Geoffrey S Ellis
Geoffrey Ellis is a petroleum geochemist with the Energy Resources Program (ERP) of the US Geological Survey. He manages the sealed tube and hydrous pyrolysis laboratories within the Central Energy Resources Science Center.
Geoffrey Ellis' research interests encompass the areas of organic-inorganic interactions in petroleum systems, gas isotope geochemistry, and the controls on sedimentary organic geochemistry in aquatic environments. He has published extensively on the process of thermochemical sulfate reduction and its impact on petroleum geochemistry. He is also actively investigating the application of compound-specific sulfur isotope analysis to problems in petroleum and organic geochemistry. He also has ongoing research projects involving clumped and position specific isotope analysis of hydrocarbons and organosulfur compounds and their relation to petroleum formation processes.
Professional Experience
2006-Present: Research Geologist, Energy Resources Program, USGS
2003-2006: Postdoctoral Fellow, Division of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology
1996-2003: Graduate Research Assistant, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
1994-1996: Consulting Petroleum Geochemist, Venezuela
1991-1994: Physical Scientist, Nation Research Program, Water Resources Division, USGS
1988-1990: Geochemist, Northeast Research Institute
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Marine Geology and Geophysics, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami
M.S., Geochemistry, Colorado School of Mines
B.A., Geological Sciences, Cornell University
Affiliations and Memberships*
Affiliate faculty Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines
Member American Association of Petroleum Geologists, European Association of Organic Geochemists, Geochemical Society, Geological Society of America
Member Association of Afro-Asian Petroleum Geochemists, Latin American Association of Organic Geochemistry
Member of the “Committee on Research” of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (2009-present)
Vice-chairman of the executive council of the Association of Afro-Asian Petroleum Geochemists
Founding member of the editorial board of the journal Petroleum Research
Member of the editorial board of the English-language version of the journal Acta Petrolei Sinica
Member of the editorial board of the journal Journal of Natural Gas Geoscience
Member of the editorial board of the journal Unconventional Resources
Science and Products
Fundamental studies on kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of hydrogen isotope fractionation in natural gas systems
Assessment of undiscovered natural gas resources of the Arkoma Basin province and geologically related areas
Gas storage in the Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Woodford Shale, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: how much of a role do the cherts play?
Experimental investigation on thermochemical sulfate reduction by H2S initiation
Theoretical study on the reactivity of sulfate species with hydrocarbons
The role of labile sulfur compounds in thermal chemical sulfate reduction
Distinguishing solid bitumens formed by thermochemical sulfate reduction and thermal chemical alteration
Geochemical signatures of thermochemical sulfate reduction in controlled hydrous pyrolysis experiments
Organic contaminants associated with suspended sediment collected during five cruises of the Mississippi River and its principal tributaries, May 1988 to June 1990
Paleolimnology of Lake Tanganyika, East Africa, over the past 100 k yr
Evaluation of lipid-containing semipermeable membrane devices for monitoring organochlorine contaminants in the Upper Mississippi river
Science and Products
Fundamental studies on kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of hydrogen isotope fractionation in natural gas systems
Assessment of undiscovered natural gas resources of the Arkoma Basin province and geologically related areas
Gas storage in the Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Woodford Shale, Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma: how much of a role do the cherts play?
Experimental investigation on thermochemical sulfate reduction by H2S initiation
Theoretical study on the reactivity of sulfate species with hydrocarbons
The role of labile sulfur compounds in thermal chemical sulfate reduction
Distinguishing solid bitumens formed by thermochemical sulfate reduction and thermal chemical alteration
Geochemical signatures of thermochemical sulfate reduction in controlled hydrous pyrolysis experiments
Organic contaminants associated with suspended sediment collected during five cruises of the Mississippi River and its principal tributaries, May 1988 to June 1990
Paleolimnology of Lake Tanganyika, East Africa, over the past 100 k yr
Evaluation of lipid-containing semipermeable membrane devices for monitoring organochlorine contaminants in the Upper Mississippi river
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government