National Assessment of Geologic 

Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—

Allocations of Assessed Areas

to Federal Lands 

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5021

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
Cover. Photograph of the Castle Gardens Scenic Area, which is located in the Wind River Basin, 

Wyoming, and is representative of Federal lands overlying assessed storage areas. The scenic 

area is managed by the Bureau of Land Management of the U.S. Department of the Interior. This 

photograph was accessed March 16, 2015, at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castle_

Gardens_Scenic_Area_by_Ten_Sleep,_Wyoming_01.jpg, and the file is licensed under the Creative 

Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
National Assessment of Geologic

Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—

Allocations of Assessed Areas 

to Federal Lands

By Marc L. Buursink, Steven M. Cahan, and Peter D. Warwick

Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5021

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

SALLY JEWELL, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015

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Suggested citation:

Buursink, M.L., Cahan, S.M., and Warwick, P.D., 2015, National assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage 

resources—Allocations of assessed areas to Federal lands: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations 

Report 2015–5021, 21 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155021.

ISSN 2328 –0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Storage Resources........................................................................................................................................1

Lands Description..........................................................................................................................................2

Assessed Areas .............................................................................................................................................3

Conclusions.....................................................................................................................................................4

Additional Assessment Information ...........................................................................................................4

References Cited............................................................................................................................................5

Glossary...........................................................................................................................................................6

Figures

[Figures and tables follow the glossary]

1. Maps of the conterminous United States and Alaska showing selected landownership and land-management categories, along with the 8 regions and

36 areas assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage..........................................7

2. Pie charts showing land categories, along with most likely acreages and

percentages for allocations of land overlying areas assessed in 2012 for

geologic carbon dioxide storage .............................................................................................12

3. Pie charts showing top 10 States (and other remaining States) with the most 

likely estimates of allocations to four categories of land overlying areas

assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage ........................................................13

4. Pie chart showing top 10 States (and other remaining States) with the most

likely estimates of State-lands allocations for land overlying areas assessed

in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage ..........................................................................15

Tables

1. U.S. regions and basins assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage,

merged storage assessment unit (SAU) footprint areas, and estimated areas for

lands overlying storage resources and allocated to general land-ownership

categories and Federal land-management categories........................................................16

2. Lists of storage assessment units (SAUs) having the largest land allocations

by area and percentage for five land-management categories for U.S. areas

assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage ........................................................20
iv

Conversion Factors

Multiply By To obtain

Length

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) 

nautical mile (nmi) 1.852 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter

square mile 2.590 square kilometer

Mass

kilogram (kg) 2.205 pound, avoirdupois (lb)

megagram (Mg)=1 metric ton (t) 

(1,000 kg)

1.102 ton, short (2,000 lb) 

billion metric tons=gigaton (Gt) 1.102 billion short tons

Datum 

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).
National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide 

Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas 

to Federal Lands

By Marc L. Buursink, Steven M. Cahan, and Peter D. Warwick

Abstract

Following the geologic basin-scale assessment of 

technically accessible carbon dioxide storage resources in 

onshore areas and State waters of the United States, the 

U.S. Geological Survey estimated that an area of about 

130 million acres (or about 200,000 square miles) of 

Federal lands overlies these storage resources. Consequently, 

about 18 percent of the assessed area associated with storage 

resources is allocated to Federal land management. Assessed 

areas are allocated to four other general land-ownership 

categories as follows: State lands about 4.5 percent, 

Tribal lands about 2.4 percent, private and other lands 

about 72 percent, and offshore areas about 2.6 percent.

Introduction

In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed 

an assessment of the technically accessible geologic storage 

resources (TASR) for carbon dioxide (CO2) for 36 assessed 

areas (within one or more sedimentary basins) in 8 regions 

in the onshore areas and State waters of the United States 

(fig. 1) (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide 

Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b,c). The TASR is 

an estimate of the subsurface geologic storage resources that 

may be available for CO2 injection and is based on current 

geologic and hydrologic knowledge of the subsurface and 

on assumptions about current engineering practices (Society 

of Petroleum Engineers, 2014). By using a geology-based 

probabilistic assessment methodology, the USGS assessment team members obtained a mean TASR estimate of about 

3,000 gigatons (Gt) under U.S. onshore areas and State waters. 

The estimate of the TASR includes buoyant trapping storage 

resources (BSR), where CO2 can be trapped in structural or 

stratigraphic closures, and residual trapping storage resources 

(RSR), where CO2 can be held in place by capillary pore 

pressures in areas outside of buoyant traps. The mean national 

BSR is about 44 Gt, whereas the RSR is divided among three 

injectivity classes, which are based on reservoir permeability. 

A large portion of the TASR is located under Federal lands, and 

identifying this fraction of the assessed area is critical to future 

management decisions.

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 

(Public Law 110–140) directed the USGS to conduct a 

national assessment of geologic storage resources for CO2

in consultation with the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and 

State geological surveys. The USGS subsequently developed 

and updated a probabilistic methodology to estimate storage 

resources in U.S. sedimentary basins (Burruss and others, 

2009; Brennan and others, 2010; Blondes and others, 2013). 

The national USGS assessment results were summarized by 

the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team (2013c) and were detailed in 

companion reports (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon 

Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b).

Storage Resources

The goal of the national assessment by the USGS was 

to prepare an estimate of subsurface storage capacity on 

a regional scale; the results are not intended for use in the 

evaluation of specific sites for potential CO2 storage. The 

assessment was a geology-based examination of major 

sedimentary basins in the onshore areas and State waters of 

the United States that contain one or more storage assessment 

units (SAUs) defined according to geologic and hydrologic 

characteristics required by the USGS assessment methodology. Although geologic storage of CO2

 may be possible in 

some areas not assessed by the USGS, the SAUs identified in 

the assessment represent those areas within sedimentary basins 

that met the assessment criteria. The SAU is a mappable 

volume of rock that consists of a porous reservoir and a 

bounding regional sealing formation. A geologic description 
2 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

of each sedimentary basin and the SAUs therein was prepared 

during the assessment; assessment input parameters for the 

SAUs in several basins have been released in Warwick and 

Corum (2012). 

Sedimentary rocks of deep formations with saline 

groundwater and of reservoirs containing existing oil and 

gas fields were evaluated. Ultimately, 36 sedimentary 

basins, or combined basin study areas, within 8 regions 

of the United States were assessed for storage resources 

(U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b) (fig. 1). Within the 

assessed basins, 202 SAUs were identified as having good 

storage potential because of the presence of a robust regional 

seal, adequate reservoir rock, and sufficient areas containing 

saline formation waters. Regions with the largest TASR are the 

Coastal Plains Region (mean estimate of 1,900 Gt, of which 

about 1,800 Gt, or 95 percent of the resources, is in the U.S. 

