Paul Hackley is a Research Geologist with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
As project chief of the Thermal Indices project I pursue research on thermal maturity, chemical composition and physical state of sedimentary organic matter. The Thermal Indices project is part of the Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center and is funded by the Energy Resources Program (ERP). The Thermal Indices project team develops and applies petrographic methods for the reliable identification of different types of sedimentary organic matter, and measures and interprets the response of organic matter to thermal stress in natural environments and in laboratory-based heating experiments. Improved understanding of the thermal evolution of sedimentary organic matter enables more accurate assessment of petroleum source rock maturation, thereby decreasing uncertainty in the determination of thermal histories, the timing of petroleum generation and the placement of resource assessment spatial boundaries. This leads to the overall goal of improving estimates of undiscovered petroleum resources, which is a central mission of the ERP.
My work focuses on four integrated research task areas which have petrographic approaches to thermal indices as their common denominator: 1) standardization and reproducibility of measurement, 2) utilization of hydrous pyrolysis for (artificial) thermal conversion of sedimentary organic matter, 3) petrographic innovation areas for thermal indices and organic evolution, and 4) petrographic laboratory support.
Thermal indices research is accomplished from the Organic Petrology and Hydrous Pyrolysis laboratories in Reston. The laboratories include facilities for sample preparation, hydrous pyrolysis, optical and fluorescence microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. The Thermal Indices project team works with external collaborators from global academic, government and industry groups. All thermal indices research efforts reach toward the goal of improving fossil fuel resource assessments by generating new understanding of the processes occurring during thermal evolution of sedimentary organic matter and its conversion to petroleum.
Education
- Ph.D., George Mason University
- M.S., George Washington University
- B.A., Shippensburg State University
Work Experience
- Unconventional petroleum systems
- Conventional oil and gas assessment
- Coalbed methane
- Coal
- Application of organic petrology techniques to fossil fuel resource assessment
Professional Affiliations
- The Society for Organic Petrology (TSOP)
- International Committee for Coal and Organic Petrology (ICCP)
- American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)
- American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
- Geological Society of America (GSA)
Science and Products
Photomicrograph Atlas
Vitrinite Reflectance Service
Thermal Indices Innovation
Hydrous Pyrolysis and Kerogen Conversion
Standardization of Petrographic Measurements
Science and Products
- Science
Photomicrograph Atlas
The Photomicrograph Atlas provides a basic tutorial in the nomenclature of organic materials as they occur in sedimentary rocks such as coal and shale, information on the taxonomies used by various groups and organizations, and a database of images related to the characterization of fossil fuel resources in the United States and the world.Vitrinite Reflectance Service
Vitrinite reflectance is regarded as the gold standard thermal maturity parameter and vitrinite reflectance data is needed for energy resource assessment and other types of basin analysis studies. This effort provides vitrinite reflectance and qualitative organic petrography of shale, mudrock, coal and other unconventional reservoir samples as a routine in-house service, from the Organic Petrology...Thermal Indices Innovation
Thermal indices innovation utilizes correlative microscopy techniques for innovative approaches to thermal indices development, including confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), AFM-IR (combined atomic force and infrared microscopy), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and SEM of Argon ion-milled sample surfaces combined with traditional organic petrography. The innovation task also is testing...Hydrous Pyrolysis and Kerogen Conversion
This work is directed at understanding the kinetics of vitrinite and solid bitumen maturation through hydrous pyrolysis experiments, potentially enabling a direct methodology to detect ‘vitrinite reflectance suppression,’ a commonly reported problem in the early- to mid-oil window. This task also examines the molecular chemistry of kerogen conversion to petroleum via in situ chemical probing by...Standardization of Petrographic Measurements
Advent of the ‘shale revolution’ since about 2005 has caused increased demand for reliable petrographic measurements of thermal maturity in shale via vitrinite reflectance, long considered the ‘gold standard’ approach. A standardized methodology for organic reflectance measurement in shale first became available in 2011 (ASTM D7708), based on prior work by task members. However, interlaboratory... - Data
- Publications
- Web Tools