EarthWords is an on-going series in which we shed some light on the complicated, often difficult-to-pronounce language of science. Think of us as your terminology tour-guides, and meet us back here every week for a new word!

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The EarthWord: Discovery

Definition:

• This one sounds pretty self-explanatory, but it actually has a very specific meaning, at least in the field of energy and mineral resources.

• A “discovery” typically is an official announcement by a private company that shows an energy or mineral resource is present. For instance, in the oil and gas world, a discovery well is the first well that reveals the presence of a petroleum-bearing reservoir.  Information on new oil field discoveries is compiled and reported by the EIA.

Etymology:

• Discovery comes from the Latin prefix dis, meaning "opposite of” and the Latin word cooperire, meaning "to cover up.”

Use/Significance in the Earth Science Community:

• Discoveries are the primary way that companies identify that an energy or mineral resource actually exists. A discovery is not always economic (commercially favorable) to produce, and a discovery may require additional testing and study, but it is a necessary precursor to production (before it contributes to our energy and mineral supplies).

USGS Use:

• USGS energy and mineral resources assessments are not discoveries. USGS does not explore for new energy or mineral resources, but does collect rock, core, and other samples to help better understand how these resources form and the geological occurrence of these resources on a regional scale.

• Examples include studies of the Eagle Ford shale and our collaborative research on gas hydrates.

• Instead, USGS assesses undiscovered resources, providing estimates of energy and mineral resources that we estimate to exist based on our understanding of the geology and our statistical models, and current industry practices, such as the types of technology used to develop and produce discovered resources. These estimates would have to be proven through discovery.  When USGS releases a new resource assessment, this takes into account available information from previous discoveries and and production made by industry.

  

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• Read more about our energy resource assessments here and about our mineral resource assessments here.

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