Geologic Assessment of Undiscovered Gas Resources in Cretaceous–Tertiary Coal Beds of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain
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- Document: Report (15.0 MB pdf) , HTML , XML
- Appendixes:
- Appendix 1 (165 KB pdf) - Input Data Form for the Cretaceous Olmos Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50470281)
- Appendix 2 (161 KB pdf) - Input Data Form for the Rio Escondido Basin Olmos Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (53000281)
- Appendix 3 (168 KB pdf) - Input Data Form for the Wilcox Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50470381)
- Related Work: Open-File Report 2017–1111 - Geologic assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Lower Paleogene Midway and Wilcox Groups, and the Carrizo Sand of the Claiborne Group, of the Northern Gulf coast region
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment in 2007 of the undiscovered, technically recoverable, continuous gas potential of Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the onshore areas and State waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain. The assessment was based on geologic elements including hydrocarbon source rocks, availability of suitable reservoir rocks, and hydrocarbon accumulations in three coalbed gas total petroleum systems (TPSs) identified in the region: (1) the Olmos Coalbed Gas TPS (Upper Cretaceous), (2) the Wilcox Coalbed Gas TPS (Paleocene–Eocene), and (3) the Cretaceous-Tertiary Coalbed Gas TPS. Four continuous assessment units (AUs) were defined within these three TPSs: (1) the Cretaceous Olmos Coalbed Gas AU, (2) the Rio Escondido Basin Olmos Coalbed Gas AU, (3) the Wilcox Coalbed Gas AU, and (4) the Cretaceous-Tertiary Coalbed Gas AU, which was not quantitatively assessed and which includes all other Cretaceous and Tertiary coal beds that are not included in the other AUs.
This USGS assessment estimated a mean of 4.06 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable, continuous coalbed gas resources in the four AUs that were assessed. Nearly all of the undiscovered continuous gas resources that were estimated (95 percent, or 3.86 trillion cubic feet of gas [TCFG]) were in the Wilcox Coalbed Gas AU. The continuous gas resources resided in coalbed reservoirs. Gas sourced from these coal beds may also occur as conventional accumulations in adjacent or interlayered sandstones that were not included in this assessment of continuous resources. The assessment was conducted via the established USGS methodology for continuous petroleum accumulations and reflects estimates of undiscovered resources based on vertical (nonhorizontal) drilling technology.
Suggested Citation
Warwick, P.D., 2022, Geologic assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017–1167, 52 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20171167.
ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)
Study Area
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Geologic Setting
- Methods
- Resource Assessment
- Assessment of Coalbed Gas Resources—Summary of Results
- Acknowledgments
- References Cited
- Appendix 1. Input Data Form for the Cretaceous Olmos Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50470281)
- Appendix 2. Input Data Form for the Rio Escondido Basin Olmos Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (53000281)
- Appendix 3. Input Data Form for the Wilcox Coalbed Gas Assessment Unit (50470381)
Publication type | Report |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
Title | Geologic assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Cretaceous–Tertiary coal beds of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain |
Series title | Open-File Report |
Series number | 2017-1167 |
DOI | 10.3133/ofr20171167 |
Year Published | 2022 |
Language | English |
Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
Publisher location | Reston, VA |
Contributing office(s) | Eastern Energy Resources Science Center |
Description | Report: vi, 52 p.; 3 Appendixes |
Country | United States |
Other Geospatial | U.S. Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain |
Online Only (Y/N) | Y |
Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |