Philip A. Freeman, Marc L. Buursink
Remote sensing enables basin-scale inventories of coal mine methane Remote sensing enables basin-scale inventories of coal mine methane
Underground coal mines are important global sources of methane, but emission estimates are uncertain. We show that emission estimates for individual mines from aircraft remote-sensing surveys in the United States agree within 40% with direct measurements used for national emission reporting (IPCC Tier 3 estimate). Such direct measurements are unavailable in most countries, which rely on...
Authors
Elise Penn, Daniel J. Jacob, Daniel M. Bon, Kate Howell, Kelly O’Neill, Tia Scarpelli, Zichong Chen, Robert A. Field, C. Özgen Karacan, Elfie Roy, Daniel Cusworth
Syn-magmatic subsidence during the early stages of continental rifting in the Mesoproterozoic—A reanalysis of legacy data for the Midcontinent Rift, western Lake Superior Syn-magmatic subsidence during the early stages of continental rifting in the Mesoproterozoic—A reanalysis of legacy data for the Midcontinent Rift, western Lake Superior
The Midcontinent Rift system (ca. 1.1 Ga) is a 2000-km-long series of elongated volcanic and sedimentary troughs and associated intrusive centers exposed chiefly in the Lake Superior region of North America. The rift system represents a long history of intense magmatism and subsequent sedimentation that was arrested by far-field tectonic events before sea-floor spreading was established...
Authors
V. J. Grauch, Laurel G. Woodruff, Samuel J. Heller, Esther K. Stewart
Meso-scale pressure reactor demonstrates biostimulation of coal-dependent methanogenesis Meso-scale pressure reactor demonstrates biostimulation of coal-dependent methanogenesis
Replicating deep subsurface conditions remains a major challenge for advancing subterranean biotechnologies. Microbially enhanced coal bed methane production offers a promising approach to increase biogenic gas recovery from coal seams, yet experimental progress has been limited by the difficulty of simulating in situ conditions. A key question is whether nutrient amendments stimulate...
Authors
Margaux Meslé, Adrienne Phillips, Elliott P. Barnhart, Laura Dobeck, Joachim Eldring, Randy Hiebert, Rita Park, Alfred B. Cunningham, Robin Gerlach, Lee Spangler, Katherine Davis, Matthew W. Fields
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Bossier Formation within the onshore United States and State waters of the Gulf Coast Region, 2025 Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Bossier Formation within the onshore United States and State waters of the Gulf Coast Region, 2025
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3 million barrels of oil and 343.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in reservoirs of the Bossier Formation within the onshore United States and State waters of the Gulf Coast region.
Authors
Rand Gardner, Justin E. Birdwell, Jason A. Flaum, Scott A. Kinney, Janet K. Pitman, Stanley T. Paxton, Andrea D. Cicero, Jenny H. Lagesse, Jeffrey D. Pepin, John W. Counts, Benjamin G. Johnson, Celeste D. Lohr, Katherine J. Whidden, Katherine L. French, Tracey J. Mercier, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
Geochemical geodatabase of sedimentary strata (coal, coal-adjacent rocks, tuffaceous oil shale, phosphate-rich rocks) and produced water in the Uinta region, Utah and Colorado Geochemical geodatabase of sedimentary strata (coal, coal-adjacent rocks, tuffaceous oil shale, phosphate-rich rocks) and produced water in the Uinta region, Utah and Colorado
The Geochemical Geodatabase of Sedimentary Strata (Coal, Coal-adjacent Rocks, Tuffaceous Oil Shale, Phosphate-rich Rocks) and Produced Water in the Uinta Region, Utah and Colorado, consists of compiled datasets acquired as part of the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth, and Critical Mineral (CORE-CM) Uinta Region assessment funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DEFE0032046, 2021–2024; Birgenheier...
Authors
Ryan D. Gall, Lauren Birgenheier, Peyton Fausett, Haley Coe, Emma Morris, Diego P. Fernandez, L. Wilcock, Michael Vanden Berg, Andrew L. Masterson, Aaron M. Jubb, Justin E. Birdwell, Logan Ashurst-McGee, Nicholas Bailey, Andrew Giebel, Amanda Sha Herzberg, Jessica Chenault, Brittney Hoskins
Metallurgical coal—Deposits, production, resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks Metallurgical coal—Deposits, production, resources, market dynamics, and supply chain risks
Authors
Brian N. Shaffer, Elisa Alonso, Michelle N. Johnston, Scott A. Kinney
Assessment of undiscovered shale-gas resources in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin Province of Algeria, 2026 Assessment of undiscovered shale-gas resources in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin Province of Algeria, 2026
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 80.1 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Basin Province of Algeria.
