The USGS World Energy Project conducts geologic studies that provide an understanding of the quantity, quality, and geologic distribution of world oil and gas resources. Our geologic studies are conducted in an impartial manner and are performed in collaboration and partnership with energy experts within and outside government. Through synthesis and improved understanding of global oil and gas data, we shall establish a geologic basis for predicting energy production trends, we shall discuss logical implications and consequences of energy occurrence for public policy, and we shall provide for the education of society about energy issues.
Assessment Overview

The USGS assesses potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources in priority geologic provinces in the World. This website highlights conventional and unconventional (continuous) oil and gas resources (such as shale gas) for more than 170 basins.
Recent Publications
Below is a list of the latest World Oil and Gas Assessment Publications
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
United States Assessments of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Western Australia Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Greater Taranaki and East Coast Basins, New Zealand, Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-China Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project- Eastern Mediterranean Region Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Southeast Asia Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project -- Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin, Canada, Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Conventional Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data Forms
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data
Below are publications associated with this project.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the greater Taranaki Basin and East Coast Basin of New Zealand, 2020
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Perth Basin, NW Shelf, Browse Basin, and Bonaparte Gulf Basin provinces of Western Australia, 2020
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of China, 2020
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean area, 2020
Assessment of continuous gas resources in the Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin, Canada, 2019
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Southeast Asia, 2020
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Lower Silurian Shales of the Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Assessment of tight-gas resources in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria, 2019
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Assessment of shale-oil resources of the Sirte Basin Province, Libya, 2019
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Sirte and Pelagian Basin Provinces of Libya, Tunisia, Malta, and Italy, 2019
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Map of undiscovered unconventional/continuous oil and gas resources of the world (2010-present)
This map shows basins which were assessed for Unconventional/Continuous Oil and Gas and links to related publications. These assessments started in the early 2010's and this map is updated with new assessments as they are published.
Map of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the world, 2012
In 2012, the USGS completed a comprehensive assessment of priority basins throughout the world. This map lists publications for each of these basins.
Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal GIS Data Downloads
Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal GIS Data Downloads provides Assessment Unit and Province-level details from the 2008 Assessment in 33 geologic provinces north of the Arctic Circle.
World Geologic Maps Data Downloads
This page provides access to data from various USGS World Geologic Maps.
World Oil and Gas Assessments - Downloadable Data
This link is a page to download GIS and tabular data from World Oil and Gas Assessments spanning from 2000 to 2012.
Below are FAQ associated with this project.
What are "technically recoverable" oil and gas resources?
“Technically recoverable” means that the oil and/or gas can be produced using currently available technology and industry practices. This is regardless of any economic or accessibility considerations. For example, the technology required to produce oil from a location might exist, but it costs more than the oil is worth. The oil is still technically recoverable. Learn more: USGS Energy Assessments...
What are the different columns on a USGS oil and gas resource assessment table?
Oil and gas estimates always involve some amounts of uncertainty. To account for this, the USGS presents its assessments of oil and gas potential in the form of a range based on how certain we are that this amount of oil and gas exist. The USGS uses a statistically based process (or model) to calculate the likely range of its estimates. The range of values extends from a 5% or greater likelihood...
- Overview
The USGS World Energy Project conducts geologic studies that provide an understanding of the quantity, quality, and geologic distribution of world oil and gas resources. Our geologic studies are conducted in an impartial manner and are performed in collaboration and partnership with energy experts within and outside government. Through synthesis and improved understanding of global oil and gas data, we shall establish a geologic basis for predicting energy production trends, we shall discuss logical implications and consequences of energy occurrence for public policy, and we shall provide for the education of society about energy issues.
Assessment OverviewThe USGS assesses potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources in priority geologic provinces in the World. This website highlights conventional and unconventional (continuous) oil and gas resources (such as shale gas) for more than 170 basins.
