Christopher J Schenk
Science and Products
World Oil and Gas Resource Assessments
The USGS World Energy Project conducts geologic studies that provide an understanding of the quantity, quality, and geologic distribution of world oil and gas resources. Our geologic studies are conducted in an impartial manner and are performed in collaboration and partnership with energy experts within and outside government. Through synthesis and improved understanding of global oil and gas...
United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World (click here for information about World Oil and Gas Assessments). This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part...
Eastern Basins Oil and Gas Assessments
The USGS has conducted several assessments of undiscovered oil and gas in formations in the Blue Ridge Thrust Belt (5068), Piedmont Province (5069), Atlantic Coastal Plain Province (5070), and the New England Province (5072). These basins are generally east of the Appalachian Basin...
Cincinnati Arch Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Cincinnati Arch Province (5066) :
- 1995 Assessment (DDS-30).
Arkoma Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Arkoma Basin Province 5062:
- 2010 Continuous and Conventional Assessment (Fact Sheet 2010-3043).
- 1995 Assessment (DDS-30). ...
Southern Oklahoma Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources of the Southern Oklahoma Province (5061):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS-30).
Sedgwick Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
Province Code: 5059
The Salina Basin Province (5059), covers an area of about 45,000 sq mi, consisting of the eastern half of Nebraska and the north-central portion of Kansas. The basin lies between the Cambridge Arch-Central Kansas Uplift Province (5053) on the west, the Nemaha Uplift Province (5055) to the east, the Sioux Arch Province (5032) to the north, and a...
Ozark Uplift Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Ozark Uplift Province (5057):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS 30)
Forest City Basin Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Forest City Basin Province (5056):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS 30)
Nemaha Uplift Province Oil and Gas Assessment
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Nemaha Uplift Province (5055):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS 30)
Cambridge Arch-Central Kansas Uplift Oil and Gas Assessment
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Cambridge Arch/Central Kansas Uplift Province (5053):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS 30)
Iowa Shelf Oil and Gas Assessments
The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Iowa Shelf Province (5052):
- 1995 Assessment (DDS 30)
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Michigan Basin Province, Collingwood Shale and Utica Shale Formations Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Ordovician Collingwood Shale and Utica Shale formations in the Michigan Basin province. 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...
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eastern Great Basin Province, Delle Phosphatic Member 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 continuous oil and gas resources in the Delle Phosphatic Member of the Mississippian Woodman Formation, western Utah, eastern Nevada and southeastern Idaho. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resource...
Total organic carbon and pyrolysis analysis data for the U.S. Geological Survey Alcova AR-1-13 core hole, Natrona County, Wyoming
In 2013 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled a continuous core in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming to evaluate the source rock potential of the Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous marine shales . The well, named the Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13, located on the northeast flank of the Alcova anticline was spud in the lower part of the Frontier Form
LAS digital data files for the U.S.Geological Survey Alcova AR-1-13 core hole, Natrona County, Wyoming
In 2013 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) drilled and logged a continuous core located on the northeast flank of the Alcova anticline in the southeastern part of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming to evaluate the source rock potential of the Lower and lowermost Upper Cretaceous marine shales (fig. 1). The well, named the Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13, was spud in the lower pa
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Appalachian Basin Province, Point Pleasant Formation and Utica 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...
USGS National and GLobal Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Conventional Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of the Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries. 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 highe...
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of the Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries. 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 highe...
USGS Alaska Petroleum Systems Project: Northern Alaska Province, Nanushuk and Torok Formations Assessment Units and Assessment Input Forms
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. The Assessment Unit is shown herein as a geographic boundary interpreted, defined, and mapped by the geologist responsible for the province and incorporates...
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Southeast Asia, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 10.5 billion barrels of oil and 271.5 trillion cubic feet of gas within 33 geologic provinces of Southeast Asia.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Drake, Ronald M.
Assessment of undiscovered gas resources of the Sacramento Basin Province in California, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 512 billion cubic feet of gas in the Upper Jurassic–Neogene Total Petroleum System of the Sacramento Basin Province in California.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Le, Phuong A.
