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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

U.S. Geological Survey science for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative: 2011 annual report

This is the fourth report produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) to detail annual work activities. In FY2011, there were 37 ongoing, completed, or new projects conducted under the five major multi-disciplinary science and technical-assistance activities: (1) Baseline Synthesis, (2) Targeted Monitoring and Research, (3) Data and Information Management, (4) Integration and Coordination, and (5) Decisionmaking and Evaluation. The four new work activities were (1) development of the Western Energy Citation Clearinghouse, a Web-based energy-resource database of references for literature and on-line resources focused on energy development and its effects on natural resources; (2) a study to support the Sublette County Conservation District in ascertaining potential water-quality impacts to the New Fork River from energy development in the Pinedale Anticline Project Area; (3) a study to test the efficacy of blending high-frequency temporal data provided by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors and high-resolution Landsat data for providing the fine-resolution data required to evaluate habitat responses to management activities at the landscape level; and (4) a study to examine the seasonal water chemistry of Muddy Creek, including documenting salinity patterns and providing a baseline for assessing potential effects of energy and other development on water quality in the Muddy Creek watershed. Two work activities were completed in FY2011: (1) the assessment of rancher perceptions of energy development in Southwest Wyoming and (2) mapping aspen stands and conifer encroachment using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis for effectiveness monitoring. The USGS continued to compile data, develop geospatial products, and upgrade Web-based products in support of both individual and overall WLCI efforts, including (1) ranking and prioritizing proposed conservation projects, (2) developing the WLCI integrated assessment, (3) developing the WLCI 5-year Conservation Action Plan, and (4) continuing to upgrade the content and improve the functionality of the WLCI Web site. For the WLCI FY2012 annual report, a decision was made to greatly reduce the overall length of the annual report, which will be accomplished by simplifying the report format and focusing on the take-home messages of each work activity for WLCI partners.

Wyoming↗

Evidence of regional subsidence and associated interior wetland loss induced by hydrocarbon production, Gulf Coast region, USA

Analysis of remote images, elevation surveys, stratigraphic cross-sections, and hydrocarbon production data demonstrates that extensive areas of wetland loss in the northern Gulf Coast region of the United States were associated with large-volume fluid production from mature petroleum fields. Interior wetland losses at many sites in coastal Louisiana and Texas are attributed largely to accelerated land subsidence and fault reactivation induced by decreased reservoir pressures as a result of rapid or prolonged extraction of gas, oil, and associated brines. Evidence that moderately-deep hydrocarbon production has induced land-surface subsidence and reactivated faults that intersect the surface include: (1) close temporal and spatial correlation of fluid production with surficial changes including rapid subsidence of wetland sediments near producing fields, (2) measurable offsets of shallow strata across the zones of wetland loss, (3) large reductions in subsurface pressures where subsidence rates are high, (4) coincidence of orientation and direction of displacement between surface fault traces and faults that bound the reservoirs, and (5) accelerated subsidence rates near producing fields compared to subsidence rates in surrounding areas or compared to geological rates of subsidence. Based on historical trends, subsidence rates in the Gulf Coast region near producing fields most likely will decrease in the future because most petroleum fields are nearly depleted. Alternatively, continued extraction of conventional energy resources as well as potential production of alternative energy resources (geopressured-geothermal fluids) in the Gulf Coast region could increase subsidence and land losses and also contribute to inundation of areas of higher elevation. ?? Springer-Verlag 2006.

Environmental Geology↗

Ground-water conditions in the Kaiparowits Plateau area, Utah and Arizona, with emphasis on the Navajo Sandstone

This report presents results of investigation of ground-water conditions in the Kaiparowits Plateau area of south-central Utah and north-central Arizona (fig. 1). The area is under investigation for development of its large quantities of energy resources, primarily coal. Production and transportation of those energy resources would require attendant development of water resources. The purpose of this study was to determine the availability and quality of ground water in major aquifers in the area - namely aquifers in the Entrada, Navajo, and Wingate Sandstones; emphasis was on the Navajo Sandstone. The study was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights. Field work was done intermittently during July through October 1979, and October 1980 through October 1981.

