Energy Resources Program
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
USGS Publication: Open-File Report 2016-1037
As part of a cooperative effort among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, two grids of two-dimensional multichannel seismic reflection data were acquired in the Gulf of Mexico over lease blocks Green Canyon 955 and Walker Ridge 313 between April 18 and May 3, 2013.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Thursday, August 13, 2015
USGS Publication: Fact Sheet 2015-3050
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered mean volumes of 14 million barrels of conventional oil, 430 billion cubic feet of conventional gas, 34,028 billion cubic feet of continuous gas, and a mean total of 391 barrels of natural gas liquids...
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Outside Publication: Applied Geochemistry
The “2800’ sandstone” of the Olla oil field is an oil and gas-producing reservoir in a coal-bearing interval of the Paleocene–Eocene Wilcox Group in north-central Louisiana, USA. In the 1980s, this producing unit was flooded with CO2 in an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project, leaving ∼30% of the injected CO2 in the 2800’ sandstone post-injection...
Monday, September 22, 2014
Outside Publication: Journal of Coastal Research
Historic wetland losses along the Gulf of Mexico coastline have long given support to the idea that the observed changes do not follow the conventional marine erosion of a quasi-stable continental mass. Deterioration of the Mississippi delta is no exception. In an assessment of 33 of the major deltas in the world, Syvitski et al. (2009 found that 85% of them face areal reduction...
Friday, August 15, 2014
USGS Publication: Fact Sheet 2014–3047
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 0.78 billion barrels of unconventional oil, 23.5 trillion cubic feet of unconventional gas, and 0.88 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the Sabinas Basin, Burgos Basin, and Tampico-Misantla Basin provinces of northeast Mexico.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Outside Publication: Organic Geochemistry
The composition and content of asphaltenes in spilled and original wellhead oils from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) incident provide information on the amount of original oil lost and the processes most responsible for the losses within the first 80 days of the active spill. Spilled oils were collected from open waters, coastal waters and coastal sediments during the incident...
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
USGS Publication: Open-File Report 2012–1024–H
This report presents 27 storage assessment units (SAUs) within the United States (U.S.) Gulf Coast. At least nine major depositional packages contain porous strata that are potentially suitable for geologic carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration within the region. For each SAU identified within these packages, the areal distribution of porous rock that is suitable for geologic CO2sequestration is discussed, along with a description of the geologic characteristics that influence the potential CO2 storage volume and reservoir performance.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
USGS Publication: Open-File Report 2013–1257The Oligocene Frio and Anahuac Formations were assessed as part of the 2007 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of Tertiary strata of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Basin onshore and State waters. Estimated total mean values of technically recoverable, undiscovered resources are 172 million barrels of oil (MMBO), 9.4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (TCFG), and 542 million barrels of natural gas liquids for all of the Frio and Anahuac assessment units.
The Gulf Coast Region is a physiographic province extending from Texas to Florida and encompasses the coastal plain, low hills, and deltas of the Gulf of Mexico. This is a geologically stable area characterized by low relief terraces extending to the continental shelf. Sediments consist of coastal plain deposits and thick land-derived sediments prograding from the Mississippi River delta system; ultimately transitioning to evaporite and carbonate deposits offshore. Coastlines exhibit wave and delta dominated features and landforms such as barrier islands, bays, and marshes. The Mississippi River also supports a diverse economy in the region. A large percentage of the present and future energy resources of the United States are located in the Gulf Coast Region, highlighting the importance for energy research and assessments. This web site provides access to the Energy Resources Program research activities and products within the Gulf Coast Region.
Highlighted Gulf Coast Assessment Publications
Select product areas on the stratigraphic column below to view corresponding USGS oil and gas assessment publications:
Top of Page
The USGS has completed several assessments of the Gulf Coast. This information is summarized on the Oil and Gas Assessment Gulf Coast page.
The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) project was a multi-year effort by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Program to identify, characterize, and assess the coal resources that will supply a major part of the Nation’s energy needs during the next few decades. NCRA data and publications are available on the NCRA Gulf Coast page.
There are coalbed methane assessments for the Gulf Coast currently available.
USGS has created a comprehensive geopressure-gradient model of the regional pressure system spanning the onshore and offshore portions of the Gulf of Mexico, USA..
This series of five maps characterizes the subsurface pressure system of southern Louisiana, including the associated State and Federal waters.
Energy Resources Program - World Energy Map Showing Geology, Oil and Gas Fields, and Geologic Provinces of the Gulf of Mexico Region
USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Internet Map Server
USGS Gulf Integrated Science Website
USGS National Wetlands Research Center
Reservoirs and Petroleum Systems of the Gulf Coast (AAPG Datapages website) - Courtesy of Janet Pitman, USGS
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, March 23, 2016