The leading states for natural gas production during 2011 were: Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Together they produced 65% of US natural gas.
With the price of natural gas at $2 or below lots of coal-fired power plants are converting to natural gas – and the price of Wyoming coal has fallen by 45 percent.
William Fritz and Robert Thomas have completed a second edition of the popular Roadside Geology of Yellowstone Country. This 6″x9″ paperback has 311 pages that are packed with detailed information about Yellowstone Geology.
The-Vug.com has an impressive listing of mineral clubs organized by state. You might be surprised at how many clubs are listed and there is probably one that meets within a short drive of your home.
“Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area. This report presents water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from the time before substantial groundwater irrigation development had occurred (about 1950 and termed “predevelopment” in this report) to 2009, from 2007-08, and from 2008-09. The report also presents change in water in storage in the aquifer, from predevelopment to 2009.” Quoted from the USGS report release.
An article in the Jackson Hole News and Guide explores earthquake risk along the Teton Fault and includes comments from Wallace Ulrich, former state geologist involved with producing “Wyoming Earthquake Hazard and Risk Analysis.”
Researchers at Montana State University are monitoring geothermal change beneath Yellowstone National Park in an effort to determine if commercial development of geothermal energy outside of the Park might damage Old Faithful and other park resources.
A number of people are reacting to EPA’s draft report: “Investigation of Ground WaterContamination near Pavillion, Wyoming” which links hydraulic fracturing to fresh water aquifer contamination. Hydraulic fracturing in they Wyoming study was done just 1200 feet below the ground while the fracturing done in the major shale gas plays in other parts of the country occurs and far greater depths.
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 and others who are interested in the Earth.
EPA has issued a draft report titled: Investigation of Ground WaterContamination near Pavillion, Wyoming. From the conclusions: “Using this approach, the explanation best fitting the data for the deep monitoring wells is that constituents associated with hydraulic fracturing have been released into the Wind River drinking water aquifer at depths above the current production zone.”
The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps – large enough make a huge 5′ x 8′ (or 8′ x 5′) 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. Lots of smaller sizes are also available.
We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.
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.
Part of an exploration map - Wyoming Geological Survey
The United States is the world’s leading consumer of diamonds, spending billions of dollars per year on the gem. Although domestic production is currently just a few hundred carats, there is a potential for production in several states.
An article on the Trib.com website explores subsidence problems near Rock Springs, Wyoming that have already cost $160 million to repair but with no end in sight.
The Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research has prepared: Taxation of Natural Gas: A Comparative Analysis. This publication reviews the many methods of taxing natural gas 19 different states. You might be surprised at how many ways natural gas is being taxed.
Some of the most spectacular Eocene fossils are found in the Green River Formation of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming where fish, insects, plants and animals were preserved in intermountain lakes while the Rocky Mountains were still growing.
An article in the Casper Star-Tribune reports that companies interested in the Niobrara Shale of Wyoming and Colorado are using seismic surveys to understand the stratigraphy.
In most of the shale plays a newly-drilled well has a reasonable probability of producing the same mix of natural gas, oil and natural gas liquids produced by existing wells that region. However, wells drilled into the Niobrara of southeastern Wyoming are often dry – a problem that has drillers learning more about the geology or moving their activity to more predictable locations.
USGS has published Assessment of In-Place Oil Shale Resources in the Eocene Green River Formation, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah.
The publication summarizes the Green River Formation with detailed descriptions, maps, cross-sections, resource estimates and more.
A 232-mile pipeline is being built across parts of Wyoming and Montana to transport carbon dioxide gas to the Bell Creek oil field in southeastern Montana. The carbon dioxide will be pumped into the oil reservoir and the pressure produced will force oil up to the surface.
The High Plains Aquifer underlies some of the most important agricultural land in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The Aquifer is in trouble because overpumping has dropped water levels in many areas over 100 vertical feet. This USGS report summarizes changes in the Aquifer from predevelopment to 2009.
Large fires have burned the Yellowstone region every few hundred years but with a warming climate these large destructive fires are expected to occur more frequently.
