Emil D. Attanasi, Ph.D.
Emil Attanasi is a Supervisory Research Economist (Scientist Emeritus) with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Emil Attanasi has been an economist with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1972. His work focuses on the valuation of hydrologic data, development of resource assessment methods for undiscovered oil and gas, assessment of CO2-EOR potential, and the application of economics to oil, gas, and minerals resource assessments.
Professional Experience
United States Geological Survey since 1972
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. University of Missouri, 1972, Economics
M.S. George Mason University, 2003, Statistical Science
B.A. Evangel College, 1969, Mathematics
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Economic Association, 1972 – present
Science and Products
A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
Growth drivers of Bakken oil well productivity
Statistics of petroleum exploration in the world outside the United States and Canada through 2015
Carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and residual oil zone studies at the U.S. Geological Survey
Statistical detection of flow regime changes in horizontal hydraulically fractured Bakken oil wells
Overview of a comprehensive resource database for the assessment of recoverable hydrocarbons produced by carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery
Using CO2 Prophet to estimate recovery factors for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery
A database and probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention in the United States
Bitumen prices and structural changes in North American crude oil markets
Play-level distributions of estimates of recovery factors for a miscible carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery method used in oil reservoirs in the conterminous United States
A strategy for low cost development of incremental oil in legacy reservoirs
Profiles of reservoir properties of oil-bearing plays for selected petroleum provinces in the United States
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 150
A probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention
The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 authorized the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to conduct a national assessment of the potential volume of hydrocarbons recoverable by injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into known oil reservoirs with historical production. The implementation of CO2 enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques could increase the U.S. recoverable hydrocarbon resourceAuthorsPeter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Ricardo A. Olea, Madalyn S. Blondes, Philip A. Freeman, Sean T. Brennan, Matthew D. Merrill, Mahendra K. Verma, C. Özgen Karacan, Jenna L. Shelton, Celeste D. Lohr, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, Jacqueline N. RouechéGrowth drivers of Bakken oil well productivity
This paper identifies the drivers of the phenomenal growth in productivity in hydraulically fractured horizontal oil wells producing from the middle member of the Bakken Formation in North Dakota. The data show a strong underlying spatial component and somewhat weaker temporal component. Drivers of the spatial component are favorable reservoir conditions. The temporal component of well productivAuthorsEmil D. Attanasi, Philip A. FreemanStatistics of petroleum exploration in the world outside the United States and Canada through 2015
The world’s future oil and gas supplies depend on existing reserves and the additions to those reserves that may result, in part, from ongoing exploration and new discoveries. This Circular summarizes available oil and gas exploration data for the world outside the United States and Canada (the study area) through 2015. It updates U.S. Geological Survey Circulars 981, 1096, and 1288 (by D.H. Root,AuthorsEmil D. Attanasi, Philip A. FreemanCarbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and residual oil zone studies at the U.S. Geological Survey
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is preparing a national resource assessment of the potential hydrocarbons recoverable after injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into conventional oil reservoirs in the United States. The implementation of CO2-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) techniques can increase hydrocarbon production, and lead to incidental retention of CO2 in reservoir pore space allowing long-tAuthorsPeter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Madalyn S. Blondes, Sean T. Brennan, Marc L. Buursink, Colin A. Doolan, Philip A. Freeman, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, C. Özgen Karacan, Celeste D. Lohr, Matthew D. Merrill, Ricardo A. Olea, Jacqueline N. Roueché, Jenna L. Shelton, Ernie Slucher, Brian A. Varela, Mahendra K. VermaStatistical detection of flow regime changes in horizontal hydraulically fractured Bakken oil wells
The application of horizontal and hydraulically fractured wells for producing oil from low permeability formations has changed the face of the North American oil industry. One feature of the production profile of many such wells is a transition from transient linear oil flow to boundary-dominated flow. The identification of the time of this transition is important for the calibration of models thaAuthorsEmil D. Attanasi, T.C. Coburn, B. Ran-McDonaldOverview of a comprehensive resource database for the assessment of recoverable hydrocarbons produced by carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery
A database called the “Comprehensive Resource Database” (CRD) was prepared to support U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessments of technically recoverable hydrocarbons that might result from the injection of miscible or immiscible carbon dioxide (CO2) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The CRD was designed by INTEK Inc., a consulting company under contract to the USGS. The CRD contains data on the lAuthorsMarshall Carolus, Khosrow Biglarbigi, Peter D. Warwick, Emil D. Attanasi, Philip A. Freeman, Celeste D. LohrUsing CO2 Prophet to estimate recovery factors for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery
IntroductionThe Oil and Gas Journal’s enhanced oil recovery (EOR) survey for 2014 (Koottungal, 2014) showed that gas injection is the most frequently applied method of EOR in the United States and that carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is the most commonly used injection fluid for miscible operations. The CO2-EOR process typically follows primary and secondary (waterflood) phases of oil reservoir development.AuthorsEmil D. AttanasiA database and probabilistic assessment methodology for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention in the United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an assessment methodology for estimating the potential incremental technically recoverable oil resources resulting from carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) in reservoirs with appropriate depth, pressure, and oil composition. The methodology also includes a procedure for estimating the CO2 that remains in the reservoir after the CO2-EOR proAuthorsPeter D. Warwick, Mahendra K. Verma, Emil D. Attanasi, Ricardo A. Olea, Madalyn S. Blondes, Philip Freeman, Sean T. Brennan, Matthew D. Merrill, Hossein Jahediesfanjani, Jacqueline Roueche, Celeste D. LohrBitumen prices and structural changes in North American crude oil markets
In an earlier report, changes in bitumen prices at Hardesty, Alberta, Canada, were modeled as the responses to changes in monthly prices of Hardesty light/medium crude oil for the period 2000–2006 with a simple error correction econometric model. This note re-examines that price relationship for the period 2009–2014. Over the period 2006–2014, there was also rapid growth in North American light oiAuthorsEmil D. AttanasiPlay-level distributions of estimates of recovery factors for a miscible carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery method used in oil reservoirs in the conterminous United States
In a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study, recovery-factor estimates were calculated by using a publicly available reservoir simulator (CO2 Prophet) to estimate how much oil might be recovered with the application of a miscible carbon dioxide (CO2) enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method to technically screened oil reservoirs located in onshore and State offshore areas in the conterminous United States.AuthorsE. D. Attanasi, P.A. FreemanA strategy for low cost development of incremental oil in legacy reservoirs
The precipitous decline in oil prices during 2015 has forced operators to search for ways to develop low-cost and low-risk oil reserves. This study examines strategies to low cost development of legacy reservoirs, particularly those which have already implemented a carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) program. Initially the study examines the occurrence and nature of the distribution ofAuthorsE. D. AttanasiProfiles of reservoir properties of oil-bearing plays for selected petroleum provinces in the United States
Profiles of reservoir properties of oil-bearing plays for selected petroleum provinces in the United States were developed to characterize the database to be used for a potential assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) of oil that would be technically recoverable by the application of enhanced oil recovery methods using injection of carbon dioxide (CO2-EOR). The USGS assessment methodologyAuthorsPhilip A. Freeman, Emil D. Attanasi
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government