Authors
Michael E. Brownfield, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Cheryl A. Woodall, Thomas M. Finn, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Janet K. Pitman, Ronald M. Drake, Stephanie B. Gaswirth
The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project Phase 2 data release: An open data resource for the study of Earth's environmental history The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project Phase 2 data release: An open data resource for the study of Earth's environmental history
Geochemical data from sedimentary rocks are the primary source of information regarding Earth's surface evolution through time, including its air and water envelopes and interactions with life and deep Earth processes. The Sedimentary Geochemistry and Paleoenvironments Project (SGP) is a scientific consortium centered around open data and community-driven development of...
Authors
Una Farrell, Hunter Olson, Maya Thompson, Michelle L. Abshire, Oyeleye Adeboye, Anne-Sofie Ahm, Lewis Alcott, Thomas Algeo, Ross Anderson, Arif Ansari, Lucas Bastos, Kohen Bauer, Brian Beaty, Justin E. Birdwell, Fred Bowyer, Jochen J. Brocks, Tessa Brunoir, James F. Busch, Donald Canfield, Fabrício Caxito, Chao-Chin Chang, Meng Cheng, Jean Clemente, David Cordie, Peter W. Crockford, Huan Cui, Celeste Cunningham, Tais Dahl, Janaina Rodrigues de Paula, Carol Dehler, Lucas Del Mouro, Keith Dewing, Dermeval Aparecido do Carmo, Stephen Dornbos, Nadja Drabon, Julie A. Dumoulin, Omabehere Ejeh, Emily Ellefson, Maya Elrick, Joseph Emmings, Bokanda Eric, Hao Fang, Gabriella Fazio, Henrique Fernandes, Katherine L. French, Robert R. Gaines, Richard Gaschnig, Timothy M. Gibson, Geoffrey J. Gilleaudeau, Karin Goldberg, Zheng Gong, Amy Hagen, Galen P. Halverson, Kalev G. Hantsoo, Emma R. Haxen, Miles A. Henderson, João-Pedro Hippertt, Malcolm S. W. Hodgskiss, Paul Hoffman, Edward Huang, Benjamin Johnson, Pavel B. Kabanov, Junyao Kang, C. Brenhin Keller, Brian Kendall, Julien Kimmig, Sara Kimmig, Michael A. Kipp, Andrew H. Knoll, Timmu Kreitsmann, Anurag Kulkarni, Alexandra Kunert, Marcus Kunzmann, Jiankang Lai, Richard O. Lease, Chao Li, Sen Li, Alex Lipp, Yang Liu, David Loydell, Xinze Lu, Katie Maloney, Kaarel Mänd, Alexie E. G. Millikin, N. Tanner Mills, Kento Motomura, Chiza N. Mwinde, Lyle Nelson, Nora M. Nieminski, Brennan O'Connell, Edel Mary O'Sullivan, Juliana Okubo, Jaden Olah, Frantz Ossa Ossa, Chadlin Ostrander, Kärt Paiste, Camille A. Partin, Egberto Pereira, Shanan Peters, Tiffany L. Playter, Susannah M. Porter, Simon W. Poulton, Sara B. Pruss, Zhen Qiu, Daven Quinn, Mariano Remirez, Sebastian Richiano, Sylvain Richoz, Kathryn Rico, Samantha R. Ritzer, Zachary Roney, Alan D. Rooney, William C. Rose, Elias Rugen, Swapan K. Sahoo, Shane D. Schoepfer, Judith A. Sclafani, Nathan D. Sheldon, Yanan Shen, Graham Shields, Pulkit Singh, Arvind Singh, Sarah P. Slotznick, Emily Smith, Haijun Song, Sam Spinks, Richard G. Stockey, Justin Strauss, Eva Stüeken, Zongyuan Sun, Dongjie Tang, Lidya Tarhan, Danielle Thomson, Nicholas Tosca, Rosalie Tostevin, Chenyi Tu, Maoli Vizcaíno, Yuxuan Wang, Changle Wang, Xiaomei Wang, Lucas Warren, Lucy Webb, Philip R. Wilby, Christina R. Woltz, Rachel Wood, Yuyang Wu, Xiuqing Yang, Inessa A. Yurchenko, Junpeng Zhang, Jessica Whiteside, Benjamin C. Gill, Akshay Mehra, Kimberly V. Lau, Noah J. Planavsky, David T. Johnston, Erik A Sperling