by T. Gerald Crawford, Barbara J. Bascle, Clark J. Kinler, Michael T. Prendergast, Katherine M. Ross

As of December 31, 1998, about 3.36 billion barrels of petroleum liquids (both oil and natural gas condensate) and about 30.0 trillion cubic feet of natural gas were estimated to exist as "remaining proved reserves" in 790 proved active fields of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf. This report, Estimated Oil and Gas Reserves Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, December 31, 1998, indicates an increase of about 0.15 billion barrels of liquid (oil and gas condensate) and a decrease of 0.8 trillion cubic feet of gas in remaining proved reserves as compared to the December 31, 1997, estimates. New proved field discoveries account for an increase of 0.32 billion barrels of liquid and 0.9 trillion cubic feet of gas.

Unproved reserves as of December 31, 1998, have been estimated to be 1.00 billion barrels of oil and 5.1 trillion cubic feet of gas. These reserves are associated with 58 unproved active fields. There are 3 unproved active fields not studied. This makes a total of 851 active fields located in Federal waters.

Proved reserves are estimated to have been 14.27 billion barrels of oil and 162.7 trillion cubic feet of gas from 984 proved fields under the Federal submerged lands in the Gulf of Mexico. Included in this number are 194 fields that are depleted and abandoned; not included are the 61 unproved active fields. As of December 31, 1998, cumulative production from these 984 fields was 10.91 billion barrels of oil and 132.7 trillion cubic feet of gas.

This report, just released, along with digital data, is available free via the MMS Internet homepage @ www.mms.gov. Paper copies are available from MMS at a cost of $3.00 and diskettes containing digital data at a cost of $1.00. Also available for the first time is a CD-ROM containing this report, digital data, field production plots and field production data for a cost of $15.00. Checks should be made payable to the Minerals Management Service. For information on purchasing this report contact:

Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Attn: Public Information Unit (MS 5034)
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394
(504) 736-2519 or 1-800-200-GULF
Fax (504) 736-2620

The next report, Estimated Oil and Gas Reserves Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, December 31, 1999 is scheduled to be available in March 2001.

MMS is the Federal agency that manages the Nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS, and collects, accounts for and disburses about $4 billion yearly in revenues from offshore Federal mineral leases and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands.

-MMS-GOM-
Homepage Address on the Internet: http://www.mms.gov

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