Gulf Coast study area), the Alaska Region (mean estimate of 

270 Gt, where the resources are almost entirely in the Alaska 

North Slope), and the Rocky Mountains and Northern Great 

Plains Region (mean estimate of 270 Gt) (table 1; fig. 1) 

(U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b). No SAUs were 

identified in Hawaii because geologic conditions were unlikely 

to meet the USGS methodology requirements.

Storage resources were estimated without consideration of 

economic viability or of accessibility due to land-management

or regulatory restrictions. Thus, if storage of CO2 within a 

formation was feasible according to current knowledge of the 

subsurface and engineering practices, it was considered for the 

assessment. In the 2012 assessment, allocations to individual 

States and general land-ownership categories were tabulated 

for SAUs (U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide 

Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a).

In this report, potential resource accessibility related 

to general land ownership and Federal land management is 

now considered. The assessed area is used when allocating 

the storage resource because the basin geology may be too 

variable to allocate the TASR to general and Federal lands. 

Furthermore, the individual agencies managing Federal lands 

overlying the assessed storage areas are now considered. The 

DOE published a complementary summary report of geologic 

CO2 storage resources estimated by multiple public-private 

partnerships studies, and the report also accounts for Federal 

lands leasing (Dolence and others, 2009).

Lands Description

The five general land-ownership categories used in this 

report are Federal lands, State lands, Tribal lands, private and 

other lands, and offshore areas. The Federal lands considered 

in this report include lands where surface or subsurface 

rights are owned or managed by Federal agencies alone or in 

cooperation with State or private interests. Typically, officials 

at individual Federal sites have estimated the percentage of 

land on which the Federal Government owns the mineral 

rights. Also considered are lands held in trust by the Federal 

Government. In the conterminous United States and Alaska, 

Federal lands make up about 32 percent of the onshore areas 

and State waters. About 2.3 percent of the total U.S. area 

consists of Native American and Alaska Native lands 

(collectively referred to as Tribal lands; see the glossary), and 

they are considered in this report; these lands were not all 

included in the prior allocation by the U.S. Geological Survey 

Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment 

Team (2013a). Ultimately, land owners, managers, planners, 

and storage resource developers may use this report to make 

decisions about the multiple uses of Federal lands and the 

scope of future TASR development. State lands may have 

similar access and usage issues as Federal lands.

Agencies managing Federal lands within the assessment study areas include multiple U.S. Department of the 

Interior agencies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest 

Service (FS), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) 

(fig. 1). The Interior agencies include the Bureau of Land 

Management (BLM), the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the National 

Park Service (NPS). The U.S. Government does not have 

title to all the lands within the Federal tracts shown in 

figure 1. In some areas, such as in legislatively proclaimed 

administrative boundaries of national forests, Federal and 

private surface ownerships are intermixed, as in Wyoming 

(fig. 1). In other areas, such as small national wildlife refuges, 

the surface may be managed through easements rather than 

outright Federal ownership. Most of the land to which the 

U.S. Government holds title within the U.S. Gulf Coast study 

area was acquired from other owners (States and private) and 

may be subject to different public land laws and regulations 

when compared to land retained from the original public 

domain (Karlsen and others, 2002). Federal lands in the 

Eastern United States include national forests, U.S. military 

properties, national parks, the Tennessee Valley Authority 

(TVA) land, water bodies, other scattered recreational areas, 

and historical sites (fig. 1). Federal lands in the Western 

United States include large BLM grazing and conservation 

areas, dammed water bodies, and extensive national forests.

Offshore areas are defined as State waters, or those 

submerged areas between the established baseline for 

the coast and the federally owned offshore areas. State 

waters extend out to 3 geographic (nautical) miles from 

the established baseline for the coast; beyond this limit, 

Federal jurisdiction begins and extends to an outer limit 

of 200 nautical miles. However, in special cases because 

of territorial claims existing at the dates of statehood, 

“Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida have a proprietary 

interest in a submerged belt of land, nine geographic miles 

wide, extending seaward along the coast” (Thormahlen, 

1999, p. 1–2). Resource assessments in federally managed 

areas beyond State waters (see the glossary) are typically 

done by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management of the 

U.S. Department of the Interior.
Assessed Areas 3

Assessed Areas

An assessed area is the merged footprint for all the 

SAUs in a sedimentary basin or combined basin study area; 

the SAUs are at least 3,000 feet below the surface. The most 

likely estimate of assessed area represents the areal extent of 

the geologic storage resources and does not indicate uniform 

TASR distribution. For example, assessed areas may have 

overlapping subsurface SAUs, and the thickness of an SAU 

may vary within a basin. Specific information on each SAU 

was detailed in previous reports (Warwick and Corum, 2012; 

U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013a,b). Figure 1A shows 

assessed areas on a map of selected land-ownership and landmanagement categories, including Federal lands. For clarity, 

figures 1B, C, and D show the distribution of BLM, FS, and 

Tribal lands separately relative to the assessed areas.

Table 1A lists the most likely acreage in the merged SAU 

footprint for each assessed area and includes the allocations of 

Federal, State, Tribal, and other lands overlying each assessed 

area. Table 1B lists the most likely acreage of Federal lands 

overlying assessed areas and managed by different agencies. 

As shown in table 1A, the three assessed basins having the 

largest areas of overlying Federal lands are the Eastern Great 

Basin, the Alaska North Slope, and the Greater Green River 

Basin. Note that in the Eastern Great Basin, Federal lands 

overlie a large assessed area, but the basin contains only one 

quantitatively assessed SAU, which has a relatively low TASR

(U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013b, table 3, p. 30–31). 

Figure 2A shows the most likely allocations in acres for 

five general land-ownership categories overlying assessed areas, 

whereas figure 2B shows the most likely allocations in acres for 

Federal land-management categories overlying assessed areas. 

Federal lands overlie about 18 percent of the assessed acreage, 

whereas State lands overlie about 4.5 percent; Tribal lands, 

about 2.4 percent; private and other lands, about 72 percent; and 

offshore areas, about 2.6 percent. (Allocation areas, in acres and 

percentages, were calculated from unrounded assessed areas 

but are reported to two significant figures.) Of the assessed area 

overlain by Federal lands, 64 percent is managed by the BLM, 

21 percent is managed by the FS, 5.7 percent is managed 

by the DOD, 3.8 percent is managed by the USFWS, and 

3.8 percent is managed by the NPS; other agencies manage 

the remaining 1.7 percent (fig. 2B).

