Palma Botterell is a Petroleum Geochemist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Professional Experience
2009 - Present: Physical Scientist, USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston, VA
Education and Certifications
M.S. Geochemistry, Department of Geology, University of Maryland at College Park, 2014
B.S. Chemistry, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, George Mason University, 2010
Science and Products
Evaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt% total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock samples from the Eocene lac
Assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska, 2021
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1,407 billion (1.4 trillion) cubic feet of gas in conventional accumulations in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska.
Geochemical advances in Arctic Alaska oil typing - North Slope oil correlation and charge history
The Arctic Alaska petroleum province is geologically and geochemically complex. Mixed hydrocarbon charge from multiple source rocks and/or levels of thermal maturity is common within an individual oil pool. Biomarker and chemometric statistical analyses were used to correlate twenty-nine oils to five oil families derived from: (1) Triassic Shublik Formation (calcareous organofacies), (2) Triassic
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 of Alaska.
High microscale variability in Raman thermal maturity estimates from shale organic matter
Raman spectroscopy has recently received attention as a means to estimate thermal maturity of organic matter in petroleum generating source rocks to complement more traditional approaches such as vitrinite reflectance and programmed pyrolysis. While many studies have observed positive correlations between source rock thermal maturity and Raman spectral parameters, little attention has been given t
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Cretaceous Nanushuk and Torok Formations, Alaska North Slope, and summary of resource potential of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in the Cretaceous Nanushuk and Torok Formations in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, adjacent State and Native lands, and State waters. The estimated undiscovered oil re
Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil-shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana
The Upper Mississippian Heath Formation, which accumulated in the Big Snowy Trough of central Montana, has been known for three decades to contain mudrocks highly enriched in Zn, V, Mo, Ni and other metals, and source rocks for oil. The unit has more recently been recognized as a prospective tight oil play. Here we present petrographic, paleontologic, geochemical, and carbon and sulfur isotope dat
Extraction of hydrocarbons from high-maturity Marcellus Shale using supercritical carbon dioxide
Shale is now commonly exploited as a hydrocarbon resource. Due to the high degree of geochemical and petrophysical heterogeneity both between shale reservoirs and within a single reservoir, there is a growing need to find more efficient methods of extracting petroleum compounds (crude oil, natural gas, bitumen) from potential source rocks. In this study, supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) was used
Non-USGS Publications**
Alexis Patanarut, Alessandra Luchini, Palma J. Botterell, Anirudh Mohan, Caterina Longo, Paul Vorster, Emanuel F. Petricoin, Lance A. Liotta, Barney Bishop,
Synthesis and characterization of hydrogel particles containing Cibacron Blue F3G-A, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Volume 362, Issues 1–3, 2010, Pages 8-19, ISSN 0927-7757, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2010.03.023.
Synthesis and characterization of hydrogel particles containing Cibacron Blue F3G-A, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Volume 362, Issues 1–3, 2010, Pages 8-19, ISSN 0927-7757, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2010.03.023.
Fredolini, C., Meani, F., Alex Reeder, K. et al. Nano Res. (2008) 1: 502, Print ISSN 1998-0124, Online ISSN 1998-0000, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-008-8054-z
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
TOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany Zone
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of exchangeable hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt. percent total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock sample
Geochemical Advances in Arctic Alaska Oil Typing - North Slope Oil Correlation and Charge History
Citation Note: These data were collected as part of a research study published in Marine and Petroleum Geology. Please reference the following paper when citing these data: Botterell, P.J., Houseknecht, D.W., Lillis, P.G, Barbanti, S.M., Dahl, J.E, and Moldowan, J.M., 2021. Geochemical advances in Arctic Alaska oil typing ? North Slope oil correlation and charge history. Marine and Petroleum Geo
Chemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project
Several canals in southern Florida run from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and feed water to the northern Everglades. Agricultural and water-management practices affect the water quality of these canals. Fertilizers added in the EAA flow into the canals and are transported to treatment areas which remove much of the phosphorous in the water, but are not as effective
High Microscale Variability in Raman Thermal Maturity Estimates from Shale Organic Matter - Data Release
Here the spatial variation in Raman estimates of thermal maturity within individual organic domains from several shale geologic reference materials originating from the Boquillas, Marcellus, Niobrara, and Woodford Formations are assessed from the respective Raman response. We show that for all four shales the thermal maturity parameters extracted from Raman spectra by iterative peak fitting can va
Appendices for Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana
This set of data files are the appendices for paper titled Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana. The dataset consists of 8 appendices, including a histogram of solid bitumen and vitrinite Ro values, gas chromatograms, isotopic data, organic and inorganic geochemical analyses, and x-ray diffraction mineralogy
