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Williston Basin Oil and Gas Assessments Active

By Central Energy Resources Science Center November 8, 2018

The U.S. Geological Survey completed the following assessments of conventional and continuous oil and gas resources of the Devonian Three Forks Formation and Devonian and Mississippian Bakken Formation in the Williston Basin Province 5031 of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota.

2021 Bakken and Three Forks Formation Assessment

Image shows a map of the central United States and Canada with the assessment units marked with different colors

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 4.3 billion barrels of oil and 4.9 trillion cubic feet of gas (associated) in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota and Montana.

Fact Sheet 2021-3058

Williston Basin Assessments

The following are recent assessments of undiscovered oil and gas

Click here to access legacy downloadable data.

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Application to explore US Oil and Gas Assessments

United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources

USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World. This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
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Energy and Minerals Mission Area, Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center
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United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources

USGS Energy Resources Program provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas endowment of the United States and the World. This website provides access to new, prioritized, assessment results and supporting data for the United States, as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA).
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Below are data or web applications associated with this project.

USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Williston Basin, Bakken and Three Forks Formations Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin province in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Asse
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Central Energy Resources Science Center

USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Williston Basin, Lower Paleozoic Conventional Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Lower Paleozoic of the Williston Basin province in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is def
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Central Energy Resources Science Center

USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Williston Basin, Upper Paleozoic Conventional Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Upper Paleozoic of the Williston Basin province in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is def
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Central Energy Resources Science Center

USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Williston Basin, Tyler Formation Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Tyler formation of the Williston Basin province in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is def
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Central Energy Resources Science Center

USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Williston Basin, Gas Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms

This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of undiscovered gas resources in the Williston Basin province in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The Assessment Unit is the fundamental unit used in the National Assessment Project for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. The Assessment Unit is defined within the context of the
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Central Energy Resources Science Center

Below are publications associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 17

Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota and Montana, 2021

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 4.3 billion barrels of oil and 4.9 trillion cubic feet of gas (associated) in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota and Montana.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Pennsylvanian Tyler Formation of the Williston Basin Province, 2020

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 161 million barrels of oil and 93 billion cubic feet of gas in the Tyler Formation of the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the lower Paleozoic of the Williston Basin Province, 2020

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 83 million barrels of oil and 351 billion cubic feet of gas in lower Paleozoic strata of the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered gas resources in the Williston Basin Province, 2020

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean of 2,438 billion (2.4 trillion) cubic feet of gas resources in the Williston Basin Province, in North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of upper Paleozoic strata in the Williston Basin Province, 2020

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean oil and gas resources of 134 million barrels of oil and 81 billion cubic feet of gas in upper Paleozoic strata of the Williston Basin Province in North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered continuous oil and gas resources in the Heath Formation, central Montana and western North Dakota, 2016

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 884 million barrels of oil and 106 billion cubic feet of gas in the North-Central Montana and Williston Basin Provinces of central Montana and western North Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

U.S. Geological Survey assessments of continuous (unconventional) oil and gas resources, 2000 to 2011

From 2000 to 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted 139 quantitative assessments of continuous (unconventional) oil and gas accumulations within the United States. This report documents those assessments more fully than previously done by providing detailed documentation of both the assessment input and output. This report also compiles the data into spreadsheet tables that can be more readily
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Map of assessed coalbed-gas resources in the United States, 2014

This report presents a digital map of coalbed-gas resource assessments in the United States as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS quantitatively estimated potential volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas resources within coalbed-gas assessment units (AUs). This is the t
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Procedure for calculating estimated ultimate recoveries of Bakken and Three Forks Formations horizontal wells in the Williston Basin

Estimated ultimate recoveries (EURs) are a key component in determining productivity of wells in continuous-type oil and gas reservoirs. EURs form the foundation of a well-performance-based assessment methodology initially developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS; Schmoker, 1999). This methodology was formally reviewed by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Committee on Resource
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Input-form data for the U.S. Geological Survey assessment of the Devonian and Mississippian Bakken and Devonian Three Forks Formations of the U.S. Williston Basin Province, 2013

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey assessed the technically recoverable oil and gas resources of the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of the U.S. portion of the Williston Basin. The Bakken and Three Forks Formations were assessed as continuous and hypothetical conventional oil accumulations using a methodology similar to that used in the assessment of other continuous- and conventional-type asse
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered oil resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin Province, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota, 2013

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 7.4 billion barrels of oil, 6.7 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 0.53 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin Province of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Williston Basin Province of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota, 2010

Using a geology-based assessment method, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean undiscovered volumes of 3.8 billion barrels of undiscovered oil, 3.7 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 0.2 billion barrels of undiscovered natural gas liquids in the Williston Basin Province, North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently completed a co
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Energy Resources Program
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USGS Releases Oil and Gas Assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations of Montana and North Dakota

The USGS has completed an oil and gas estimate for the Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota.  

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