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GIS Activities in the USGS Central Energy Resources Team: A Model for Expanding GIS Utilization*
By
Laura R.H. Biewick1, Gregory L. Gunther1, Christopher C. Skinner1, and David A. Ferderer1
Search and Discovery Article #40225 (2006)
Posted December 10, 2006
*Adapted from extended abstract prepared for poster presentation at AAPG Annual Convention, Houston, Texas, April 9-12, 2006
1Central Energy Resources Team, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO ( [email protected] )
Abstract
A primary objective for the implementation of
Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies by the Central Energy Resources
Team (CERT) of the U.S. Geological Survey is to improve access to maps, data
,
and other geospatial services. The effort, in turn, is intended to improve the
capability of decision makers to analyze layers of disparate
data
in a common
geographic space.
Use of GIS technologies by the CERT is enhancing
research activities related to project workflow and information access and
discovery by providing: (1) efficient, centralized data
management and
data
visualization, (2) ease in sharing
data
and interpretations among project
personnel, and (3) dissemination of information and products to customers in an
easily usable format.
CERT
GIS activities include Internet Map Services and Metadata Services, which are
also being leveraged in global networks that provide the infrastructure needed
to support the sharing of geographic information. These portals include the
National Spatial Data
Infrastructure, the Geography Network, and the GeoSpatial
One-Stop. Major tasks include technical issues related to application
deployment, security, and system architecture. Demonstrations of the National
Assessments of Oil and Gas at NOGA Online, Gulf Coast Geology at GCG Online, the
Gulf Coast Information Access System, and World Energy Assessment applications
illustrate how interactive maps and publication services provide easy access to
organized assessment results, geology, and other CERT project
data
and
interpretations.
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U.S. Geological Survey Energy Team Projects and GIS ProductsIntroductionThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for providing the Federal Government with objective scientific information to support decisions regarding land management, environmental quality, and economic, energy, and strategic policy. To fulfill this responsibility, the USGS periodically assesses the Nation’s energy resources.
National Assessment of Oil and GasThe Central Energy Resources Team (CERT) of the USGS has completed assessments of the undiscovered oil and gas potential in selected priority geologic provinces as part of the National Assessment of Oil and Gas (NOGA) program. Figure 1 is a map of the conterminous U.S. illustrating the current status of assessment results and products, and also contains a link to the NOGA Home Page (NOGA Online). Assessments of the petroleum potential in these priority provinces is based on geologic elements used to define a total petroleum system (TPS) – hydrocarbon source rocks (source rock maturation, hydrocarbon generation, and migration), reservoir rocks (sequence stratigraphy and petrophysical properties), and hydrocarbon traps (trap formation and timing). Using this geologic framework, the USGS defines assessment units as parts of a TPS.
A GIS focusing on each TPS defined in a
province is developed as a visual-analysis tool for the USGS assessments
of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and natural gas resources.
The CERT has also developed an Internet Map Service to deliver GIS
National Coal Resource AssessmentMore than half of the electricity produced in the U.S. is generated by coal-fired power plants (Energy Information Administration, 2000). Understanding where coal is most readily available and of sufficient quality to meet current emission standards is important to ensure adequate energy supplies in the future. The National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) was a multiyear effort (1995 – 2000) by the USGS Energy Resources Program with three general goals: `
Selected coal resources, including those on Federal lands, were assessed in five priority regions, as shown in Figure 2:
The USGS NCRA is the first assessment program
to use digital (1) Gain a fuller understanding of coal occurrence. (2) make new stratigraphic correlations. (3) Integrate geologic and resource information across State boundaries.
ArcView
World Energy ProductsThe USGS undertook a world petroleum assessment that was conducted over the same 5-yr period as the NCRA (from 1996 to 2000, U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team, 2000). The purpose of the World Energy assessments is to provide impartial, scientifically-based, societally-relevant petroleum resource information essential to the economic and strategic security of the U.S. The assessments are based on extensive geologic studies rather than a statistical approach. The petroleum resources assessed are in accumulation categories judged to be viable in a 30-yr forecast span.
The Energy Team web room for World Energy assessments provides navigation of thousands of products by content type, theme, and spatial location. This web presence facilitates seamless access to: `
Figure 3 is a map from the World Energy Assessment home page that is used for navigation of USGS products by spatial location.
Gulf Coast Geology (GCG) Online and the Gulf Coast Information Access SystemA large percentage of the present and future energy resources of the U.S. reside in the Gulf of Mexico Basin (Huffman et al., 2004 [http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3143/]).
Gulf Coast Geology (GCG) Online is a GIS that
facilitates the geologic, geophysical, and geochemical framework studies
essential to the current and future reassessment of energy resources
(coal, gas, and oil) in the Gulf Coast Region. Version 1.0 of the
Miocene (Huffman et al., 2004) deals almost entirely with southern
Louisiana, primarily due to the availability of
Figure 4 is the default screen for the internet map service of the GCG Online—Miocene of Southern Louisiana.
In addition to GCG Online, the Gulf Coast Information Access System at http://certmapper.cr.usgs.gov/gulf_metadata/ is available for search and discovery of USGS Gulf Coast products by content type, theme, and spatial location.
Enabling Non-Technical Users
USGS assessments involve large amounts of
geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and
Within the CERT, the GIS technologists work
with the researchers to provide them with GIS functionality without the
burdens of
This poster presentation provides information
on how we are using Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)
ArcGIS tools to provide our research scientists with groups of
Selected ReferencesAhlbrandt, T.S., Pierce, B.S., Nuccio, V, 2003, USGS World Petroleum Assessment 2000: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-062-03 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-062-03/). Biewick, L.R.H., Gunther, G.L., and Skinner, C.C., 2002, USGS National Oil and Gas Assessment Online (NOGA Online) using ArcIMS: ArcUser Magazine, 8 p., 2 figures. [CDROM] (http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/1002/noga1of2.html). Biewick, L.R.H., Gunther, G.L., and Skinner, C.C., 2002, USGS National Oil and Gas Assessment Online (NOGA Online) using ArcIMS: 22nd Annual ESRI International User Conference Proceedings, San Diego, CA, July 8-12, 2002, 23 p., 15 figures. [CD-ROM] (http://gis.esri.com/library/userconf/proc02/pap0826/p0826.htm). Biewick, L.R.H., Gunther, G.L., Skinner, C.C., Schenk, C.J., and Ferderer, D.A., 2003, USGS National Assessment of Oil and Gas Online (NOGA Online): U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 098-03 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-098-03/). Energy Information Administration, 2000, Market trends—Coal, in Annual energy outlook 2001: Energy Information Administration Report DOE/EIA–0383(2001), p. 92–96. (Accessed on the web on 2/21/01 at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/pdf/trend_5.pdf) Huffman, A.C., Biewick, L.R.H., Gunther, G.L., 2004, Gulf Coast Geology Online (GCG Online): U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2004-3143 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2004/3143/).
Huffman, A.C., Kinney, S.A., Biewick, L.R.H.,
Mitchell, H.R., and Gunther, G.L., 2004, Gulf Coast Geology (GCG) Online
- Miocene of Southern Louisiana: U.S. Geological Survey Pierce, Brenda S., 2001, The U.S. Geological Survey National Coal Resource Assessment: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet, FS-020-01 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs020-01/).
U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team, 2000, U.S.
Geological Survey World Petroleum Assessment 2000--Description and
Results by U.S. Geological Survey World Energy Assessment Team: U.S.
Geological Survey Digital |