Figures 1B and 2B and tables 1B and 2B show that the 

largest assessed area underlying Federal lands is allocated to lands 

administered by the BLM, particularly in the Alaska North Slope 

of the Alaska Region and in the Greater Green River Basin of the 

Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains Region. Figures 1C

and 2B and tables 1B and 2C show that the second largest assessed 

area underlying Federal lands is allocated to lands administered by the FS, though no regions dominate the allocations.

Alternatively to assessed areas being allocated to land 

categories, the fraction of selected land categories overlying 

assessed areas may be considered. The fraction of all Federal 

lands overlying assessed areas is 19 percent, whereas 

the fraction of all BLM lands overlying assessed areas is 

31 percent, the fraction of all FS lands overlying assessed 

areas is 13 percent, and the fraction of all Tribal lands overlying assessed areas is 18 percent.

Figure 3A shows the top 10 States (and other remaining 

States) having the largest estimated acreages of Federal lands 

overlying assessed areas, whereas figures 3B through 3D show 

the top 10 States having the largest estimated acreages of BLM, 

FS, and Tribal lands, respectively, overlying assessed areas. In 

general, the western States dominate these rankings. The States 

that have the most Federal lands overlying assessed areas 

are Alaska and Nevada, and each has about 26 million acres 

(or about 41,000 and 40,000 square miles, respectively) of 

mostly BLM lands. The States that have the least Federal lands 

overlying assessed areas are Missouri, with about 72 acres (or 

about 0.11 square mile) allocated to NPS lands, and Maryland, 

with about 11 acres (or about 0.017 square mile) allocated to 

DOD lands. Nearly all of the Federal lands in Louisiana overlie 

assessed areas (fig. 1A ). Twelve States have no assessed area 

and thus no allocations to general and Federal categories.

Nationwide, about 31 million acres (or about 

48,000 square miles) of State lands overlie assessed areas. 

Figure 4 shows the top 10 States (and other remaining States) 

that have State lands overlying assessed areas; Alaska, Florida, 

Michigan, and Pennsylvania have the highest acreages for this 

particular allocation.

Whereas assessed areas are more valid for considering 

the geologic storage resource allocations, the TASR was 

tabulated for SAUs in the assessment, and understanding how 

lands overlie these units is also valuable for planning storage 

projects. Table 2A lists the top 10 SAUs ranked by area of 

overlying Federal lands. Table 2B lists the top 10 SAUs ranked 

by area of overlying BLM lands, which make up the largest 

Federal lands allocation and most commonly overlie assessed 

areas. Table 2C lists the top 10 SAUs ranked by area of 

overlying FS lands, and table 2D lists the top 10 SAUs ranked 

by area of overlying Tribal lands, the second and third largest 

land allocations in the assessment, respectively. Table 2E lists 

the top 10 SAUs by area of overlying State lands.

There is commonality when comparing the top 10 SAUs 

in table 2A by area and the 10 SAUs having the largest 

TASR listed by the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon 

Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013b, p. 15 

and table 3). This commonality includes the Lower Torok 

Formation SAU (C50010107 with a TASR of 140 Gt), in the 

Alaska North Slope study area, ranked fifth largest in the 

2012 assessment and ranked second in this table of SAUs 

with the most Federal lands (about 18 million acres or about 

27,000 square miles). Additional overlap between the lists 

includes the Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations SAU 

(C50490116 with a TASR of 85 Gt), in the U.S. Gulf Coast, 

ranked eighth in storage capacity and seventh on the list of 

SAUs with the most Federal lands (about 5.9 million acres or 

about 9,100 square miles).
4 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Conclusions

This report has estimates of acreages in five landownership categories (Federal lands, State lands, Tribal 

lands, private and other lands, and offshore areas) for lands 

that overlie areas assessed by the USGS in 2012 for geologic 

carbon dioxide (CO2 ) storage (U.S. Geological Survey 

Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment 

Team, 2013b). The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 

is the Federal agency with the most land (about 80 million 

acres, or about 126,000 square miles) overlying assessed 

areas and storage assessment units (SAUs), followed by the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), which 

has about 27 million acres (or about 42,000 square miles). 

Also significantly, Tribal lands cover about 17 million acres 

(about 26,000 square miles). Alaska and Nevada are the 

States with the most Federal lands overlying assessed areas, 

which are mostly managed by the BLM. The Lower Torok 

Formation SAU in the Alaska North Slope and the Tuscaloosa 

and Woodbine Formations SAU in the U.S. Gulf Coast are 

examples of units having large amounts of technically accessible storage resources (TASR) underlying Federal lands. The 

Alaska Region and the Rocky Mountains and Northern Great 

Plains Region contain the most storage resources area overlain 

by Federal lands, whereas the Coastal Plains Region contains 

the most TASR regardless of land ownership.

Although officials at individual Federal sites have 

estimated the mineral rights, the USGS did not distinguish 

between mineral rights and pore-space allocation for the 

geologic CO2 storage resources assessment. This report should 

not be used to define title to any specific area because of the 

complicated nature of surface and subsurface mineral-estate 

ownership. The scattered geographic distribution of the 

SAUs and assessed areas, and the existence of legal and 

surface restrictions on the accessibility of the TASR could 

eliminate much of the estimated resources from consideration 

for development. Nevertheless, information on Federal 

management of storage resources in this report and other 

results included in the 2013 assessment report will assist 

policymakers and planners in making decisions concerning the 

multiple uses of Federal lands and the scope of future geologic 

CO2 storage development.

Additional Assessment Information

Assessment results, supporting geologic studies of the 

storage formations and regional seals composing the storage 

assessment units, and the methodology used in assessing 

the national geologic carbon dioxide storage resource are 

available online at the USGS Energy Resources Program 

Web site http://energy.usgs.gov/EnvironmentalAspects/

EnvironmentalAspectsofEnergyProductionandUse/

GeologicCO2Sequestration.aspx or more simply at 

http://go.usa.gov/8X8.
References Cited 5

References Cited

Blondes, M.S., Brennan, S.T., Merrill, M.D., Buursink, M.L., 

Warwick, P.D., Cahan, S.M., Cook, T.A., Corum, M.D., 

Craddock, W.H., DeVera, C.A., Drake, R.M., II, Drew, L.J., 

Freeman, P.A., Lohr, C.D., Olea, R.A., Roberts-Ashby, 

T.L., Slucher, E.R., and Varela, B.A., 2013, National 

assessment of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources—

Methodology implementation: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2013–1055, 26 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/

of/2013/1055/.