Science and Products
- Publications
Evaluating aromatization of solid bitumen generated in the presence and absence of water: Implications for solid bitumen reflectance as a thermal proxy
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt% total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock samples from the Eocene lacAssessment of undiscovered gas resources in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska, 2021
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 1,407 billion (1.4 trillion) cubic feet of gas in conventional accumulations in Upper Devonian to Lower Cretaceous strata of the western North Slope, Alaska.Geochemical advances in Arctic Alaska oil typing - North Slope oil correlation and charge history
The Arctic Alaska petroleum province is geologically and geochemically complex. Mixed hydrocarbon charge from multiple source rocks and/or levels of thermal maturity is common within an individual oil pool. Biomarker and chemometric statistical analyses were used to correlate twenty-nine oils to five oil families derived from: (1) Triassic Shublik Formation (calcareous organofacies), (2) TriassicAssessment 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 of Alaska.High microscale variability in Raman thermal maturity estimates from shale organic matter
Raman spectroscopy has recently received attention as a means to estimate thermal maturity of organic matter in petroleum generating source rocks to complement more traditional approaches such as vitrinite reflectance and programmed pyrolysis. While many studies have observed positive correlations between source rock thermal maturity and Raman spectral parameters, little attention has been given tAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Cretaceous Nanushuk and Torok Formations, Alaska North Slope, and summary of resource potential of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered, technically recoverable resources of 8.7 billion barrels of oil and 25 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in the Cretaceous Nanushuk and Torok Formations in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, adjacent State and Native lands, and State waters. The estimated undiscovered oil reTransgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil-shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana
The Upper Mississippian Heath Formation, which accumulated in the Big Snowy Trough of central Montana, has been known for three decades to contain mudrocks highly enriched in Zn, V, Mo, Ni and other metals, and source rocks for oil. The unit has more recently been recognized as a prospective tight oil play. Here we present petrographic, paleontologic, geochemical, and carbon and sulfur isotope datExtraction of hydrocarbons from high-maturity Marcellus Shale using supercritical carbon dioxide
Shale is now commonly exploited as a hydrocarbon resource. Due to the high degree of geochemical and petrophysical heterogeneity both between shale reservoirs and within a single reservoir, there is a growing need to find more efficient methods of extracting petroleum compounds (crude oil, natural gas, bitumen) from potential source rocks. In this study, supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) was usedNon-USGS Publications**
Alexis Patanarut, Alessandra Luchini, Palma J. Botterell, Anirudh Mohan, Caterina Longo, Paul Vorster, Emanuel F. Petricoin, Lance A. Liotta, Barney Bishop,
Synthesis and characterization of hydrogel particles containing Cibacron Blue F3G-A, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, Volume 362, Issues 1–3, 2010, Pages 8-19, ISSN 0927-7757, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2010.03.023.Fredolini, C., Meani, F., Alex Reeder, K. et al. Nano Res. (2008) 1: 502, Print ISSN 1998-0124, Online ISSN 1998-0000, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-008-8054-z**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
- Data
TOC, Reflectance and Raman Data from Eocene Green River Mahogany Zone
Geological models for petroleum generation suggest thermal conversion of oil-prone sedimentary organic matter in the presence of water promotes increased liquid saturate yield, whereas absence of water causes formation of an aromatic, cross-linked solid bitumen residue. To test the influence of exchangeable hydrogen from water, organic-rich (22 wt. percent total organic carbon, TOC) mudrock sampleGeochemical Advances in Arctic Alaska Oil Typing - North Slope Oil Correlation and Charge History
Citation Note: These data were collected as part of a research study published in Marine and Petroleum Geology. Please reference the following paper when citing these data: Botterell, P.J., Houseknecht, D.W., Lillis, P.G, Barbanti, S.M., Dahl, J.E, and Moldowan, J.M., 2021. Geochemical advances in Arctic Alaska oil typing ? North Slope oil correlation and charge history. Marine and Petroleum GeoChemistry Data from Southern Florida Canals Collected in Support of the Aquatic Cycling of Mercury in the Everglades Project
Several canals in southern Florida run from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) and feed water to the northern Everglades. Agricultural and water-management practices affect the water quality of these canals. Fertilizers added in the EAA flow into the canals and are transported to treatment areas which remove much of the phosphorous in the water, but are not as effectiveHigh Microscale Variability in Raman Thermal Maturity Estimates from Shale Organic Matter - Data Release
Here the spatial variation in Raman estimates of thermal maturity within individual organic domains from several shale geologic reference materials originating from the Boquillas, Marcellus, Niobrara, and Woodford Formations are assessed from the respective Raman response. We show that for all four shales the thermal maturity parameters extracted from Raman spectra by iterative peak fitting can vaAppendices for Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana
This set of data files are the appendices for paper titled Transgressive-regressive cycles in the metalliferous, oil shale-bearing Heath Formation (Upper Mississippian), central Montana. The dataset consists of 8 appendices, including a histogram of solid bitumen and vitrinite Ro values, gas chromatograms, isotopic data, organic and inorganic geochemical analyses, and x-ray diffraction mineralogy