Paul Lillis
Scientist Emeritus with the Central Energy Resources Science Center
Paul Lillis is a recently retired petroleum geochemist with the Central Energy Resources Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Denver, Colorado. He received a B.A. in geology from San Jose State University, an M.S. in geology from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. in geochemistry from Colorado School of Mines. He was a petroleum exploration geologist with Atlantic Richfield for eight years (1978 to 1986) in Colorado, California, and Texas, and has been with the USGS in Denver since 1987. His research focuses on the application of petroleum and source-rock geochemistry to identifying, characterizing, and mapping petroleum systems.\
Science and Products
Data release for Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
Geochemical Advances in Arctic Alaska Oil Typing - North Slope Oil Correlation and Charge History
Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
Geochemical advances in Arctic Alaska oil typing - North Slope oil correlation and charge history
Geochemically distinct oil families in the onshore and offshore Santa Maria basins, California
The purpose of this work is to identify genetic affinities among 48 crude oil samples from the onshore and offshore Santa Maria basins. A total of 21 source-related biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios among the samples were assessed to assure that they were unaffected by secondary processes. Chemometric analysis of these data identifies six oil families with map and stratigraphic distributi
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Susitna Basin, southern Alaska, 2017
Stratigraphic intervals for oil and tar sands deposits in the Uinta Basin, Utah
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Ventura Basin Province, California, 2016
Effects of thermal maturation and thermochemical sulfate reduction on compound-specific sulfur isotopic compositions of organosulfur compounds in Phosphoria oils from the Bighorn Basin, USA
Evolution of the Lower Tertiary Elko Lake Basin, a potential hydrocarbon source rock in Northeast Nevada
The Chuar Petroleum System, Arizona and Utah
Geological, geochemical, and reservoir characterization of the Uteland Butte member of the Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah
Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil resources in the Wolfcamp shale of the Midland Basin, Permian Basin Province, Texas, 2016
Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Monterey Formation, Los Angeles Basin Province, California, 2015
Science and Products
- Data
Data release for Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
This Data Release contains data associated with the journal article "Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming";. Data include bulk organic geochemistry, major and trace element geochemistry, mineralogy, extractable organic matter composition, extractable biomarkers, and organic stable carbon isotope analyses.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 - Publications
Filter Total Items: 68
Geochemistry of the Cretaceous Mowry Shale in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming
The siliceous nature of the Mowry Shale distinguishes it from many of the well-studied organic-rich mudstones of the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. Available models of organic enrichment in mudstones rarely incorporate detailed biomarker, bulk organic, inorganic, and mineralogy data. Here, we used these data to evaluate how variations in organic matter source, productivity, dilution, and presAuthorsKatherine L. French, Justin E. Birdwell, Paul G. LillisGeochemical 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) TriassicAuthorsPalma J. Botterell, David W. Houseknecht, Paul G. Lillis, Silvana M. Barbanti, Jeremy E. Dahl, J. Michael MoldowanGeochemically distinct oil families in the onshore and offshore Santa Maria basins, California
The purpose of this work is to identify genetic affinities among 48 crude oil samples from the onshore and offshore Santa Maria basins. A total of 21 source-related biomarker and stable carbon isotope ratios among the samples were assessed to assure that they were unaffected by secondary processes. Chemometric analysis of these data identifies six oil families with map and stratigraphic distributi
AuthorsKenneth E. Peters, Paul G. Lillis, Thomas Lorenson, J. E. ZumbergeAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Susitna Basin, southern Alaska, 2017
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed an assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Susitna Basin of southern Alaska. Using a geology-based methodology, the USGS estimates that mean undiscovered volumes of about 2 million barrels of oil and nearly 1.7 trillion cubic feet of gas may be found in this area.AuthorsRichard G. Stanley, Christopher J. Potter, Kristen A. Lewis, Paul G. Lillis, Anjana K. Shah, Peter J. Haeussler, Jeffrey D. Phillips, Zenon C. Valin, Christopher J. Schenk, Timothy R. Klett, Michael E. Brownfield, Ronald M. Drake, Thomas M. Finn, Seth S. Haines, Debra K. Higley, David W. Houseknecht, Phuong A. Le, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Stanley T. Paxton, Ofori N. Pearson, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Cheryl A. Woodall, Margarita V. ZyrianovaStratigraphic intervals for oil and tar sands deposits in the Uinta Basin, Utah
No abstract available.AuthorsRonald C. Johnson, Justin E. Birdwell, Paul G. LillisAssessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Ventura Basin Province, California, 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a geology-based assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional and continuous oil and gas resources in the part of the Ventura Basin Province that lies onshore or within State waters (within 3 miles of the shoreline) of California (fig. 1). Conventional oil and gas resources are those that have migrated upward into structural or stratigAuthorsMarilyn E. Tennyson, Christopher J. Schenk, Janet K. Pitman, Paul G. Lillis, Timothy R. Klett, Michael E. Brownfield, Thomas M. Finn, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Sarah J. Hawkins, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Phuong A. Le, Heidi M. Leathers-MillerEffects of thermal maturation and thermochemical sulfate reduction on compound-specific sulfur isotopic compositions of organosulfur compounds in Phosphoria oils from the Bighorn Basin, USA
Compound-specific sulfur isotope analysis was applied to a suite of 18 crude oils generated from the Permian Phosphoria Formation in the Bighorn Basin, western USA. These oils were generated at various levels of thermal maturity and some experienced thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR). This is the first study to examine the effects of thermal maturation on stable sulfur isotopic compositions ofAuthorsGeoffrey S. Ellis, Ward Said-Ahamed, Paul G. Lillis, Lubna Shawar, Alon AmraniEvolution of the Lower Tertiary Elko Lake Basin, a potential hydrocarbon source rock in Northeast Nevada
No abstract available.AuthorsRonald C. Johnson, Justin E. BirdwellThe Chuar Petroleum System, Arizona and Utah
The Neoproterozoic Chuar Group consists of marine mudstone, sandstone and dolomitic strata divided into the Galeros and Kwagunt Formations, and is exposed only in the eastern Grand Canyon, Arizona. Research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the late 1980s identified strata within the group to be possible petroleum source rocks, and in particular the Walcott Member of the Kwagunt Formation. IAuthorsPaul G. LillisGeological, geochemical, and reservoir characterization of the Uteland Butte member of the Green River Formation, Uinta Basin, Utah
No abstract available.AuthorsJustin E. Birdwell, Michael D. Vanden Berg, Ronald C. Johnson, Tracey J. Mercier, Adam Boehlke, Michael E. BrownfieldAssessment of undiscovered continuous oil resources in the Wolfcamp shale of the Midland Basin, Permian Basin Province, Texas, 2016
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed technically recoverable mean resources of 20 billion barrels of oil and 16 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Wolfcamp shale in the Midland Basin part of the Permian Basin Province, Texas.AuthorsStephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Paul G. Lillis, Tracey J. Mercier, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Christopher J. Schenk, Timothy R. Klett, Phuong A. Le, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Sarah J. Hawkins, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Thomas M. FinnAssessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Monterey Formation, Los Angeles Basin Province, California, 2015
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed technically recoverable mean resources of 13 million barrels of oil, 22 billion cubic feet of gas, and 1 million barrels of natural gas liquids in the Monterey Formation of the Los Angeles Basin Province, California.AuthorsMarilyn E. Tennyson, Ronald R. Charpentier, Timothy R. Klett, Michael E. Brownfield, Janet K. Pitman, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Sarah J. Hawkins, Phuong A. Le, Paul G. Lillis, Kristen R. Marra, Tracey J. Mercier, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Christopher J. Schenk