Brennan, S.T., Burruss, R.C., Merrill, M.D., Freeman, P.A., 

and Ruppert, L.F., 2010, A probabilistic assessment methodology for the evaluation of geologic carbon dioxide storage: 

U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2010–1127, 

31 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2010/1127.

Burruss, R.C., Brennan, S.T., Freeman, P.A., Merrill, M.D., 

Ruppert, L.F., Becker, M.F., Herkelrath, W.N., Kharaka, Y.K.,

Neuzil, C.E., Swanson, S.M., Cook, T.A., Klett, T.R., 

Nelson, P.H., and Schenk, C.J., 2009, Development of 

a probabilistic assessment methodology for evaluation 

of carbon dioxide storage: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 2009–1035, 81 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/

of/2009/1035/.

Dolence, R.C., Kirschner, Charles, Babel, Christopher, 

Findle, Patrick, and Harouff, Steven, 2009, Storage of 

captured carbon dioxide beneath Federal lands: U.S. 

Department of Energy, National Energy Technology 

Laboratory Report DOE/NETL–2009/1358, 75 p., 

accessed June 23, 2014, at http://www.netl.doe.gov/

File%20Library/Research/Energy%20Analysis/Coal/

Fed-Land_403-01-02_050809.pdf.

Karlsen, A.W., SanFilipo, J.R., and Warwick, P.D., 2002, Coal 

underlying Federal lands in the Gulf of Mexico Coastal 

Plain: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 094–02, 2 p., 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs094-02/.

Minerals Management Service, 2005, Official protraction 

diagram and leasing map boundaries: National Atlas 

of the United States, map layer accessed in 2005 at 

http://nationalatlas.gov/mld/opdlm0p.html. [After the 

National Atlas of the United States was retired in 2014, 

some of its products were made available at http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/.]

Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2014, Carbon capture and 

sequestration: Society of Petroleum Engineers Carbon 

Capture and Sequestration Committee Web site, accessed 

September 11, 2014, at http://www.spe.org/industry/sites/ccs/.

Thormahlen, L.F., 1999, Boundary development on the Outer 

Continental Shelf: Minerals Management Service, Mapping 

and Boundary Branch OCS report MMS 99–0006, 12 p.,

accessed February 21, 2013, at http://www.boem.gov/BOEMNewsroom/Library/Publications/1999/99-0006-pdf.aspx.

U.S. Geological Survey, 2005a, Federal lands of the United 

States: National Atlas of the United States, map layer 

accessed in 2005 at http://www.nationalatlas.gov/mld/

fedlanp.html. [After the National Atlas of the United States 

was retired in 2014, some of its products were made available at http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/.]

U.S. Geological Survey, 2005b, Indian lands of the United 

States: National Atlas of the United States, map layer 

accessed in 2005 at http://nationalatlas.gov/mld/indlanp.

html. [After the National Atlas of the United States was 

retired in 2014, some of its products were made available 

at http://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/.]

U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013a, National assessment of 

geologic carbon dioxide storage resources—Data (ver. 1.1, 

September 2013): U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 774, 

13 p., plus 2 appendixes and 2 large tables in separate files, 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/774/.

U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013b, National assessment 

of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources—Results 

(ver. 1.1, September 2013): U.S. Geological Survey 

Circular 1386, 41 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1386/.

U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage 

Resources Assessment Team, 2013c, National assessment 

of geologic carbon dioxide storage resources—Summary 

(ver. 1.1, September 2013): U.S. Geological Survey Fact 

Sheet 2013–3020, 6 p., http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3020/.

Warwick, P.D., and Corum, M.D., eds., 2012, Geologic 

framework for the national assessment of carbon dioxide 

storage resources: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File 

Report 2012–1024, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20121024. 

[Chapters A–J were posted by November 1, 2014.]
6 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Glossary

Federal lands One of five land-ownership categories used in this assessment for allocation of 

resources. Federal lands are lands within the United States owned or administered by the Federal 

Government. These include parks, national wildlife refuges, military reservations, Federal 

prisons, and public-domain land. Spatial data for this category came from State-specific spatial 

resources from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) available at http://www.blm.gov and 

from the National Atlas of the United States (U.S. Geological Survey, 2005a).

federally owned offshore areas Federal jurisdiction begins at 3 geographic (nautical) miles 

from the established baseline for the coast and extends to an outer limit of 200 nautical miles 

(Outer Continental Shelf). However, there are special cases. Because of claims existing at the 

dates of statehood, Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida have proprietary interest in a submerged 

belt of land, 9 geographic miles wide, extending seaward along the coast (Thormahlen, 1999). 

Resource assessments in federally owned offshore areas are typically done by the Bureau of 

Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).

offshore areas One of five land-ownership categories used in this assessment for allocation of 

resources. In this assessment, offshore areas include State waters (see definition), and some are 

managed by Federal agencies, such as the BLM. Both State and Federal offshore area boundaries came from the National Atlas of the United States (Minerals Management Service, 2005).

private and other lands One of five land-ownership categories used in this assessment for 

allocation of resources. Lands not owned by Federal, State, or Tribal entities are placed in 

this category of private and other lands. These lands either belong to private owners or, less 

commonly, belong to additional BLM-named ownership categories (such as county, city, water, 

and other) and are grouped together here. Spatial data for this category came primarily from 

State-specific spatial resources from the BLM available at http://www.blm.gov; when data were 

not available from the BLM, they were obtained from individual State agencies.

State lands One of five land-ownership categories used in this assessment for allocation of 

resources. This ownership category includes lands owned by State entities, as categorized by 

the BLM in State-specific land-ownership data obtained from http://www.blm.gov; when data 

were not available from the BLM, they were obtained from individual State agencies.

State waters State jurisdiction begins at the established baseline for the coast and extends 

3 geographic (nautical) miles. However, there are special cases. Because of claims existing 

at the dates of statehood, Texas and the Gulf Coast of Florida have proprietary interest 

in a submerged belt of land, 9 geographic miles wide, extending seaward along the coast 

(Thormahlen, 1999).

technically accessible storage resource (TASR) The mass of carbon dioxide (CO2  ) that may 

be injected and stored using present-day geologic and hydrologic knowledge of the subsurface 

and engineering practices. This term is analogous to the term “technically recoverable resource” 

used in U.S. Geological Survey oil and gas assessments.

