Return on Investment in the Utah Geological Survey
by Stefan Kirby, L. Darlene Batatian, Michael Vanden Berg, and Ben Dlin
Map of Utah showing completed intermediate-scale geologic mapping.
The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is Utah’s “go-to” source for all geologic resources information. The data we collect has a wide variety of uses across entities ranging from all types of private industry to local, state, and federal government. Our research often forms the basis for important activity that drives the current and future economy of the state. As such, the information and data that we make readily accessible add significant value to the prosperity of the state of Utah, our industry, and our citizens. In this article, we provide insights from recent efforts to assess the value of geological data provided by state geological surveys.
Much of the data that the UGS provides to the public is considered “precompetitive,” a term that refers to data (e.g., geological, geophysical, and geochemical data) that has been collected and consolidated by government or other agencies and made publicly available. This data is critical to reducing the risk for private industry investments into development and production of energy and mineral resources. Despite the importance of this data, only recently have attempts been made to quantify the relative value of precompetitive information provided by state geological surveys.
A recent publication prepared by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NMBG) quantified the importance of various types of precompetitive geological data to private sector users. Mineral and energy data users were surveyed about the relative importance and value of different types of geological resource data. The survey results indicate that geologic mapping in particular, along with geochemical and geophysical data, ranked highest for data published by state geologic surveys. The study shows the importance of state geological surveys continuing to deliver baseline, precompetitive data that are fundamental to exploration investment, current and future resource development and economic growth. The State of Utah’s investment in the UGS helps our state accelerate our competitive edge.
Nearly all development, from real estate to energy, minerals, and water resources, begins with a geologic map. Maps of the location, character, and extent of energy and mineral resources and hazards were part of the earliest work produced at the UGS, and have been vital to the Survey’s mission throughout its history. A team of specially trained scientists and GIS cartographers invest a significant amount of time to create and publish a modern geologic map, with the total staff time and cost dependent on the scale of the map and complexity of the geology. For example, a 1:24,000-scale, 7.5-minute quadrangle map covers over 45 square miles and takes approximately 1 year of staff time to complete and publish. Utah has over 1,400 maps of this scale, and around 75 of these have been published that meet modern standards for scientific and data quality. These maps are particularly valuable for real estate and commercial development, providing information on bedrock and soils, geologic hazards, and groundwater supply. Maps that cover larger areas, such as 1:100,000-scale (intermediate scale) maps, often involve mapping highly complex geology and thus can take 4 to 6 years of staff time. Intermediate scale maps are particularly valuable for energy and mineral resource development and assessment of regional-scale development opportunities. Because this foundational mapping is so important to industry and government, the State and various Federal agencies have invested in these products over the history of the UGS.
The value of geologic maps to national survey respondents as reported in the 2025 AGI publication Economic Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Geological Mapping in the United States of America from 1994 to 2019, edited by Richard C. Berg and James E. Faulds.
Although the value and importance of geologic mapping has been recognized in resource development and other economic uses, few efforts have directly analyzed the return on investment (ROI) of geologic maps relative to various economic output. A recent economic analysis published by the American Geoscience Institute (AGI) is the first to quantify estimates of the ROI for geologic mapping across the United States. The analysis is based on 4,779 survey responses from data users in all 50 states, by individuals in both public and private sectors across a swath of industries including transportation, real estate development and construction, water supply and storage, oil, gas, and minerals exploration, land planning, environmental consulting, waste disposal, planning, and various other uses. The results demonstrate high ROI for geologic maps, with ratios ranging from 7:1 to potentially as high as nearly 100:1 in urbanizing areas that have significant infrastructure value. This means that for every dollar invested in an average geologic map, at least seven dollars are added to the economy. In areas of significant infrastructure and resources such as urban areas or specific mineral deposits, the ROI ratio can be up to $100 of economic output for every dollar spent on geologic mapping.
Federal and State dollars invested in geologic mapping by the Utah Geological Survey (orange, red) and resulting ROI dollars (green) contributed to the Utah economy assuming the lowest estimated ROI of 7 to 1.