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Eagle Ford Group, Gulf Coast, Texas, 2019
Building on a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources in the Eagle Ford Group in south Texas, the U.S. Geological Survey has estimated the required water and proppant demands and formation water production volumes associated with possible future development of these petroleum resources. The results of...
Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Burke, Lauri A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Finn, Thomas M.; French, Katherine L.; Jenni, Karen E.; Kinney, Scott A.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Shaffer, Brian N.; Shorten, Chilisa M.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Ordovician Collingwood Formation and Utica Shale of the Michigan Basin Province, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 290 milllion barrels of shale oil and 7.9 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Ordovician Collingwood-Utica Shale Total Petroleum System of the Michigan Basin Province.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Ellis, Geoffrey S.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Lower Silurian Shales of the Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 4.6 billion barrels of oil and 561 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Lower Silurian Shale Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Kinney, Scott A.
Assessment of tight-gas resources in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 30.5 trillion cubic feet of tight gas in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria.
Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Drake, Ronald M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in Mississippian through Paleogene strata in the central North Slope...
Houseknecht, David W.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Connors, Christopher D.; Lease, Richard O.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Rouse, William A.; Botterell, Palma J.; Smith, Rebecca A.; Sanders, Margaret M.; Craddock, William H.; DeVera, Christina A.; Garrity, Christopher P.; Buursink, Marc L.; Karacan, Cevat O.; Heller, Samuel J.; Moore, Thomas E.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; French, Katherine L.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Finn, Thomas M.; Kinney, Scott A.; Shorten, Chilisa M.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 118 million barrels of continuous oil and 170 billion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Jurassic Posidonia Shale Total Petroleum System of western Greece and southern Albania.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5.6 billion barrels of oil and 109.1 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Jurassic Hanifa-Tuwaiq Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Kinney, Scott A.
Lithologic descriptions, geophysical logs, and source-rock geochemistry of the U.S. Geological Survey Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13 Core Hole, Natrona County, Wyoming
In 2013, a continuous 624-foot core hole was drilled and logged by the U.S. Geological Survey in Natrona County, Wyoming, with the goal to better understand Cretaceous source rocks in the Wind River Basin. The core hole, named the Alcova Reservoir AR–1–13, penetrated the interval extending from the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly...
Kirschbaum, Mark A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Hawkins, Sarah J.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Mississippian Delle Phosphatic Member of the Woodman Formation in the Eastern Great Basin Province of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 144 million barrels of shale oil and 559 billion cubic feet of shale gas in the Mississippian Delle Phosphatic Member of the Woodman Formation in the Eastern Great Basin Province of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Finn, Thomas M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.
Assessment of continuous gas resources in the Permian Phosphoria Formation of the Southwestern Wyoming Province, Wyoming, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 1.4 trillion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Phosphoria Formation of the Southwestern Wyoming Province, Wyoming.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Finn, Thomas M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Pitman, Janet K.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Drake, Ronald M.
USGS Estimates 214 trillion Cubic Feet of Natural Gas in Appalachian Basin Formations
The Marcellus Shale and Point Pleasant-Utica Shale formations of the Appalachian Basin contain an estimated mean of 214 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous resources of natural gas, according to new USGS assessments.
USGS Estimates 66 Trillion Cubic Feet of Natural Gas in Colorado’s Mancos Shale Formation
This is the second-largest assessment of potential shale & tight gas resources that the USGS has ever conducted.
USGS Estimates 21 Million Barrels of Oil and 27 Billion Cubic Feet of Gas in the Monterey Formation of the San Joaquin Basin, California
The Monterey Formation in the deepest parts of California’s San Joaquin Basin contains an estimated mean volumes of 21 million barrels of oil, 27 billion cubic feet of gas, and 1 million barrels of natural gas liquids, according to the first USGS assessment of continuous (unconventional), technically recoverable resources in the Monterey Formation.