Tribal lands One of five land-ownership categories used in this assessment for allocation of 

resources. Indian or Tribal lands within the United States are areas with boundaries established 

by treaty, statute, and (or) executive or court order, recognized by the Federal Government as 

territory in which American Indian Tribes have primary governmental authority. Spatial data 

for this category were revised slightly from data in U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon 

Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a) and come from State-specific spatial 

resources from the BLM available at http://www.blm.gov and from the National Atlas of the 

United States (U.S. Geological Survey, 2005b).
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2

Figure 1 (pages 8–11). Maps of the conterminous United States and Alaska showing selected landownership and land-management categories, along with the 8 regions (separated by bold dashed 

lines) and 36 areas (pattern) assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage (U.S. Geological 

Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013b). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed, and Hawaii was considered unlikely to have 

significant storage resources. Spatial data came from the Bureau of Land Management’s State-specific 

spatial resources available at http://www.blm.gov and from the National Atlas of the United States 

(Minerals Management Service, 2005; U.S. Geological Survey, 2005a,b). A, Federal lands and lands from 

selected general land-ownership categories overlying assessed areas listed in order of prevalence, 

including Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), 

Tribal, Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service 

(NPS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) lands. Assessed areas are 

numbered with the last two digits of the basin codes used in table 1. B, BLM lands overlying assessed 

areas. C, FS lands overlying assessed areas. D, Tribal lands overlying assessed areas.
120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W 

40°N 30°N 180°W 160°W 140°W 65°N60°N55°N 0 250 500 KILOMETERS 0 250 MILES 0 250 

0 250 500 

California Pacific Northwest 

Eastern Mid-Continent Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains Alaska Coastal Plains Western Mid-Continent 04 05 09 1113 14 02 19 10 22 01 21 20 37 36 34 33 31 35 39 41 58 43 44 45 50 70 

67 

64 65 62 63 47,49 56 30 EXPLANATION Assessed area and basin code Tribal lands 01 BLM BOR DOD FS USFWS NPS TVA Other Federal lands

Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2

Figure 1A. Federal lands and lands from selected general land-ownership categories overlying assessed areas listed in order of prevalence (BUSFWS, NPS, other, BOR, TVA).
120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W 

40°N30°N

180°W 160°W 140°W

65°N

60°N

55°N

0 250 500 KILOMETERS0 250 MILES

0 250 50

0 250 500 750 

California

Eastern

Mid-Continent

Rocky Mountains and

Northern Great Plains

Alaska Coastal Plains

Pacific

Northwest

Western

Mid-Continent

05

02

19

22

01

21

20

37

34 33

31

35

39

41

58

43

44

45

50

70

67 

64

63

56

04

09

11

13

14

10

37

36

30

47,49

65

62

EXPLANATION

BLM

01 Assessed area and basin code

Figure 1B. Bureau of Land Management lands overlying assessed areas.
120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W 

40°N 30°N 180°W 160°W 140°W 65°N60°N55°N 0 250 500 KILOMETERS 0 250 MILES 0 250 50

0 250 500 750 

California 

Eastern Mid-Continent Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains Alaska Coastal Plains Pacific Northwest Western Mid-Continent 05 02 19 22 01 21 20 3734 33 31 35 39 41 58 43 44 45 50 70 

67 

64 63 56 04 09 1113 14 10 37 36 30 47,49 65 62 EXPLANATION FS 01 Assessed area and basin code

Figure 1C. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service lands overlying assessed areas.
120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W 

40°N30°N

180°W 160°W 140°W

65°N

60°N

55°N

0 250 500 KILOMETERS0 250 MILES

0 250 5

0 250 500 750 

California

Eastern

Mid-Continent

Rocky Mountains and

Northern Great Plains

Alaska Coastal Plains

Pacific

Northwest

Western

Mid-Continent

05

02

19

22

01

21

20

37

34 33

31

35

39

41

58

43

44

45

50

70

67 

64

63

56

04

09

11

13

14

10

37

36

30

47,49

65

62

EXPLANATION

Tribal lands

01 Assessed area and basin code

Figure 1D. Tribal lands overlying assessed areas.
12 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Figure 2. Pie charts showing land categories, 

along with most likely acreages and percentages 

for allocations of land overlying areas assessed 

in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage 

(U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon 

Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team, 

2013a). A, Allocations to general land-ownership 

categories; B, Allocations to Federal landmanagement categories. Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not 

assessed. Allocation areas, in acres and 

percentages, were calculated from unrounded 

assessed areas but are reported to two 

significant figures. Terms: BLM, Bureau of Land 

Management; BOR, Bureau of Reclamation; DOD, 

Department of Defense; FS, U.S. Department 

of Agriculture Forest Service; NPS, National Park 

Service; USFWS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 

%, percent.

A. General land-ownership categories, 690 million acres

B. Federal land-management categories, 130 million acres

BLM

80,000,000

64% 

FS

27,000,000

21% 

DOD

7,200,000

5.7%

USFWS

4,800,000

3.8% 

NPS

4,700,000

3.8%

Other Federal lands

1,200,000

0.93% BOR

920,000

0.73%

Federal lands

130,000,000

18% State lands

31,000,000

4.5%

Tribal lands

17,000,000

2.4%

Private and other lands

490,000,000

72%

Offshore areas

18,000,000

2.6%
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2 13

Figure 3. Pie charts showing top 10 States 

(and other remaining States) with the most 

likely estimates of allocations to four categories 

of land overlying areas assessed in 2012 

for geologic carbon dioxide storage (U.S. 

Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide 

Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a). 

A, Allocations to Federal lands; B, Allocations 

to Bureau of Land Management lands; 

C, Allocations to U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service lands; and D, Allocations to 

Tribal lands. Resources underlying federally 

managed offshore areas were not assessed. 

Allocation areas, in acres, were calculated from 

unrounded assessed areas but are reported to 

two significant figures.

Alaska

25,000,000

Nevada

21,000,000

Wyoming

14,000,000

Utah

9,800,000

Colorado, 3,900,000

New Mexico, 2,900,000

Montana, 2,500,000

Idaho, 700,000

Arizona, 420,000 Washington, 240,000

All others, 530,000

A. Federal lands, 130 million acres

Alaska

26,000,000

Nevada

26,000,000

Wyoming

16,000,000

Utah

14,000,000

Colorado, 6,500,000

Florida, 4,800,000

New Mexico, 3,400,000

Montana, 3,300,000

North Dakota, 3,300,000

Texas, 3,000,000 

All others

20,000,000

B. Bureau of Land Management lands, 80 million acres
14 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Figure 3. Pie charts showing top 10 States 

(and other remaining States) with the most 

likely estimates of allocations to four categories 

of land overlying areas assessed in 2012 

for geologic carbon dioxide storage (U.S. 

Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide 

Storage Resources Assessment Team, 2013a). 

A, Allocations to Federal lands; B, Allocations 

to Bureau of Land Management lands; 

C, Allocations to U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service lands; and D, Allocations to 

Tribal lands. Resources underlying federally 

managed offshore areas were not assessed. 

