After starting a rapid activity decline in 2010, the Haynesville Shale which spans between northeast Texas and northern Louisiana is starting to heat up.
Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.
March oil output from the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas was up 77% (from 298,000 barrels per day to 530,000 barrels per day) when comparing March 2012 with March 2013.
Some initial drilling has shown that the Pearsall Shale of Texas (a rock unit below the Eagle Ford) has the ability to yield oil and natural gas. Leases are still being acquired.
Since 1972 the “Roadside Geology” series has provided introductory information on the geology of states and small regions of the United States.
The books provide a combination of maps, travel logs, photos and commentary for the geology that can be seen along highways or visited at parks and public viewing areas. They are popular with geologists, teachers, students and others who are interested in the Earth.
Lots of people enjoy going to fee mining sites where you can prospect inactive surface mines, mine tailings, soil, sediments or outcrops and keep any rocks, gems, minerals or fossils that you find. Examples include: Herkimer Diamond Mines where you can search for doubly-terminated quartz crystals, and Crater of Diamonds where you might be lucky enough to find a real diamond.
“Invasive “crazy ants” are displacing fire ants in areas across the southeastern United States. [...] It’s the latest in a history of ant invasions from the southern hemisphere and may prove to have dramatic effects on the ecosystem of the region.” Quoted from The University of Texas at Austin press release.
“The newest sets of US Topo maps cover the states of Texas and New York. The 4,309 quadrangles for Texas and 972 quads covering New York replace the existing US Topo maps for those states, and will be added to the USGSHistorical Topographic Map Collection. All of these maps are available for free download from The National Map.” Quoted from the USGS press release.
Even though oil production rates in the United States are climbing and the amount of gasoline being used by drivers is falling the price of gasoline remains high. An article in Bloomberg Businessweek explains why.
Salt Domes are mounds or columns of salt that have risen above their parent rock unit because of the salt’s low specific gravity.
They serve as oil and natural gas reservoirs; sources of sulfur; sources of salt; underground storage sites for oil, natural gas and helium; and, disposal sites for hazardous waste.
Did you know that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from any type of subsidence? That includes collapse from sinkholes, oil production, ground water pumping and underground mining activity. Most insurance companies offering homeowners coverage exclude almost any type of geologic hazard from coverage – unless you make specific arrangements to acquire it yourself.
Consol Energy has reached an agreement that will allow it for drill for natural gas on 9,000 acres of land at the Pittsburgh International Airport. This isn’t the first time airport property has been drilled for natural gas. In 2006 land surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was part of a drilling deal.
The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.
We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.
Crude oil production from the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas was up 70% in November 2012, over the same month in 2011. Statewide, oil production in Texas was up to 2.1 million barrels per day – the highest level since 1987.
“The Upper Cretaceous Austin Chalk forms a low-permeability, onshore Gulf of Mexico reservoir that produces oil and gas from major fractures oriented parallel to the underlying Lower Cretaceous shelf edge. Horizontal drilling links these fracture systems to create an interconnected network that drains the reservoir.” Quoted from USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5159.
“A new species of coelacanth fish has been discovered in Texas. Pieces of tiny fossil skull found in Fort Worth have been identified as 100 million-year-old coelacanth bones.” Quoted from the Southern Methodist University press release.
Projections in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013 show an explosion of tight oil production in the United States over the next few years and a continued decline in Alaska production.
An article on the MSNBC.com website explores volcanic hazards in the southwestern United States and how geologists are starting to coordinate their mitigation, forecasting and planning efforts.
Middle school students in Texas study dinosaur trackways to learn about the environment and behavior of dinosaurs. The trackway along the shoreline of Grapevine Lake is usually under water but is currently exposed because of a drought.
“In the late 1800s, a flurry of fossil speculation across the American West escalated into a high-profile national feud called the Bone Wars. Drawn into the spectacle were two scientists from the Lone Star State, geologist Robert T. Hill, now acclaimed as the Father of Texas Geology, and naturalist Jacob Boll, who made many of the state’s earliest fossil discoveries.” Quoted from the Southern Methodist University Research Blog.
USGS has published: Saturated thickness and water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 2009, and water-level changes and changes in water in storage in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995, 1995 to 2000, 2000 to 2005, and 2005 to 2009.
Although three major oil companies have partnered to export North Slope LNG to Asia and a Qatari-Exxon partnership plans to export LNG from a terminal in Texas, some experts believe they are attacking a market that will be saturated by the time their gas is ready to ship.
The United States Department of Energy has granted a state-run company from Qatar permission to export natural gas produced in the United States from an LNG terminal in Texas.
The Center for Disease Control reports record levels of West Nile virus in humans. Over 70 percent of the cases have been reported from six states (Texas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Michigan) and almost 45 percent of all cases have been reported from Texas. The common symptoms are fever and neck stiffness
Welcome to Geology News!
Every day you can find links to several earth science news topics right here.
Bookmark this page and visit often. You can also receive our news for free by RSS feed or in a daily email message.
Advertising
Popular on Geology.com
Homeowners Insurance usually does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, earthquakes and other geohazards.
Frac Sand is a high-purity silica sand used in hydraulic fracturing to enhance the flow of oil and gas from tight rock units.
Diamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Fluorescent Minerals glow with spectacular colors when illuminated in the dark with an ultraviolet lamp.
Helium is a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Its most important use is in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines.
Canada Diamond Mines: Canada is the third largest producer of gem-quality diamonds in the world.
Utica Shale: New wells in eastern Ohio prove that the Utica Shale will be a major source of natural gas and natural gas liquids.
Spectacular Fossils of the Green River Formation. Some of the world's best-preserved fossil fish from an intermountain lake.
Opals: Gem quality opal is one of the most spectacular gemstones. A single stone can flash with every color of the spectrum.
