Ricardo A. Olea, Ph.D.
Ricardo Olea is a Research Mathematical Statistician with the USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals (GEM) Science Center in Reston, VA.
Ricardo has extensive experience in quantitative modeling in the earth sciences and public health, primarily in the areas of petroleum geology and engineering, coal resource assessment, geostatistics, classical statistics, compositional data modeling, economic evaluation, well log analysis, marine geology, medical geography, geophysics, and geohydrology.
Professional Experience
2006 to Present: U.S. Geological Survey. Statistical Support: Coal Resource Assessment Methodology Implementation; Mathematical Model Enhancement; Exploitation of subsurface geologic resources in the land loss in coastal Louisiana; Advance the application of statistics to the earth sciences world-wide; and Reducing the risk of explosions at underground coal mines
Department of Petroleum Engineering, Stanford University
Marine Geology Section, Baltic Research Institute, University of Rostock, Warnemünde, Germany
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Research Scientist, Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kansas
Exploration Seismologist, Geostatistician, Log Analyst, Economic Analyst, and Reservoir Engineer, National Oil Company of Chile (ENAP)
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Engineering, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Kansas
Mining Engineer Degree, University of Chile
Affiliations and Memberships*
Compositional Data Association, Member
Society of Petroleum Engineers, Member
American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Member
International Association for Mathematical Geosciences, Member
Sigma Xi and serves as an Associate Editor of the Springer journal Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment
International Association for Mathematical Geology (IAMG), Secretary General (1992–96) and President (1996–2000)
Honors and Awards
IAMG Krumbein Medal - Science and Professional Contributions, 2004
Science and Products
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources - data release
A residual oil zone (ROZ) assessment methodology with application to the central basin platform (Permian Basin, USA) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and long-term geologic CO2 storage
Geology and assessment of coal resources for the Cherokee coal bed in the Fort Union Formation, south-central Wyoming
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Summary
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Results
Total alkali-silica diagram
Frequency distribution
Revisiting the declustering of spatial data with preferential sampling
Random variable
Probabilistic methodology for the assessment of original and recoverable coal resources, illustrated with an application to a coal bed in the Fort Union Formation, Wyoming
Multivariate classification of the crude oil petroleum systems in southeast Texas, USA, using conventional and compositional data analysis of biomarkers
Insights on the characteristics and sources of gas from an underground coal mine using compositional data analysis
Non-USGS Publications**
Martín-Fernández, J. A., Palarea-Alabaladejo, J., and Olea, R.A., 2011, Dealing with zeros. In V. Pawlowsky-Glahn and A. Buccianti (eds.), Compositional Data Analysis—Theory and Applications: Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK, p. 43–58.
**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.
Computer programs for the assessment of coal resources (ver. 2.0, April 2021)
Computer programs for the assessment of coal resources (ver. 2.0, April 2021)
Science and Products
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources - data release
A residual oil zone (ROZ) assessment methodology with application to the central basin platform (Permian Basin, USA) for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and long-term geologic CO2 storage
Geology and assessment of coal resources for the Cherokee coal bed in the Fort Union Formation, south-central Wyoming
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Summary
National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Results
Total alkali-silica diagram
Frequency distribution
Revisiting the declustering of spatial data with preferential sampling
Random variable
Probabilistic methodology for the assessment of original and recoverable coal resources, illustrated with an application to a coal bed in the Fort Union Formation, Wyoming
Multivariate classification of the crude oil petroleum systems in southeast Texas, USA, using conventional and compositional data analysis of biomarkers
Insights on the characteristics and sources of gas from an underground coal mine using compositional data analysis
Non-USGS Publications**
Martín-Fernández, J. A., Palarea-Alabaladejo, J., and Olea, R.A., 2011, Dealing with zeros. In V. Pawlowsky-Glahn and A. Buccianti (eds.), Compositional Data Analysis—Theory and Applications: Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Chichester, UK, p. 43–58.
**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.
Computer programs for the assessment of coal resources (ver. 2.0, April 2021)
Computer programs for the assessment of coal resources (ver. 2.0, April 2021)
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government