Allocation areas, in acres, were calculated from 

unrounded assessed areas but are reported to 

two significant figures.—Continued

Colorado

2,400,000

Utah

2,300,000

Wyoming

2,000,000

North Dakota

2,000,000

Texas

1,900,000

Michigan

Mississippi 1,800,000

1,800,000

 South

 Dakota

1,600,000

Nevada

1,600,000

Idaho

1,400,000

All others

8,100,000

Alaska

 4,200,000

New Mexico

2,700,000

Montana

2,000,000

South Dakota

1,900,000

North Dakota

1,800,000

Utah

1,300,000

Wyoming, 750,000

Colorado, 740,000

Washington, 520,000

Florida, 190,000 All others, 630,000

C. Forest Service lands, 27 million acres

D. Tribal lands, 17 million acres
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2 15

Figure 4. Pie chart showing top 10 States (and 

other remaining States) with the most likely 

estimates of State-lands allocations for land 

overlying areas assessed in 2012 for geologic 

carbon dioxide storage (U.S. Geological Survey 

Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources 

Assessment Team, 2013a, b). Resources 

underlying federally managed offshore areas 

were not assessed. Allocation areas, in acres, 

were calculated from unrounded assessed areas 

but are reported to two significant figures.

Alaska

9,200,000

Florida

3,100,000

Michigan

2,600,000 Pennsylvania

2,600,000

Wyoming

2,300,000

Colorado

2,000,000

Utah

1,900,000

Montana

1,400,000

New Mexico

1,200,000

North Dakota

910,000 All others

3,500,000

State lands, 31 million acres
16 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Assessed area

(assessment basin code)

Merged SAU 

footprint (most 

likely), in acres

Allocations (most likely) to general land-ownership categories, in acres

Federal lands State lands Tribal lands Private and

other lands Offshore areas

Alaska Region

Alaska North Slope (C5001) 41,000,000 25,000,000 9,200,000 4,000,000 23,000 2,400,000 

Kandik Basin (C5002) 1,200,000 940,000 23,000 230,000 — — 

Total 42,000,000 26,000,000 9,200,000 4,200,000 23,000 2,400,000 

Pacific Northwest Region

Columbia Basin of Oregon, 

Washington, and Idaho 

(C5005) 16,000,000 2,300,000 380,000 660,000 13,000,000 — 

Western Oregon and Washington Basins (C5004) 2,100,000 47,000 88,000 11,000 1,800,000 230,000 

Total 18,000,000 2,400,000 470,000 670,000 15,000,000 230,000 

California Region

Central California Coast Basins 

(C5011) 570,000 77,000 740 — 490,000 — 

Los Angeles Basin (C5014) 270,000 3,100 250 — 270,000 3.3 

Sacramento Basin (C5009) 1,800,000 19,000 63,000 — 1,700,000 — 

San Joaquin Basin (C5010) 5,500,000 180,000 58,000 40 5,300,000 — 

Ventura Basin (C5013) 580,000 18,000 4,000 — 370,000 190,000 

Total 8,700,000 300,000 130,000 40 8,100,000 190,000 

Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains Region

Bighorn Basin (C5034) 4,300,000 2,600,000 280,000 6,500 1,400,000 — 

Denver Basin (C5039) 24,000,000 460,000 1,400,000 — 23,000,000 — 

Eastern Great Basin (C5019) 42,000,000 35,000,000 900,000 230,000 5,600,000 — 

Greater Green River Basin 

(C5037) 15,000,000 9,300,000 640,000 — 4,800,000 — 

Hanna, Laramie, and Shirley 

Basins (C5030) 2,600,000 860,000 180,000 — 1,600,000 — 

Paradox Basin (C5021) 6,100,000 3,600,000 350,000 830,000 1,300,000 — 

Powder River Basin (C5033) 17,000,000 2,500,000 1,100,000 1,000,000 12,000,000 — 

Raton Basin (C5041) 1,300,000 66,000 36,000 — 1,200,000 — 

San Juan Basin (C5022) 6,500,000 2,100,000 280,000 3,000,000 1,100,000 — 

Uinta and Piceance Basins 

(C5020) 12,000,000 7,200,000 790,000 850,000 3,000,000 — 

Williston Basin (C5031) 62,000,000 7,500,000 2,500,000 4,600,000 48,000,000 — 

Wind River Basin (C5035) 3,600,000 1,400,000 200,000 740,000 1,200,000 — 

Wyoming-Idaho-Utah 

Thrust Belt (C5036) 7,000,000 3,500,000 430,000 110,000 2,900,000 — 

Total 200,000,000 76,000,000 9,200,000 11,000,000 110,000,000 — 

Table 1. U.S. regions and basins assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage, merged storage assessment unit (SAU) 

footprint areas, and estimated areas for lands overlying storage resources and allocated to (A) general land-ownership categories 

and (B ) Federal land-management categories.

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

assessed areas may underlie (table 1A) general land-ownership categories including Tribal lands or (table 1B ) Federal lands, including in order of prevalence, 

lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). For completeness, Tennessee Valley Authority lands are 

shown in figure 1; because they do not overlie assessed areas, they are omitted from this table. —, no allocation occurrence]

A. General land-ownership categories
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2 17

Assessed area

(assessment basin code)

Merged SAU 

footprint (most 

likely), in acres

Allocations (most likely) to general land-ownership categories, in acres

Federal lands State lands Tribal lands Private and

other lands Offshore areas

Western Mid-Continent Region

Anadarko and Southern 

Oklahoma Basins (C5058) 35,000,000 770,000 480,000 — 33,000,000 — 

Arkoma Basin (C5062) 7,900,000 470,000 61,000 — 7,300,000 — 

Bend Arch and Fort Worth 

Basin (C5045) 19,000,000 210,000 12,000 — 18,000,000 — 

Kansas Basins (C5056) 2,800,000 29,000 — — 2,800,000 — 

Palo Duro Basin (C5043) 8,600,000 22,000 120,000 — 8,500,000 — 

Permian Basin (C5044) 19,000,000 1,500,000 840,000 — 16,000,000 — 

Total 91,000,000 3,000,000 1,500,000 — 87,000,000 — 

Eastern Mid-Continent Region

Appalachian Basin (C5067) 60,000,000 3,000,000 2,900,000 62,000 52,000,000 2,400,000 

Black Warrior Basin (C5065) 1,900,000 40,000 3,900 — 1,900,000 — 

Illinois Basin (C5064) 42,000,000 1,800,000 — — 40,000,000 — 

Michigan Basin (C5063) 30,000,000 1,900,000 2,600,000 130,000 19,000,000 6,600,000 