Arizona, Utah↗

Energy map of southwestern Wyoming, Part A - Coal and wind

To further advance the objectives of the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI) the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) have compiled Part A of the Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming. Focusing primarily on electrical power sources, Part A of the energy map is a compilation of both published and previously unpublished coal (including coalbed gas) and wind energy resources data, presented in a Geographic Information System (GIS) data package. Energy maps, data, documentation and spatial data processing capabilities are available in a geodatabase, published map file (pmf), ArcMap document (mxd), Adobe Acrobat PDF map (plate 1) and other digital formats that can be downloaded at the USGS website. Accompanying the map (plate 1) and the geospatial data are four additional plates that describe the geology, energy resources, and related infrastructure. These tabular plates include coal mine (plate 2), coal field (plate 3), coalbed gas assessment unit (plate 4), and wind farm (plate 5) information with hyperlinks to source publications and data on the internet. The plates can be printed and examined in hardcopy, or accessed digitally. The data represent decades of research by the USGS, WSGS, BLM and others, and can facilitate landscape-level science assessments, and resource management decisionmaking.

Wyoming↗

Powder X-ray diffraction laboratory, Reston, Virginia

The powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) laboratory is managed jointly by the Eastern Mineral and Environmental Resources and Eastern Energy Resources Science Centers. Laboratory scientists collaborate on a wide variety of research problems involving other U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science centers and government agencies, universities, and industry. Capabilities include identification and quantification of crystalline and amorphous phases, and crystallographic and atomic structure analysis for a wide variety of sample media. Customized laboratory procedures and analyses commonly are used to characterize non-routine samples including, but not limited to, organic and inorganic components in petroleum source rocks, ore and mine waste, clay minerals, and glassy phases. Procedures can be adapted to meet a variety of research objectives.

Virginia↗

Mineral resource potential and geology of the Routt National Forest and the Middle Park Ranger District of the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, with a section on salable minerals

The assessment of the mineral resource potential of the Routt National Forest and the Middle Park Ranger District of the Arapaho National Forest, Colorado, was conducted so that the mineral resources of the forest can be considered along with other resources in land use planning. This report discusses the potential for as yet undiscovered mineral and energy resources within the forest. Mineral resource information is given in terms of mineral deposit types and their geologic settings, and mineral deposit types are defined by geologic characteristics of known deposits that may occur within or near the forest. All available information regarding mineral deposits or occurrences and energy resources, as of June 1994, was assembled to assess the mineral and energy potential. Geologic maps were compiled and mineral and energy potential maps were also created for deposit types within the forest.

Colorado↗

An environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on the water resources of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming; Phase I work plan

Coal resources of the western United States are being developed at ever-increasing rates, causing concerns of the effects of mining and associated activities on the environment. The Yampa River basin in northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming is undergoing economic development of its coal, oil and gas, and uranium resources. The Yampa River basin assessment is a 21-year program of the U.S. Geological Survey. It is designed primarily to assess the availability and quality of the basin's water resources. The basin assessment also will evaluate potential environmental and selected socioeconomic impacts of energy-resource development plans proposed by mining and power companies. This report serves as a project work plan for the basin assessment's first-phase work activities. Economic development in the Yampa River basin will result in higher levels of residuals (noneconomic byproducts) being discharged into the environment. Residuals-management encompasses the technological and economic interrelationships that should be considered in order to comply with Federal and State environmental-control regulations regarding air quality, water quality, and disposal of solid wastes. The basin assessment, the first phase that is described by this report, is designed to provide Federal, State, and local decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to formulate and to evaluate policies for the development of energy resources. The techniques applied and conclusions reached in the Yampa River basin assessment should aid similar studies of other energy-rich basins in the western United States.