An article in the Casper Star Tribune explains how carbon dioxide can be used to enhance the recovery of oil from some oil fields. The method works well but the limiting factor is often an abundant local supply of carbon dioxide.
Here is a short video about Jimbo, a specimen of Supersaurus vivianae and the longest dinosaur found in Wyoming and possibly the fourth longest dinosaur found in the world.
“Hayden was the “Man Who Picks Up Stones Running” – a name said to be given to him in 1853 by the Sioux who lived in the vicinity of the deposits Hayden prospected during his trip along the Missouri River.” Quote from the Wired Science article.
MSN has a new article on monitoring the Yellowstone Supervolcano. The good news is that there are no signs that the next big eruption is going to happen any time soon.
Drillers hope that wells in the Niobrara Shale will yield similar quantities of oil and natural gas as wells in the nearby Bakken Formation. However, early results show Niobrara wells yielding at less than half the rate of Bakken wells.
“Because of the volume of mud, rock and water moving across US 26-89 about 24 miles southwest of Jackson, and the speed at which the material is moving, there is no practical way to stop the slide and begin work to reopen the highway until the slide stabilizes naturally.” Quoted from the Wyoming Department of Transportation website.
Rangers at Yellowstone National Park handed out citations carrying fines of $125 to tourists who ventured beyond prominent signs and got too close to Old Faithful geyser – that blasts scalding hot water every 90 minutes.
“University of Utah geophysicists made the first large-scale picture of the electrical conductivity of the gigantic underground plume of hot and partly molten rock that feeds the Yellowstone supervolcano. The image suggests the plume is even bigger than it appears in earlier images made with earthquake waves.” Quoted from The University of Utah press release.
Some companies are starting to doubt the initially optimistic opinions about the Niobrara Shale that has produced oil and natural gas in the Colorado, Western Nebraska and Wyoming area. Some recent wells have not been commercially viable and that has generated uncertainty.
Mark Northam, director of the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming says that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allow drillers to “manufacture a reservoir” in the Niobrara Shale.
An article in the Billings Gazette explains how horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are opening a bonanza of oil and natural gas from the Niobrara Shale in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.
Wyoming produces more coal than any other state and the federal government plans to make tracts in the Powder River Basin containing about 750 million tons of coal available for leasing.
“The Colorado River provides water for about 25 million people and is used to irrigate 2.5 million acres of farmland. However, competition for this water is expected to increase as human populations dependent on this water are projected to increase to 38 million by 2020. Climate change is expected to further exacerbate water issues in this region.” Quoted from the USGS publication announcement.
The Oil and Gas Journal reports that a large number of companies have permits to drill in previously unproductive areas in an attempt to expand the Niobrara Shale Oil play in Wyoming.
The New York Times has an article titled “Federal Royalties for Gold and Copper?”. It explores the idea of the federal government collecting royalties on mineral extracted from federal lands. Since passage of the 1872 mining law, royalties have not been paid.
“The General Mining Law of 1872 declared all valuable mineral deposits in land belonging to the United States to be free and open to exploration and purchase. This law provides citizens of the United States the opportunity to explore for, discover and purchase certain valuable mineral deposits on the public lands.
The 1872 Mining Law also provided for the transfer of the land upon which a mining claim has been filed – as opposed to the minerals which were claimed – from federal to private ownership provided certain provisions were met. Transfers of land ownership – acquiring a patent to the land – are currently prohibited by a congressionally-imposed moratorium until Congress determines whether the law should be changed.” Quoted from the Bureau of Land Management website.
An unusual entry into the Niobrara Shale is CNOOC Ltd., China’s largest offshore energy company. They are buying 1/3 of Chesapeake Energy’s Niobrara Shale assets for $570 million cash.
A swelling magma reservoir about four to six miles below Earth’s surface has cause portions of Yellowstone Park to be uplifted about ten inches in just a few years. Some alarmists are saying that this is a sign of imminent danger but those who know the magma system below Yellowstone well say that it has been rising and falling for thousands of years.
This 3-part video series is all about the Yellowstone Supervolcano. Yellowstone Volcano Observatory scientist Jake Lowenstern explains the volcanic history of the area, earthquakes, ground deformation, geysers, and more.
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