Total 130,000,000 6,700,000 5,600,000 200,000 110,000,000 9,000,000 

Coastal Plains Region

Atlantic Coastal Plain (C5070) 14,000,000 990,000 270,000 — 11,000,000 2,000,000 

South Florida Basin (C5050) 22,000,000 3,300,000 2,300,000 190,000 12,000,000 4,400,000 

U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and 

C5049) 150,000,000 7,800,000 2,100,000 19,000 140,000,000 4,700 

Total 190,000,000 12,000,000 4,600,000 210,000 160,000,000 6,400,000 

Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins Region

Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins 

(C5068) 1,300,000 13,000 30,000 — 1,300,000 — 

Total 1,300,000 13,000 30,000 — 1,300,000 — 

Grand total 690,000,000 130,000,000 31,000,000 17,000,000 490,000,000 18,000,000 

Table 1. U.S. regions and basins assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage, merged storage assessment unit (SAU) 

footprint areas, and estimated areas for lands overlying storage resources and allocated to (A) general land-ownership categories 

and (B ) Federal land-management categories.—Continued

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

assessed areas may underlie (table 1A) general land-ownership categories including Tribal lands or (table 1B ) Federal lands, including in order of prevalence, 

lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). For completeness, Tennessee Valley Authority lands are 

shown in figure 1; because they do not overlie assessed areas, they are omitted from this table. —, no allocation occurrence]

A. General land-ownership categories—Continued
18 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Assessed area 

(assessment basin code)

Allocations (most likely) to Federal land-management categories, in acres

BLM FS DOD USFWS NPS Other BOR

Alaska Region

Alaska North Slope (C5001) 25,000,000 — 45 420,000 120,000 — — 

Kandik Basin (C5002) 560,000 — — — 380,000 — — 

Total 25,000,000 — 45 420,000 500,000 — — 

Pacific Northwest Region

Columbia Basin of Oregon, 

Washington, and Idaho 

(C5005) 360,000 970,000 410,000 57,000 87 380,000 160,000 

Western Oregon and Washington Basins (C5004) 42,000 — 1,300 2,800 — 130 — 

Total 400,000 970,000 410,000 60,000 87 380,000 160,000 

California Region

Central California Coast Basins 

(C5011) 16,000 22,000 39,000 — — — — 

Los Angeles Basin (C5014) — — 2,100 950 — — — 

Sacramento Basin (C5009) 1,700 — 9,900 3,600 — 3,700 98 

San Joaquin Basin (C5010) 70,000 — 81,000 30,000 — — — 

Ventura Basin (C5013) 2,800 12,000 1,500 1,900 — — — 

Total 90,000 34,000 130,000 36,000 — 3,700 98 

Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains Region

Bighorn Basin (C5034) 2,300,000 150,000 350 — — — 78,000 

Denver Basin (C5039) 29,000 300,000 62,000 49,000 7,000 3,900 1,800 

Eastern Great Basin (C5019) 27,000,000 2,700,000 3,300,000 810,000 340,000 570,000 30,000 

Greater Green River Basin 

(C5037) 8,100,000 920,000 — 23,000 — — 210,000 

Hanna, Laramie, and Shirley 

Basins (C5030) 820,000 17,000 — 1,200 — — 23,000 

Paradox Basin (C5021) 2,500,000 630,000 1,600 — 440,000 — 89,000 

Powder River Basin (C5033) 1,700,000 830,000 13,000 — 760 — 1,200 

Raton Basin (C5041) 29,000 37,000 — — — — — 

San Juan Basin (C5022) 1,700,000 360,000 — — 34,000 — 31,000 

Uinta and Piceance Basins 

(C5020) 4,700,000 2,400,000 54,000 9,000 18,000 — — 

Williston Basin (C5031) 2,300,000 3,700,000 610,000 710,000 73,000 91,000 130,000 

Wind River Basin (C5035) 1,300,000 19,000 1,200 — — — 120,000 

Wyoming-Idaho-Utah 

Thrust Belt (C5036) 1,200,000 2,200,000 — 6,300 8,300 40,000 9,700 

Total 54,000,000 14,000,000 4,100,000 1,600,000 920,000 710,000 720,000 

Table 1. U.S. regions and basins assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage, merged storage assessment unit (SAU) 

footprint areas, and estimated areas for lands overlying storage resources and allocated to (A) general land-ownership categories 

and (B ) Federal land-management categories.—Continued

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

assessed areas may underlie (table 1A) general land-ownership categories including Tribal lands or (table 1B ) Federal lands, including in order of prevalence, 

lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). For completeness, Tennessee Valley Authority lands are 

shown in figure 1; because they do not overlie assessed areas, they are omitted from this table. —, no allocation occurrence]

B. Federal land-management categories
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2 19

Assessed area 

(assessment basin code)

Allocations (most likely) to Federal land-management categories, in acres

BLM FS DOD USFWS NPS Other BOR

Western Mid-Continent Region

Anadarko and Southern 

Oklahoma Basins (C5058) 11,000 560,000 150,000 19,000 6,400 — 21,000 

Arkoma Basin (C5062) — 150,000 280,000 36,000 43 5,900 — 

Bend Arch and Fort Worth 

Basin (C5045) — 120,000 96,000 — — — — 

Kansas Basins (C5056) — — 29,000 — — — — 

Palo Duro Basin (C5043) — — 3,500 18,000 — — — 

Permian Basin (C5044) 1,200,000 120,000 — — 120,000 10,000 410 

Total 1,200,000 950,000 560,000 73,000 130,000 16,000 21,000 

Eastern Mid-Continent Region

Appalachian Basin (C5067) — 2,700,000 41,000 30,000 220,000 310 — 

Black Warrior Basin (C5065) — 26,000 11,000 — 2,700 — — 

Illinois Basin (C5064) — 1,300,000 400,000 110,000 720 1,000 — 

Michigan Basin (C5063) — 1,800,000 16,000 9,900 59,000 — — 

Total — 5,800,000 470,000 150,000 280,000 1,300 — 

Coastal Plains Region

Atlantic Coastal Plain (C5070) — 32,000 360,000 520,000 75,000 1,500 — 

South Florida Basin (C5050) — 200 140,000 640,000 2,500,000 — — 

U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and 

C5049) — 5,000,000 1,100,000 1,300,000 320,000 67,000 17,000 

Total — 5,000,000 1,600,000 2,500,000 2,900,000 68,000 17,000 

Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins Region

Eastern Mesozoic Rift Basins 

(C5068) — — 1,800 — 11,000 — — 

Total — — 1,800 — 11,000 — — 

Grand total 80,000,000 27,000,000 7,200,000 4,800,000 4,700,000 1,200,000 920,000 