Colorado, Wyoming↗

An environmental assessment of impacts of coal development on the water resources of the Yampa River basin, Colorado and Wyoming; Phase II work plan

Coal resources of the western United States are being developed at everincreasing rates, causing concerns of the effects of mining and associated activities on the environment. The Yampa River basin in northwestern Colorado and south-central Wyoming is undergoing economic development of its coal, oil and gas, and uranium resources. By 1990, the annual coal mining in the basin is expected to increase to 20 million tons (18 million tonnes), or more than 4 times the 1975 level. As a result, the regional population is expected to at least double over the same period. Power-generation plants fueled by coal are being expanded or constructed in the basin and will have a combined generating capacity of nearly 1,200 megawatts by 1980. The Yampa River Basin Assessment is a 2-year program of the U.S. Geological Survey. It is designed primarily to assess the availability and quality of the basin's water resources. The basin assessment also will evaluate potential environmental and selected socioeconomic impacts of energy-resource development plans proposed by mining and power companies. This report serves as a project work plan for the basin assessment. It describes the program objectives, and the various approaches of analysis and evaluation. Environmental studies are outlined for analyzing both the direct effects of various proposals regarding coal mining, transportation, and conversion, and the secondary effects resulting from increased population and urban growth. Economic development in the Yampa River basin will generate higher levels of residuals which are discharged into the environment. Residuals-management encompasses the technological and economic interrelationships that should be considered to comply with Federal and State environmental-control regulations regarding air quality, water quality, and disposal of solid wastes. The basin assessment described by this report is designed to provide Federal, State, and local decision-makers with the basic environmental information needed to formulate and to evaluate policies for the development of energy resources. The techniques applied and conclusions reached in the Yampa River Basin Assessment should aid similar studies in other energy-rich basins in the western United States.

Colorado, Wyoming↗

Energy and the environment - Application of geosciences to decision-making

This volume contains 67 extended abstracts that summarize some of the oral and poster presentations of the tenth annual V. E. McKelvey forum on mineral and energy resources, held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 13-17, 1995. The focus is on our energy resources and the environment, new research techniques, and cooperative efforts between the USGS and industry, State and Federal agencies, universities, and other countries.

Circular↗

Permafrost-associated natural gas hydrate occurrences on the Alaska North Slope

In the 1960s Russian scientists made what was then a bold assertion that gas hydrates should occur in abundance in nature. Since this early start, the scientific foundation has been built for the realization that gas hydrates are a global phenomenon, occurring in permafrost regions of the arctic and in deep water portions of most continental margins worldwide. In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey made the first systematic assessment of the in-place natural gas hydrate resources of the United States. That study suggested that the amount of gas in the gas hydrate accumulations of northern Alaska probably exceeds the volume of known conventional gas resources on the North Slope. Researchers have long speculated that gas hydrates could eventually become a producible energy resource, yet technical and economic hurdles have historically made gas hydrate development a distant goal. This view began to change in recent years with the realization that this unconventional resource could be developed with existing conventional oil and gas production technology. One of the most significant developments was the completion of the BPXA-DOE-USGS Mount Elbert Gas Hydrate Stratigraphic Test Well on the Alaska North Slope, which along with the Mallik project in Canada, have for the first time allowed the rational assessment of gas hydrate production technology and concepts. Almost 40 years of gas hydrate research in northern Alaska has confirmed the occurrence of at least two large gas hydrate accumulations on the North Slope. We have also seen in Alaska the first ever assessment of how much gas could be technically recovered from gas hydrates. However, significant technical concerns need to be further resolved in order to assess the ultimate impact of gas hydrate energy resource development in northern Alaska.