Intangible benefits were also collected in the AGI report. When asked to comment on the benefits of geological maps and analyses provided by state geological surveys, stakeholders repeatedly mentioned “time and cost savings, assistance in resource exploration and development, general education, geological research, filling information gaps, enhancing decision making including planning, providing credibility, furnishing accurate and unbiased information, and affording context to site specific work.” Importantly, mean cost-benefit for each U.S. region was calculated, and the Intermountain West region yielded the highest scores.
Case studies from the UGS’s Energy and Minerals Program illustrate very high ROI on energy resources research. Utah has significant untapped geothermal resources across the state, most notably in the west desert, and the UGS has been actively exploring and characterizing these resources for over 60 years. Recently, the UGS was part of a team of scientists, led by the Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI) at the University of Utah, whose research ($16 million total, $1.7 million to UGS) led to the selection of Utah as the host for the national Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy (FORGE) site. The success of the FORGE project yielded total research funding, administered by EGI, of over $300 million, resulting in an ROI of nearly 20:1 of the original investment in basic geothermal research. Building on the success of FORGE, Fervo Energy is investing up to $1 billion in the planned 500 megawatt Cape Station enhanced geothermal power station, multiplying the ROI even more. Given that Utah has abundant untapped geothermal resources, future research investment could be both a boon for rural development and for meeting Utah’s energy abundance strategy.
Over the past 30 years, the UGS has helped secure over $40 million in federal oil/gas research grants. In 2018, the UGS and partners at EGI at the University of Utah secured a $10 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant to research the emerging Cane Creek shale play in the northern Paradox Basin. The project teamed up with Zephyr Energy to drill a vertical research well that included the recovery of 100+ feet of core from the Cane Creek interval. As highlighted in a recent DOE press release, “The [Zephyr] team used the results of the [UGS/EGI] studies to design two horizontal wells…the more recently developed State 36-2R well is projected to have an estimated ultimate recovery of up to 6 billion cubic feet of gas and 160,000 to 240,000 barrels of condensate. The success of the project and the State 36-2R well marks an important step forward in unlocking the potential of the Paradox Basin and offers a model for approaching the development of other complex, unconventional resource plays.”
In 2012, the UGS’s Energy and Minerals team received a $1 million+ DOE grant to investigate tight oil potential in the lower Green River Formation (GRF). Fast forward 10+ years and drilling in the lower GRF has led to a doubling of Utah’s oil production (to 70+ million barrels per year). Building on this success, the UGS continues to research new plays in the Uinta Basin (e.g., Flagstaff, Mancos), as well as enhanced oil recovery opportunities and CO2 storage possibilities. Much of this research success was the result of studying the extensive core collection at the Utah Core Research Center (UCRC) which holds over 75 miles of core representing about $10 billion worth of investment in Utah’s natural resources. This collection not only benefits UGS research, but is extensively used by Uinta Basin operators (9 different companies visited the UCRC in 2025 to view core) to further understand the basin’s remarkable hydrocarbon resource and spur continued development.
As the case studies show, the UGS’s geologic mapping, energy and mineral research and precompetitive data have a high return on investment for the state of Utah. The work we perform with state and federal funding will continue to focus on our statutory mission to research, delineate, publish, and share geological resource information that guides informed decisions about Utah’s resource development, spurs industry exploration, and makes Utah a safer and more prosperous state.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Stefan Kirby
is the Deputy Director at the UGS. He has a diverse background in field geology and interpretive science and has authored and co-authored numerous geologic maps, reports and papers on the geology, hydrogeology, and geothermal resources across Utah.
L. Darlene Batatian
is the Director of the UGS. Her areas of expertise include geologic mapping and managing geologic hazards and land use planning. She has a background in environmental geology, land development, and geological engineering.
Michael Vanden Berg
is the UGS Energy and Minerals Program Manager, leading a diverse team of geoscientists that research Utah’s energy and mineral resources. His main area of research focuses on the petroleum-bearing lacustrine Green River Formation in the Uinta Basin. He is also involved in research on the modern Great Salt Lake, including its extensive microbialites, as an analogue for ancient lacustrine deposits.
Ben Dlin
is the Contract and Grants Analyst and Public Information Officer for the UGS. His background is centered in finance, public relations, and operations. He has previously held multiple titles in energy project development and cybersecurity.
