Geoscience Currents transmit snapshots of the many facets of the geoscience profession, in-depth case studies of how geoscience is applied, factsheets that provide rigorous introductions to a range of geoscience topics, workforce trends, and career paths.
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Displaying 11 - 20 of a total of 28 items
August 31, 2018
By the numbers: Pennsylvania
16,480 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)1
628 million gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal3
$1.85 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 20174
59 total disaster declarations, including 26 flood, 16 severe storm, and 8 hurricane...
August 29, 2018
By the numbers: Alaska
3,736 geoscience employees (excludes self-employed)1
315 million gallons/day: total groundwater withdrawal3
$3.53 billion: value of nonfuel mineral production in 20174
54 total disaster declarations, including 17 severe storm, 4 fire, and 13 flood disasters (1953-...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Naturally occurring crude oil comes in many forms. The most familiar to many people is light crude oil, which is less dense than water and flows easily at room temperature. Heavy oil and bitumen are forms of crude oil that are more viscous (thicker) and dense. The largest crude oil...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
The oil and gas industry consumes and produces water. Water is used to drill and hydraulically fracture (“frack”) wells, refine and process oil and gas, and produce electricity in some natural gas power plants. Water is also naturally present in the rocks that contain oil and gas and...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Crude oil and natural gas are complex chemical mixtures that are generally unsuitable for direct use. Oil refining and gas processing turn these mixtures into a wide range of fuels and other products while removing low-value and polluting components.
Refining and processing have both...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
Oilfield spills can harm wildlife and pose a risk to human health if they reach fresh water sources or contaminate soil or air. The enormous size of the oil and gas industry and the huge volumes of oil and produced water that are handled, stored, and transported result in thousands of...
June 01, 2018
Opportunities and Concerns in Using Produced Water
Produced water is natural groundwater that is extracted along with oil and gas. It is commonly salty and mixed with oil residues,1 so it must be either disposed of or treated and reused. About 2.5 billion gallons of produced water are extracted...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
The Arctic hosts large oil and natural gas resources both onshore and offshore.1 However, the harsh climate, extreme weather, remote locations, and limited infrastructure make exploration and production expensive and sometimes hazardous. In recent decades, decreased summer sea ice has...
June 01, 2018
Manmade Earthquakes
Any activity that significantly changes the pressure on or fluid content of rocks has the potential to trigger earthquakes. This includes geothermal energy production, water storage in large reservoirs, groundwater extraction, underground injection of water for enhanced oil...
June 01, 2018
Introduction
The Pinedale field is the sixth-largest gas field in the United States.1 The core development area covers about 70 square miles in a sparsely populated area of southwest Wyoming, 70-100 miles north of Rock Springs.2 In 2015, the Pinedale field produced 4 million barrels of gas...
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