Alaska↗

Quantity and quality of streamflow in the White River basin, Colorado and Utah

The water quality and flow of existing streams in the White River basin, located in northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah, are adequate for present uses, but future development (such as energy) may affect stream quality and quantity. Present conditions are described as a baseline to enable planners to allocate available water and to measure changes in quantity and quality of water in the future. The White River basin contains extensive energy resources consisting of oil, natural gas, coal, and oil shale. Large quantities of water will be required for energy-resource development and associated municipal and industrial uses. An average of 70% of the annual flow in the White River occurs during May, June, and July as a result of snowmelt runoff. The 7-day, 10-year low-flow discharges/sq mi and the 1-day, 25-year high-flow discharges/sq mi are larger in the eastern part of the basin than in the western part. Flow-duration curves indicate that high flows in the White River and the North and South Fork White Rivers result mainly from snowmelt runoff and that base flow is sustained throughout the year by groundwater discharge from the alluvial and bedrock aquifers. Water type varies in the basin; however, calcium and sodium are the dominantly occurring cations and sulfate and bicarbonate are the dominantly occurring anions. Computed total annual dissolved-solids loads in the White River range from 31 ,800 tons/yr in the North Fork White River to 284,000 tons/yr at the mouth. A 10% increase to a 14% decrease of the dissolved-solids load could result at the mouth of the White River near Ouray, Utah. This corresponds to a 5% increase to a 10% decrease in dissolved-solids concentration. The seasonal pattern of stream temperatures was found to fit a harmonic curve.

Colorado, Utah↗

Preface to the special issue on gas hydrate drilling in the Eastern Nankai Trough

Methane hydrate traps enormous amounts of methane in frozen deposits in continental margin sediments, and these deposits have long been targeted for studies investigating their potential as an energy resource. As a concentrated form of methane that occurs at shallower depths than conventional and most unconventional gas reservoirs, methane hydrates could be a readily accessible source of hydrocarbons for countries hosting deposits within their Exclusive Economic Zones. Japan is one such country, and since 2001 the Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (referred to as MH21) has conducted laboratory, modeling, and field-based programs to study methane hydrates as an energy resource. The MH21 consortium is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry (METI) and led by the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Oil Corporation (JOGMEC) and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

Marine and Petroleum Geology↗

Energy map of southwestern Wyoming, Part B: oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and solar

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled Part B of the Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming for the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (WLCI). Part B consists of oil and gas, oil shale, uranium, and solar energy resource information in support of the WLCI. The WLCI represents the USGS partnership with other Department of the Interior Bureaus, State and local agencies, industry, academia, and private landowners, all of whom collaborate to maintain healthy landscapes, sustain wildlife, and preserve recreational and grazing uses while developing energy resources in southwestern Wyoming. This product is the second and final part of the Energy Map of Southwestern Wyoming series (also see USGS Data Series 683, http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/683/ ), and encompasses all of Carbon, Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta Counties, as well as areas in Fremont County that are in the Great Divide and Green River Basins.

Wyoming↗

Geochemistry of coalbed gas - a review

Coals are both sources and reservoirs of large amounts of gas that has received increasing attention in recent years as a largely untapped potential energy resource. Coal mining operations, such as ventilation of coalbed gas from underground mines, release coalbed CH4 into the atmosphere, an important greehouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of these energy and environmental issues, increased research attention has been focused on the geochemistry of coalbed gas in recent years. This paper presents a summary review of the main aspects of coalbed gas geochemistry and current research advances.Coals are both sources and reservoirs of large amounts of gas that has received increasing attention in recent years as a largely untapped potential energy resource. Coal mining operations, such as ventilation of coalbed gas from underground mines, release coalbed CH4 into the atmosphere, an important greenhouse gas whose concentration in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of these energy and environmental issues, increased research attention has been focused on the geochemistry of coalbed gas in recent years. This paper presents a summary review of the main aspects of coalbed gas geochemistry and current research advances.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗

Advancing geophysical techniques to image a stratigraphic hydrothermal resource

Sedimentary-hosted geothermal energy systems are permeable structural, structural-stratigraphic, and/or stratigraphic horizons with sufficient temperature for direct use and/or electricity generation. Sedimentary-hosted (i.e., stratigraphic) geothermal reservoirs may be present in multiple locations across the central and eastern Great Basin of the USA, thereby constituting a potentially large base of untapped, economically accessible energy resources. Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with a multi-disciplinary group of collaborators to evaluate a stratigraphic system in Steptoe Valley, Nevada using both established and novel geophysical imaging techniques. The goal of this study is to inform an optimized strategy for subsequent exploration and development of this and analogous resources. Building from prior Nevada Play Fairway Analysis (PFA), this team is primarily 1) collecting additional geophysical data, 2) employing novel joint geophysical inversion/modeling techniques to update existing 3D geologic models, and 3) integrating the geophysical results to produce a working, geologically constrained thermo-hydrological reservoir model. Prior PFA work highlights Steptoe Valley as a favorable resource basin that likely has both sedimentary and hydrothermal characteristics. However, there remains significant uncertainty on the nature and architecture of the resource(s) at depth, which increases the risk in exploratory drilling. Newly acquired gravity, magnetic, magnetotelluric, and controlled-source electromagnetic data, in conjunction with new and preceding geoscientific measurements and observations, are being integrated and evaluated in this study for efficacy in understanding stratigraphic geothermal resources and mitigating exploration risk. Furthermore, the influence of hydrothermal activity on sedimentary-hosted reservoirs in favorable structural settings (i.e., whether fault-controlled systems may locally enhance temperature and permeability in some deep stratigraphic reservoirs) will also be evaluated. This paper provides details and current updates on the course of this study in-progress.

Geothermal Resources Council Transactions↗

Understanding the resource potential of natural hydrogen on Earth: Scientific gaps, uncertainties and recommendations

A comprehensive scientific research roadmap is essential to bridge knowledge gaps and deepen the understanding of key geological, geochemical, and geophysical aspects of natural hydrogen (H 2 ) as a potential new energy resource. This paper reviews major scientific uncertainties on natural H 2 , suggesting research priorities, as a guide for defining exploration strategies, techniques, and data interpretation. The uncertainties concern all phases of the natural H 2 cycle, from generation (source rocks) through migration (advection and diffusion) and accumulation (reservoir and cap rocks) to the application and interpretation of subsurface and surface geochemical and geophysical exploration techniques. Understanding H 2 sources and generation rates (the amount of H 2 generated by a given volume of rock over time) is crucial for determining whether a geological H 2 system operates as a short-term dynamic system with rapid H 2 production and release, or as a conventional gas system with long-term accumulations, analogous to petroleum reservoirs. Preliminary estimates for serpentinisation, radiolysis, and organic matter degradation suggest that H 2 generation is not inherently fast, especially for non-hydrothermal continental systems (crystalline basement of shields, ophiolites, peridotite massifs, sedimentary basins), and long-term accumulations, like those of fossil natural gas systems, represent the most likely scenario. The mechanisms of H 2 migration through geological formations require application of fundamental principles of fluid-flow physics, distinguishing advection and diffusion, as well as their forms (from gas-phase, bubble flows to aqueous solutions). Additional studies of H 2 accumulation and retention in subsurface reservoirs could improve understanding of mechanisms of H 2 migration by focusing on the rock fluid-bearing properties and the factors affecting H 2 preservation, such as the presence of cap rocks impermeable to H 2 , pressure conditions, residence times, and microbial or abiotic consumption. Advanced techniques, including reservoir modelling, flow simulations, 3D imaging (micro-CT) of H 2 -bearing rocks, and extraction and analysis of gas occluded in rocks, can provide insights into the stability and potential recoverability of H 2 accumulations. The interpretation of surface exploration techniques, including gas geochemistry, geophysics, and remote sensing, long employed in mineral and energy resource exploration, is now being adapted for natural H 2 studies, but challenges remain in the data interpretation. Distinguishing H 2 seepage due to geological degassing from H 2 produced near the surface by modern microbial processes or artificial sources, such as hammering or drilling for soil-gas sampling, drilling into aquifers, and corrosion in boreholes, is an essential step in exploration. The simple detection of H 2 in soils, even in morphological structures like sub-circular depressions or “fairy circles”, cannot be cursorily interpreted as a signal of natural H 2 seepage from a deep source. A holistic geochemical approach, including isotopic analyses of gases associated with H 2 , is recommended to distinguish among the variety of possible H 2 origins. Observations of H 2 in wells should be interrogated to rule out possible artifacts such as corrosion and drill bit metamorphism. The integration of multiple geophysical methods, including seismic, gravimetric, magnetic, and electro-magnetic surveys, is recommended to mitigate interpretation ambiguities regarding the structure of a subsurface H 2 system (source and reservoir rocks, including fluid and gas storage), due to the non-uniqueness of rock-specific physical properties.