Table 1. U.S. regions and basins assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage, merged storage assessment unit (SAU) 

footprint areas, and estimated areas for lands overlying storage resources and allocated to (A) general land-ownership categories 

and (B ) Federal land-management categories.—Continued

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

assessed areas may underlie (table 1A) general land-ownership categories including Tribal lands or (table 1B ) Federal lands, including in order of prevalence, 

lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service (NPS), and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR). For completeness, Tennessee Valley Authority lands are 

shown in figure 1; because they do not overlie assessed areas, they are omitted from this table. —, no allocation occurrence]

B. Federal land-management categories—Continued
20 National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands

Table 2. Lists of storage assessment units (SAUs) having the largest land allocations by area and percentage for five land-management 

categories for U.S. areas assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage.—Continued

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

top 10 SAUs having the largest total land allocations are listed for Federal lands, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service (FS) lands, Tribal lands, and State lands]

Rank Assessed area

(assessment basin code) SAU code SAU name

Land allocation 

(most likely)

Acres Percent

A. Federal lands

1 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010104 Lower Ellesmerian Deep 19,000,000 65

2 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010107 Lower Torok Formation 18,000,000 73

3 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010106 Beaufortian and Upper Ellesmerian 10,000,000 59

4 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310107 Lower Swift Formation 6,600,000 14

5 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370102 Paleozoic Composite Deep 6,500,000 68

6 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310108 Inyan Kara Group 6,200,000 14

7 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490116 Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations 5,900,000 7.1

8 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370105 Muddy Sandstone and Cloverly Formation 5,500,000 60

9 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370109 Hilliard, Baxter, and Mancos Shales 5,300,000 63

10 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310109 Newcastle Formation 5,300,000 15

B. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands

1 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010104 Lower Ellesmerian Deep 18,000,000 64

2 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010107 Lower Torok Formation 17,000,000 72

3 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010106 Beaufortian and Upper Ellesmerian 10,000,000 59

4 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370102 Paleozoic Composite Deep 5,700,000 61

5 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370105 Muddy Sandstone and Cloverly Formation 4,800,000 52

6 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370109 Hilliard, Baxter, and Mancos Shales 4,800,000 56

7 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010103 Lower Ellesmerian 4,700,000 52

8 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370108 Frontier Sandstone Deep 4,400,000 62

9 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370104 Nugget Sandstone Deep 3,400,000 57

10 Greater Green River Basin (C5037) C50370107 Frontier Sandstone 3,100,000 52

C. U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (FS) lands

1 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490116 Tuscaloosa and Woodbine Formations 4,300,000 5.2

2 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310107 Lower Swift Formation 3,700,000 7.9

3 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490117 Navarro, Taylor, and Austin Groups 3,500,000 7.7

4 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490104 Smackover Formation Deep 3,400,000 5.5

5 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310108 Inyan Kara Group 3,100,000 7.1

6 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310109 Newcastle Formation 2,700,000 8.0

7 Appalachian Basin (C5067) C50670102 Clinton, Medina, and Tuscarora Formations 2,500,000 5.2

8 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490102 Norphlet Formation Deep 2,400,000 5.5

9 U.S. Gulf Coast (C5047 and C5049) C50490107 Sligo and Hosston Formations and Cotton 

Valley Group

2,200,000 4.2

10 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310105 Kibbey Formation and Madison Group 2,200,000 6.6
Figures 1–4 and Tables 1–2 21

Table 2. Lists of storage assessment units (SAUs) having the largest land allocations by area and percentage for five land-management 

categories for U.S. areas assessed in 2012 for geologic carbon dioxide storage.—Continued

[The 2012 assessment data are from the U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources Assessment Team (2013a). Resources underlying 

federally managed offshore areas were not assessed. Allocations were calculated from unrounded assessed areas but are reported to two significant figures. The 

top 10 SAUs having the largest total land allocations are listed for Federal lands, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

Forest Service (FS) lands, Tribal lands, and State lands]

Rank Assessed area

(assessment basin code) SAU code SAU name

Land allocation 

(most likely)

Acres Percent

D. Tribal lands

1 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010104 Lower Ellesmerian Deep 3,400,000 65

2 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310107 Lower Swift Formation 3,400,000 14

3 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010107 Lower Torok Formation 3,200,000 73

4 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310101 Deadwood and Black Island Formations 3,000,000 9.1

5 San Juan Basin (C5022) C50220102 Dakota Sandstone 2,800,000 33

6 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310108 Inyan Kara Group 2,700,000 14

7 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310109 Newcastle Formation 2,000,000 15

8 San Juan Basin (C5022) C50220103 Gallup Sandstone 1,900,000 38

9 Williston Basin (C5031) C50310105 Kibbey Formation and Madison Group 1,600,000 13

10 San Juan Basin (C5022) C50220101 Entrada Sandstone 1,500,000 42

E. State lands

1 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010104 Lower Ellesmerian Deep 5,800,000 20

2 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010106 Beaufortian and Upper Ellesmerian 4,900,000 28

3 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010108 Upper Torok Formation 3,300,000 89

4 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010103 Lower Ellesmerian 2,900,000 32

5 Appalachian Basin (C5067) C50670102 Clinton, Medina, and Tuscarora Formations 2,900,000 5.9

6 Alaska North Slope (C5001) C50010107 Lower Torok Formation 2,800,000 12

7 Appalachian Basin (C5067) C50670104 Oriskany Sandstone 2,700,000 7.1

8 Michigan Basin (C5063) C50630101 Ordovician and Cambrian Composite 2,600,000 8.6

9 South Florida Basin (C5050) C50500105 Cedar Keys and Lawson Formations 2,300,000 10

10 Michigan Basin (C5063) C50630102 Salina Group and Middle Silurian 

Composite

2,300,000 10

Manuscript approved February 11, 2015

Prepared by the USGS Science Publishing Network

Publishing Service Centers

Edited by Elizabeth Good, Reston

Layout and illustrations by Caryl J. Wipperfurth, Raleigh

For more information concerning this report, contact:

Director, Eastern Energy Resources Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey

Mail Stop 956

12201 Sunrise Valley Drive

Reston, VA 20192

http://energy.usgs.gov/

http://energy.usgs.gov/GeneralInfo/ScienceCenters/Eastern.aspx
Buursink and others—National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources—Allocations of Assessed Areas to Federal Lands—Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5021

ISSN 2328–0328 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155021