WTGS June Luncheon
WTGS June Luncheon
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 (11:30 AM - 1:00 PM) (CDT)
Description
Integrated Energy Science: The USGS Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
Evan Bargnesi – Associate Science Center Director, USGS, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center (GEMSC), based in Reston, Virginia, is focused on pursuing innovative research and up-to-date assessments that address national priorities. As a multidisciplinary center, GEMSC integrates research across energy and mineral systems, energy materials and byproducts, and environmental health to provide objective, credible, fundamental science for a wide range of decision-makers and stakeholders.
With 100+ staff and 20+ specialized laboratories, the GEMSC executes a broad scientific portfolio including, but not limited to, the following: 1) assessments of oil and gas systems, specifically in the Gulf Coast and Alaska basins (both conventional and unconventional/continuous), 2) research on energy system characterization, such as thermal indices and methanogenesis, 3) research and assessments of carbon sequestration, including carbon mineralization and carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery, 4) research on energy byproducts, such as oilfield brines and coal fly ash, and their critical mineral potential, 5) research and assessments of critical minerals, 6) investigations on disposition and recovery of critical minerals from mine waste, and 7) delineation of the environmental impacts of resource development. GEMSC scientists utilize field studies, laboratory analysis, geophysical surveys, remote sensing, and modeling to produce high-impact, policy-relevant science products.
This talk highlights the scale (from microscopic-level to national-level) and scope (from petroleum systems analysis to wind turbine mapping) of GEMSC science, with a focus on using interdisciplinary approaches to complex questions. Ongoing projects illustrate how an integrated approach to GEMSC science supports both forward-thinking foundational science and near-term decision making.