Earth-Science Reviews↗

Wilderness mineral potential: Assessment of mineral-resource potential in U.S. Forest Service lands studied in 1964-1984: Volume 1

Under the provisions of the Wilderness Act (Public Law 88-577, September 3, 1964) and subsequent related legislation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM) have been conducting mineral surveys of wilderness and primitive areas, and of other national forest lands being considered for wilderness designation. The Wilderness Act directs that the results of these surveys are to be made available to the public and are to be submitted to the President and the Congress. This professional paper is a synopsis of the mineral surveys made from 1965 to 1983. It summarizes our current knowledge of mineral and energy resources and of the potential for the occurrence of undiscovered mineral and energy resources in 45 million acres of Federal lands, chiefly in national forests. This book, in two volumes, consists of 332 summary articles, arranged alphabetically by State, in which the mineral-resource potential of about 800 individual areas is discussed. The summaries of the mineral surveys were written during 1982-83, generally by those who made the surveys. Index maps of each state show the location of the areas studied, numerically keyed to an alphabetic list. The national distribution of the wilderness lands studied is shown on the frontispiece. Where lands were in proximity or were added to expand previously designated areas, they often are described in a single article. Each article begins with a short summary of the results of the mineral survey followed by a discussion of the character and geologic setting of the area. Mineral resources (if any) are discussed, and the potential for undiscovered mineral resources is assessed; these are keyed to the generalized geographic and geologic map of each area Areas that have geologic characteristics indicative of different degrees of potential for the occurrence of mineral resources are shown in shades of red on each map. Some articles have a section on suggestions for further study to better define the mineral-resource potential of the area A list of pertinent references (including many of the maps and reports prepared during the mineral survey) is provided at the end of each article. This introduction contains some basic concepts about mineral resources and mineral-resource potential to try to make the book more useful to those who are not familiar with the fields of earth science and mineral-resource assessments. The legislation dealing with the wilderness program is reviewed briefly, because this evolving legislation has imparted a continuing and changing influence on the mineral-resource surveys. The introduction concludes with a description of the publications of the Geological Survey that report in greater detail the results of the joint wilderness studies by the Geological Survey and the Bureau of Mines.

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Co↗

Gas hydrate formation rates from dissolved-phase methane in porous laboratory specimens

Marine sands highly saturated with gas hydrates are potential energy resources, likely forming from methane dissolved in pore water. Laboratory fabrication of gas hydrate-bearing sands formed from dissolved-phase methane usually requires 1–2 months to attain the high hydrate saturations characteristic of naturally occurring energy resource targets. A series of gas hydrate formation tests, in which methane-supersaturated water circulates through 100, 240, and 200,000 cm 3 vessels containing glass beads or unconsolidated sand, show that the rate-limiting step is dissolving gaseous-phase methane into the circulating water to form methane-supersaturated fluid. This implies that laboratory and natural hydrate formation rates are primarily limited by methane availability. Developing effective techniques for dissolving gaseous methane into water will increase formation rates above our observed (1 ± 0.5) × 10 −7 mol of methane consumed for hydrate formation per minute per cubic centimeter of pore space, which corresponds to a hydrate saturation increase of 2 ± 1% per day, regardless of specimen size.

Geophysical Research Letters↗