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Matthew D. Merrill

Matthew Merrill is a Research Geologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.

Matt received a masters and a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in Earth Sciences with focuses in Mars remote sensing and Andean volcanology respectively. Since joining the USGS in 2005 he has focused on numerous energy and minerals issues and specializes in carbon dioxide related topics, such as natural CO2 geochemistry, carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. Other areas of research include various oil and gas assessments and methodology creation for assessing enhanced oil recovery with CO2 and also the impacts to wildlife from wind turbine facilities.

Professional Experience

  • 2007 - present: Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, USGS

  • 2005 - 2007: Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center, USGS

Education and Certifications

  • M.A. Earth Science, Wesleyan University, 2005

  • B.A. Earth and Environmental Science, Wesleyan University, 2003

Science and Products

Filter Total Items: 52

Assessment of undiscovered conventional gas resources in the Deep Tuscaloosa Group Sandstones of the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region, 2021

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 14,785 billion cubic feet of gas resources in the Western Gulf Basin Province, U.S. Gulf Coast region.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Results

In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a probabilistic assessment of the volume of technically recoverable oil resources available if current carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) technologies were applied to amenable oil reservoirs underlying the onshore and State waters areas of the conterminous United States. The assessment also includes estimates of the mass of CO2 that
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Summary

IntroductionIn 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a probabilistic assessment of the volume of technically recoverable oil resources that might be produced by using current carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) technologies in amenable conventional oil reservoirs underlying the onshore and State waters areas of the conterminous United States. The assessment also includes est
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Demographic and potential biological removal models identify raptor species sensitive to current and future wind energy

A central challenge in applied ecology is understanding the effect of anthropogenic fatalities on wildlife populations and predicting which populations may be particularly vulnerable and in greatest need of management attention. We used 3 approaches to investigate potential effects of fatalities from collisions with wind turbines on 14 raptor species for both current (106 GW) and anticipated futur
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Ecosystems, Energy Resources Program, Species Management Research Program, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

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 resource
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

A Methodology to Assess the National and Regional Impacts of U.S. Wind Energy Development on Birds and Bats

This scientific investigations report describes an effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that used research, monitoring data, and modeling to develop a methodology to assess both the current and future population-level consequences of wind energy development on species of birds and bats that are present in the United States during any part of their life cycle. The methodology is currently ap
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Preliminary methodology to assess the national and regional impact of U.S. wind energy development on birds and bats

The U.S. Geological Survey has developed a methodology to assess the impacts of wind energy development on wildlife; it is a probabilistic, quantitative assessment methodology that can communicate to decision makers and the public the magnitude of these effects on species populations. The methodology is currently applicable to birds and bats, focuses primarily on the effects of collisions, and can
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Ecosystems, Energy Resources Program, Species Management Research Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Carbon 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-t
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Carbon dioxide mineralization feasibility in the United States

Geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) storage is one of many methods for stabilizing the increasing concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere. The injection of CO2 in deep subsurface sedimentary reservoirs is the most commonly discussed method; however, the potential for CO2 leakage can create long-term stability concerns. This report discusses the feasibility of an alternative form of geologic CO2 s
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Federal lands greenhouse emissions and sequestration in the United States—Estimates for 2005–14

In January 2016, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior tasked the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with producing a publicly available and annually updated database of estimated greenhouse gas emissions associated with the extraction and use (predominantly some form of combustion) of fossil fuels from Federal lands. In response, the USGS has produced estimates of the greenhouse gas emi
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Geologic framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide storage resources—Atlantic Coastal Plain and Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins

This chapter presents information pertinent to the geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration potential within saline aquifers located in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins of the Eastern United States. The Atlantic Coastal Plain is underlain by a Jurassic to Quaternary succession of sedimentary strata that onlap westward onto strata of the Appalachian Piedmont physiograp
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Central Energy Resources Science Center

A 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 pro
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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Utilization of Carbon and other Energy Gases - Geologic Research and Assessments

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is utilized by industry to enhance oil recovery. Subsurface CO2 storage could significantly impact reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, but the economics and potential risks associated with the practice must be understood before implementing extensive programs or regulations. Utilization of other energy-related gases such as helium (He), if separated and concentrated...
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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Utilization of Carbon and other Energy Gases - Geologic Research and Assessments

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is utilized by industry to enhance oil recovery. Subsurface CO2 storage could significantly impact reduction of CO2 emissions to the atmosphere, but the economics and potential risks associated with the practice must be understood before implementing extensive programs or regulations. Utilization of other energy-related gases such as helium (He), if separated and concentrated...
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Assessing Emissions from Active and Abandoned Coal Mines

The gas emission zone liberates and accumulates significant amounts of coal mine methane as a by-product of active mining. In most active mines, coal mine methane is controlled by wellbores, called gob gas ventholes. Despite the presence of these wellbores, it is not possible to capture all of the methane generated within the gas emission zone. As a consequence, a large amount of gas migrates into...
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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Assessing Emissions from Active and Abandoned Coal Mines

The gas emission zone liberates and accumulates significant amounts of coal mine methane as a by-product of active mining. In most active mines, coal mine methane is controlled by wellbores, called gob gas ventholes. Despite the presence of these wellbores, it is not possible to capture all of the methane generated within the gas emission zone. As a consequence, a large amount of gas migrates into...
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USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-U.S. Gulf Coast, Deep Tuscaloosa Conventional Gas: Assessment Unit Boundary, Assessment Input Data, and Fact Sheet Data Tables

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered Deep Tuscaloosa Group sandstones conventional gas resources in the U.S. Gulf Coast in Louisiana and Mississippi. 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 wi
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset

The United States Documented Unplugged Orphaned Oil and Gas Well Dataset contains 117,672 wells in 27 states. The definition of an orphaned oil or gas well varies across data sources; the dataset includes oil or gas wells where the state indicates that the well is an unplugged orphan, or the following criteria are met: 1) no production for an average of 12 months (6 to 24 months depending on the s
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources - data release

In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a probabilistic assessment of the volume of technically recoverable oil resources available if current carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) technologies were applied in amenable oil reservoirs underlying the onshore and State waters area of the conterminous United States. The assessment also includes estimates of the magnitude of CO2 s
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Geologic formations and mine locations for potential CO2 mineralization

This geodatabase contains geologic unit boundaries and asbestos site locations shown in "Carbon dioxide mineralization feasibility in the United States" (Blondes and others, 2019). Data was compiled from source material at a scale range of 1:100,000 to 1:5,000,000 and is not intended for any greater detail.
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Federal Lands Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sequestration in the United States: Estimates 2005-14 - Data Release

This dataset includes ten years of emissions and sequestration estimates (2005-2014) in two separate tables, 1) the combustion and extraction of fossil fuels on Federal lands and 2) processes from the ecosystems on those Federal lands. The fossil fuel related estimates include the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), and the ecosystems estimates include on
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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