Kate Whidden
Science and Products
Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Research
This site highlights the research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources of the Gulf Coast of Mexico. This portion of the project also conducts assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources (click here for...
Controls on Unconventional Oil and Gas Production
This scoping task incorporates insights from new approaches to production of unconventional resources and currently focuses on conducting a pilot assessment of biogenic natural gas resources in the Permian Basin. For the pilot assessment to occur, we are developing a database that will host geochemical parameters known to be suggestive of microbial methanogenesis mined to the reservoir level...
Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project - Assessments
This site highlights the assessments of the Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems Project. Scientifically robust assessments of undiscovered, technically recoverable hydrocarbon resources are published in a variety of USGS publications. This project also conducts research on the processes that impact the formation, accumulation, occurrence and alteration of hydrocarbon energy resources (...
USGS Gulf Coast Petroleum Systems, and National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Projects-Eagle Ford Group and Associated Cenomanian-Turonian Strata 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 oil and gas in the Eagle Ford group and Associated Cenomanian-Turonian Strata, Texas Gulf Coast. 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...
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.
Surface to subsurface correlation of the Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation within a revised sequence stratigraphic framework
Recent work on cores and outcrops of the Middle-Upper Triassic Shublik Formation has facilitated surface to subsurface correlation of depositional sequences across the Alaska North Slope. Five transgressive-regressive depositional sequences have been defined within three large-scale stratigraphic units. Outcrop spectral gamma-ray (GR) profiles...
Rouse, William A.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Houseknecht, David W.
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. Element cycling in the Middle-Late Triassic Shublik Formation: Mineralization vs. recycling of biolimiting nutrients in an unconventional resource play
The Triassic Shublik Formation in northern Alaska is one of the major source rocks in North America, having generated much of the petroleum in Prudhoe Bay and associated fields. The middle Shublik Formation, the focus of this study, is a highly phosphatic, organic-rich carbonate mudstone interval. Apatite cements can occur as phosphatic peloids,...
Whidden, Katherine J.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Macquaker, James; Birdwell, Justin E.; Boehlke, Adam; French, Katherine L. Geochemistry of a thermally immature Eagle Ford Group drill core in central Texas
The Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group displays significant lateral and vertical geochemical variability. Much of the work on the Eagle Ford Group has been focused southwest of the San Marcos arch. To more fully characterize the Eagle Ford across the entire region, a thermally immature drill core was acquired north of the San Marcos arch that...
French, Katherine L.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Whidden, Katherine J.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the South Florida basin, 2016
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 49 million barrels of oil and 18 billion cubic feet of gas in the onshore and State waters part of the South Florida basin.
Roberts-Ashby, Tina L.; Hackley, Paul C.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Le, Phuong A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Finn, Thomas M.
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Bossier Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (unconventional) and...
Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Burke, Lauri A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Le, Phuong A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Haynesville Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (...
Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Burke, Lauri A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Le, Phuong A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale of the U.S. Gulf Coast, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed mean undiscovered, technically recoverable continuousresources of 1.5 billion barrels of oil and 4.6 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale in onshore and State waters ofLouisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida in the U.S. Gulf...
Hackley, Paul C.; Enomoto, Catherine B.; Valentine, Brett J.; Rouse, William A.; Lohr, Celeste D.; Dulong, Frank T.; Hatcherian, Javin J.; Brennan, Sean T.; Craddock, William H.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Schenk, Christopher J. A revised Triassic stratigraphic framework for the Arctic Alaska Basin
The Triassic Shublik Formation and the Triassic–Jurassic Otuk Formation are partially age-equivalent lithostratigraphic units that were deposited in the Arctic Alaska Basin (AAB). The Shublik Formation represents proximal deposition within the basin, with episodic siliciclastic input, whereas the Otuk Formation was deposited in the distal part of...
Whidden, Katherine J.; Dumoulin, Julie A.; Rouse, William A.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian Strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 66 trillion cubic feet of gas in continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata in onshore lands of the U.S. Gulf...
Whidden, Katherine J.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Burke, Lauri A.; Dubiel, Russell F.; French, Katherine L.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Haines, Seth S.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the downdip Paleogene formations, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2017
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional resources of 100 million barrels of oil and 16.5 trillion cubic feet of gas in the downdip Paleogene formations in onshore lands and State waters of the U.S. Gulf Coast region.
Buursink, Marc L.; Doolan, Colin A.; Enomoto, Catherine B.; Craddock, William H.; Coleman, James L.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Klett, Timothy R.; Le, Phuong A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.
USGS Estimates Oil and Gas in Texas’ Eagle Ford Group
The Eagle Ford Group of Texas contains estimated means of 8.5 billion barrels of oil, 66 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.9 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to a new assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey. This estimate consists of undiscovered, technically recoverable resources in continuous accumulations.