Science Features
Icebergs immediately offshore from Illulissat, Greenland. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.
The U.S. Geological Survey released today a new global estimate for conventional oil and gas resources. The USGS estimates that the undiscovered, conventional resources in the world total 565 billion barrels of oil (bbo), 5,606 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas, and 167 billion barrels of natural gas liquids.
All of these numbers represent technically recoverable resources, which are those quantities of oil and gas producible using currently available technology and industry practices, regardless of economic or accessibility considerations.
“In the twelve years since the last assessment, the steady progress in technology now allows additional resources to be regarded as technically recoverable,” said USGS Director Marcia McNutt. “By placing this information in the public domain, government leaders, investors, public and private corporations, and citizens have a common information base for planning and decisions that affect the global environment and market place.”
Vertical limestone beds forming cliffs along Three Pagodas-Fault Zone near Hua Hin, Thailand. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.
This new assessment is complete reassessment of the world since the last World Petroleum Assessment in 2000 by the USGS.
The report includes mean estimates of resources in 171 geologic provinces of the world. These estimates include resources beneath both onshore and offshore areas.
Resources in the United States
This assessment does not include undiscovered, conventional resources in the United States, which the USGS currently estimates holds 27 bbo and 388 tcf of natural gas onshore and in State waters. Additionally, there are an estimated 81 bbo and 398 tcf of natural gas in the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
75 Percent of Oil Resources in Four Regions
The assessment results indicate that about 75 percent of the undiscovered and technically recoverable conventional oil of the world is in four regions: South America and the Caribbean (126 bbo); sub-Saharan Africa (115 bbo); the Middle East and North Africa (111 bbo); and the Arctic provinces portion of North America (61 bbo).
Significant undiscovered, conventional gas resources remain in all of the world’s regions.
Conventional and Unconventional Resources
These new estimates are for conventional oil and gas resources only. Unconventional oil and gas resources, such as shale gas, tight oil, tight gas, coalbed gas, heavy oil, oil sands, may be significant around the world, but are not included in these numbers.
Eolian dunes of the An Nefud sand sea, northern Saudi Arabia. This area was included in the USGS report, “An Estimate of Undiscovered Conventional Oil and Gas Resources of the World, 2012.” Photograph by Chris Schenk, U.S. Geological Survey.
More Information
The USGS is the only provider of publicly available estimates of undiscovered and technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the world. This global assessment was undertaken as part of a project assessing global petroleum basins using standardized methodology and protocol.
The Department of the Interior released a press release on this new assessment.
To learn more about this or other geologic assessments, please visit the Energy Resources Program website.
Recorded Press Conference
Listen to a podcast recording of the press conference held on April 18, 2012, to announce this report. Speakers were Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, USGS Director Marcia McNutt, USGS Energy Resources Program Coordinator Brenda Pierce, and USGS Research Geologist Chris Schenk.
While Curiosity investigates the Red Planet, USGS expertise will help protect the rover from hazards and analyze the data it transmits to Earth. Read more
These 3 young scientists have forged ahead with innovative research at the frontiers of science. Learn more
Maximizing alternative energy’s potential – how science can help grow the nation’s energy portfolio. Read more
Please comment on the USGS’ draft science strategies! Read more
Minerals are elementary to your everyday life, come find out how! Read more
Science or Soundbite? Is the recent increase in midcontinent earthquakes natural or man-made? Find out here.
Timing is everything! Consider helping track changes in spring’s arrival
Flood Safety Awareness Week is March. 12-16. What can you do to prepare?
National Groundwater Awareness Week is Mar. 11-17, 2012. See how USGS science is connecting groundwater and surface water.
Five USGS employees honored with Distinguished Service Awards for their service to the nation
For the first time, the USGS has estimated the potential of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in source rocks of the Alaska North Slope.
