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Science, Society, Solutions
Coalbed Methane: Science for An Emerging Energy Resource

Fourth in the 2002 "Science, Society, Solutions" series

Everyone is welcome to attend this briefing. Learn how the USGS is providing information vital to understanding the potentional for, and the issues associated with, developing coalbed methane as part of the national energy mix.

Other Science, Society, Solutions Briefings

Directions to Rayburn House Office Building:
East on Rt. 66 over the Roosevelt Bridge; right on Independence Avenue. Follow Independence past the construction of the Botanic Gardens; right on Canal Street (2 blocks); left on D Street. Pay parking is on the right between D Street and Canal Street.

Since the early 1980´s, coalbed methane production has increased steadily; today it is an important energy resource contributing 7 percent of the total natural gas produced in the United States and 9 percent of proved reserves. Coalbed methane is being found in large quantities in areas previously unknown to contain gas.

P. Patrick Leahy

Dr. P. Patrick Leahy is Associate Director for geology of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) with responsibility for Federal basic earth science programs, including worldwide earthquake hazards monitoring and research, geologic mapping of land and seafloor resources, volcano and landslide hazards, and assessments of energy and mineral resources. In addition, he is responsible for all international activities conducted by the USGS. Dr. Leahy has been with the USGS since 1974 and has served in various technical and managerial positions, including Chief of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology and geophysics from Boston College and a Ph.D. in geology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he specialized in regional ground-water studies and hydraulics. He has authored or co-authored more than 50 publications on a wide array of earth science topics. Dr. Leahy is a Fellow in the Geological Society of America and is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Institute of Hydrology, Sigma Xi, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Geological Society of Washington and is President-Elect of the American Institute of Hydrology. He also serves as the Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program and Chairman of the National Research Council´s U.S. National Committee on Geologic Sciences.

Richard Glenn

Richard K. Glenn is currently the Vice President of Lands at the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, an Alaska Native-owned regional corporation representing more than eight thousand Inupiat Eskimos of Alaska´s North Slope. The shareholders of ASRC own surface and subsurface title to more than four million acres of Alaskan North Slope lands. Previously, Mr. Glenn headed Alaska´s North Slope Borough Department of Energy Management, where he supervised Barrow gas field and bulk fuel tank farm operations for all of the North Slope villages. Mr. Glenn received a B.S. degree in geology from San Jose State University and a M.S. degree in geology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, specifically focusing on the geology of the Brooks Range. He is a certified professional geologist in the State of Alaska, and holds positions on many boards and commissions, most of them dedicated to education and research. In addition, he has twice been appointed by the President to the United States Arctic Research Commission, is the Board President of the Barrow Arctic Science Consortium, and is Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ilisagvik College.

Asghar Shariff

Asghar Shariff has been the Chief of Reservoir Management Group (RMG) with the Bureau of Land Management´s (BLM) Wyoming state office since 1993. Mr. Shariff has held several other positions in the BLM including Assistant District Manager, Division of Mineral Resources, BLM Rawlins District, from 1989 to 1993, and petroleum geologist and technical specialist in the BLM Washington Office, Minerals Division, from 1983 to 1989. He also worked as a geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Prior to joining the Federal government, he worked as an independent consulting geologist in California and for Shell Petroleum International as a production geologist working in the Middle East and the Netherlands. Mr. Shariff holds B.S and M.S. degrees in geology from California State University, Northridge. He is a registered professional geologist with the State of Wyoming. He is a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Wyoming Geological Association. Mr. Shariff has published a number of papers about petroleum geology and reservoir analysis and is listed in Who´s Who in The East, 21st - 23rd editions, and in Who´s Who in The West, 23rd - 27th editions.

For more information about coalbed methane, please contact Francis Pierce or Brenda Pierce .
For more information about this topic or the briefing series, please contact the USGS Office of Communications.