Upstream Fossil Fuel Production
Upstream production of coal, oil, and natural gas is modeled on a regional basis, with resources characterized by type and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) province.
Coal
For coal, surface and underground reservoirs are represented separately with the requirement that metallurgical coal can only be produced from more costly underground mines.
Oil and Natural Gas
For oil and natural gas, production is modeled jointly, including a representation of liquid vs gas fractions based on observed base year production ratios. The model considers production of crude oil, lease condensate, natural gas liquids, and natural gas separately for each reservoir (for example, some oil-producing reservoirs also produce associated natural gas, while some gas-producing reservoirs have higher or lower shares of natural gas liquids). Gas and liquids demand in each region is mapped to supply regions based on a observed patterns in the base year.