The proposed USGS budget reflects research priorities to respond to nationally relevant issues, including water quantity and quality, ecosystem restoration, hydraulic fracturing, natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes, and support for the National Ocean Policy, and has a large R&D component.
It’s not just the U.S. military working to bring a better future to Afghanistan. How the USGS is helping
As the team of responders struggled to end the worst oil spill in our Nation’s history, USGS scientist Paul Hsieh provided the critical scientific information needed to make a crucial decision.
On September 11, 2001, as the twin towers of the World Trade Center exploded and collapsed, clouds of dust billowed into the sky and across the city.
Now that field work has wrapped up at the Ice Age "Snowmastodon" fossil site near Snowmass Village, Colo., USGS and other scientists will begin work on unraveling the climate and environmental history of the area.
USGS crews continue to measure streamflow and collect water quality and sediment samples in the Ohio and Mississippi River basins using state-of-art instruments.
For over 120 years, USGS has studied and mapped the National Capital region revealing a rich and diverse geologic past. Join us July 6 in Reston, Va., and learn the story of the formation and destruction of continents and oceans, the eruption of ancient volcanoes, climatic and sea level changes, as well as the hazards of modern landslides, earthquakes and karst.
Magnetic storms can cause loss of radio communication, affect global-positioning systems, damage satellite electronics and cause electrical blackouts. USGS scientists are constantly collecting geomagnetic data, and you can view new updates in near-real time.
The most recent earthquake in Japan affected water levels in groundwater wells all over the country. Water level fluctuations were recorded as far away as Illinois, Virginia, Missouri and Florida.
Soluble rock layers called “Karst” exist throughout the nation. While Karst aquifers produce half the nation’s drinking water, rock layers underneath karst dissolve easily sometimes creating sinkholes that threaten life and property. Join us May 4th to learn more about this unseen world beneath our feet.
Early maps of America, documents establishing the provenance of the Hope Diamond and documentation of explorations of the American West-- Join us in discovering the many treasures of the USGS Library.
Please answer questions about USGS Energy & Minerals science.
The need for multiple sources of energy, including the increasing demand for renewable energy, leads USGS scientists to study geothermal energy resources.
Demand for alternative energy sources leads scientists to consider microbes as potential sources of power.
Looking for information on natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and more? The USGS Education site provides great resources, including lessons, data, maps, and more, to support teaching, learning, K-12 education, and university-level inquiry and research.
The USGS PAGER system (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) will now include estimated economic loss and casualty information. This system is used by emergency responders, government and aid officials, and the public to understand the scope of the disaster to develop the best response.
USGS is playing a critical role in the federal government's coordinated Deepwater Horizon response efforts.
The USGS Science Strategy is a comprehensive report to critically examine the USGS's major science goals and priorities for the coming decade. The USGS is moving forward with these strategic science directions in response to the challenges that our Nation's future faces and for the stewards of our Federal lands.
7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
Despite news articles warning of large-scale releases of methane due to climate change, recent research indicates that most of the world’s gas hydrate deposits should remain stable for the next few thousand years.
Although no one is quite sure where the coal for naughty kids custom came from, the truth is that coal has long been a very important part of our daily lives, let alone our holiday traditions. USGS has studied coal for much of our more than 130-year existence.
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
In research released September 29, 2011, USGS announced that it had mapped more than 96 percent ofAfghanistanwith hyperspectral imaging (also referred to as imaging spectroscopy data). That’s more than any other country in the world, including the U.S. Using a WB-57 aircraft as well as ground-based tools, USGS scientists directed a campaign to collect andContinue Reading
Join us on October 5th to learn more about the minerals we use on a daily basis, where these resources come from, and the steps involved from mineral discovery to mineral use.
USGS scientists are assessing the potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere for storage in other Earth systems through a process called carbon sequestration.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: www.usgs.gov/blogs/features/usgs_top_story/worlds-oil-and-gas-endowment/
Page Contact Information: Ask USGS
Page Last Modified: September 14, 2011
