Seth Haines
Seth is a Research Geophysicist with the USGS Central Energy Resources Science Center. His areas of work include seismic characterization of gas hydrates, and the quantification of the potential impacts of oil and gas development (including hydraulic fracturing, produced waters, habitat impacts).
Biography
Education
B.A. (1997) Middlebury College (Geology and Physics)
M.Sc. (2001) Stanford University (Geophysics)
Ph.D. (2005) Stanford University (Geophysics)
Recent Research
Gas hydrate characterization with seismic methods, with main focus on the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska
Broader impacts of oil and gas development, including habitat and related topics
Shear-wave seismic methods for near-surface applications (focus of Mendenhall Post-doc, 2005-200)
Seismoelectric methods for near-surface applications (dissertation topic)
Science and Products
Geophysical Analysis of Energy Resources
The Geophysical Analysis of Energy Resources Project (also called the Geophysical Analysis Project) meets the need within the USGS and the Energy Resources Program to conduct advanced theoretical and applied research in reflection seismology to improve the delineation and characterization of both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon resources. The scientists of the project fulfill these...
Quantifying broader impacts of oil and gas development
Work in this task of the Oil and Gas Waters project focuses on quantifying the effects of developing oil and gas resources. The approach is probabilistic, and it builds directly from USGS oil and gas assessment methods and geological studies. Efforts to date have revolved around quantifying habitat loss and land-...
Quantities of water associated with oil and gas development
Work in this task of the Oil and Gas Waters Project focuses on quantifying the water used during hydrocarbon development and the water produced along with oil and gas. Hydraulic fracturing is an integral part of oil and gas development in many areas, and water use for this purpose has increased considerably in the...
Oil and Gas Waters Project
The primary objective of this project is to provide information on the volume, quality, impacts, and possible uses of water produced during generation and development of energy resources (particularly hydrocarbons) as well as related fluids injected into reservoirs for energy development and associated waste disposal. The purpose of this work is to address scientific and societal questions...
Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE)
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
Gas Hydrates
Central Energy Resources Science Center - Gas Hydrates Project Page
Developing the next generation of USGS resource assessments
Resource assessments constitute a key part of the USGS mission, and represent a crucial contribution toward Department of the Interior (DOI) and broader Federal objectives. Current USGS energy and mineral assessment methods evaluate total technically recoverable resources (energy) or economically exploitable materials (minerals); the fiscal year 2010 budget for this work is $82M. To help...
Assessment of undiscovered continuous tight-gas resources in the Mesaverde Group and Wasatch Formation, Uinta-Piceance Province, Utah and Colorado, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 24 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Mesaverde Group and Wasatch Formation of the Uinta-Piceance Province in northeast Utah and northwest Colorado.
Drake, Ronald M.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Le, Phuong A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Johnson, Ronald C.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Pitman, Janet K.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Haines, Seth S.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
Shear-wave seismic reflection studies of unconsolidated sediments in the near surface
We have successfully applied of SH-wave seismic reflection methods to two different near-surface problems targeting unconsolidated sediments. At the former Fort Ord, where the water table is approximately 30m deep, we imaged aeolian and marine aquifer and aquitard stratigraphy to a depth of approximately 80m. We identified reflections from sand/...
Ellefsen, Karl J.; Haines, Seth S.
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Bossier Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Bossier Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (unconventional) and...
Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Burke, Lauri A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Le, Phuong A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
U.S. Geological Survey input-data forms for the assessment of the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation, U.S. Gulf Coast, 2016
IntroductionIn 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an updated assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Upper Jurassic Haynesville Formation of the onshore U.S. Gulf Coast Province (Paxton and others, 2017). The Haynesville Formation was assessed using both the standard continuous (...
Paxton, Stanley T.; Pitman, Janet K.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Whidden, Katherine J.; Dubiel, Russell F.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Burke, Lauri A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Le, Phuong A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Marra, Kristen R.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian Strata, U.S. Gulf Coast, Texas, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 8.5 billion barrels of oil and 66 trillion cubic feet of gas in continuous accumulations in the Upper Cretaceous Eagle Ford Group and associated Cenomanian–Turonian strata in onshore lands of the U.S. Gulf...
Whidden, Katherine J.; Pitman, Janet K.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Kinney, Scott A.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Birdwell, Justin E.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Burke, Lauri A.; Dubiel, Russell F.; French, Katherine L.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Haines, Seth S.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A. Gas hydrate quantification using full-waveform inversion of sparse ocean-bottom seismic data: A case study from Green Canyon Block 955, Gulf of Mexico
We present a case study of gas hydrate quantification using dense short-offset multichannel seismic (MCS) and sparse long-offset ocean-bottom-seismometer (OBS) data in lease block Green Canyon 955 (GC955), Gulf of Mexico (GOM), where the presence of gas hydrate was interpreted using logging while drilling (LWD) data acquired by the GOM Gas Hydrate...
Wang, Jiliang; Jaiswal, Priyank; Haines, Seth S.; Hart, Patrick E.; Wu, Shiguo Book review: Darwin's first theory: Exploring Darwin's quest for a theory of earth
No abstract available.
Haines, Seth S.
Assessment 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...
Stanley, Richard G.; Potter, Christopher J.; Lewis, Kristen A.; Lillis, Paul G.; Shah, Anjana K.; Haeussler, Peter J.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; Valin, Zenon C.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Klett, Timothy R.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Drake, Ronald M.; Finn, Thomas M.; Haines, Seth S.; Higley, Debra K.; Houseknecht, David W.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Paxton, Stanley T.; Pearson, Ofori N.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Zyrianova, Margarita V. Accurate ocean bottom seismometer positioning method inspired by multilateration technique
The positioning of ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) is a key step in the processing flow of OBS data, especially in the case of self popup types of OBS instruments. The use of first arrivals from airgun shots, rather than relying on the acoustic transponders mounted in the OBS, is becoming a trend and generally leads to more accurate positioning...
Benazzouz, Omar; Pinheiro, Luis M.; Matias, Luis M. A.; Afilhado, Alexandra; Herold, Daniel; Haines, Seth S. USGS assessment of water and proppant requirements and water production associated with undiscovered petroleum in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted an assessment of water and proppant requirements, and water production volumes, associated with possible future production of undiscovered petroleum resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin, USA. This water and proppant assessment builds directly from the 2013 USGS...
Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E. High-resolution seismic characterization of the gas and gas hydrate system at Green Canyon 955, Gulf of Mexico, USA
The Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments at lease block Green Canyon 955 (GC955) in the Gulf of Mexico include sand-rich strata with high saturations of gas hydrate; these gas hydrate accumulations and the associated geology have been characterized over the past decade using conventional industry three-dimensional (3D) seismic data and dedicated...
Haines, Seth S.; Hart, Patrick E.; Collett, Timothy S.; Shedd, William; Frye, Matthew; Weimer, Paul; Boswell, Ray
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota, 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed an assessment of water and proppant requirements and water production associated with the possible future production of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Three Forks and Bakken Formations (Late Devonian to Early Mississippian) of the Williston Basin Province in Montana and North Dakota. This...
Haines, Seth S.; Varela, Brian A.; Hawkins, Sarah J.; Gianoutsos, Nicholas J.; Thamke, Joanna N.; Engle, Mark A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Marra, Kristen R.; Kinney, Scott A.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Martinez, Cericia D.