Recent PublicationsBelow is a list of the latest World Oil and Gas Assessment Publications
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
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). - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project - Western Australia Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of conventional assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Perth Basin, NW Shelf, Browse Basin, and Bonaparte Gulf Basin Provinces of Western Australia. 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 defineUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Greater Taranaki and East Coast Basins, New Zealand, Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of conventional assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Greater Taranaki and East Coast Basins, New Zealand. 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 higher-leUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-China Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of conventional assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in China. 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 higher-level Total Petroleum System. The Assessment Unit isUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project- Eastern Mediterranean Region Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of conventional assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Eastern Mediterranean Area. 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 higher-level Total Petroleum SysteUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Southeast Asia Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of conventional assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in Southeast Asia. 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 higher-level Total Petroleum System. The AssessmenUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project -- Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin, Canada, Assessment Unit Boundaries and Assessment Input Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units for the assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment and Liard Basin in Alberta Basin Province, Canada. 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 conUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Conventional Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data Forms
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of the Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries. 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 higher-levUSGS National and Global Oil and Gas Assessment Project-Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries and Input Data
This data release contains the boundaries of assessment units and input data for the assessment of the Eromanga Basin Province, Australia, Cooper Basin Continuous Assessment Unit Boundaries. 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 higher-lev - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 138Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the greater Taranaki Basin and East Coast Basin of New Zealand, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 806 million barrels of oil and 17.0 trillion cubic feet of gas within the greater Taranaki Basin and East Coast Basin of New Zealand.Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Perth Basin, NW Shelf, Browse Basin, and Bonaparte Gulf Basin provinces of Western Australia, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 906 million barrels of oil and 132.8 trillion cubic feet of gas in four geologic provinces of Western Australia.Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of China, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 13.4 billion barrels of oil and 244.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in nine geologic provinces of China.Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the eastern Mediterranean area, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 879 million barrels of conventional oil and 286.2 trillion cubic feet of conventional gas in the eastern Mediterranean area.Assessment of continuous gas resources in the Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin, Canada, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 135.4 trillion cubic feet of continuous gas in Devonian–Mississippian shales in the Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin of Canada.Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of Southeast Asia, 2020
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 10.5 billion barrels of oil and 271.5 trillion cubic feet of gas within 33 geologic provinces of Southeast Asia.Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Lower Silurian Shales of the Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 4.6 billion barrels of oil and 561 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Lower Silurian Shale Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula.Assessment of tight-gas resources in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 30.5 trillion cubic feet of tight gas in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria.Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 118 million barrels of continuous oil and 170 billion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Jurassic Posidonia Shale Total Petroleum System of western Greece and southern Albania.Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5.6 billion barrels of oil and 109.1 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Jurassic Hanifa-Tuwaiq Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula.Assessment of shale-oil resources of the Sirte Basin Province, Libya, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 23.7 billion barrels of shale oil and 23 trillion cubic feet of associated gas in the onshore part of the Sirte Basin Province of Libya.Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources of the Sirte and Pelagian Basin Provinces of Libya, Tunisia, Malta, and Italy, 2019
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 16.4 billion barrels of oil and 106.3 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Sirte and Pelagian Basin Provinces of Libya, Tunisia, Malta, and Italy. - Web Tools
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Map of undiscovered unconventional/continuous oil and gas resources of the world (2010-present)
This map shows basins which were assessed for Unconventional/Continuous Oil and Gas and links to related publications. These assessments started in the early 2010's and this map is updated with new assessments as they are published.
Map of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the world, 2012
In 2012, the USGS completed a comprehensive assessment of priority basins throughout the world. This map lists publications for each of these basins.
Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal GIS Data Downloads
Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal GIS Data Downloads provides Assessment Unit and Province-level details from the 2008 Assessment in 33 geologic provinces north of the Arctic Circle.
World Geologic Maps Data Downloads
This page provides access to data from various USGS World Geologic Maps.
World Oil and Gas Assessments - Downloadable Data
This link is a page to download GIS and tabular data from World Oil and Gas Assessments spanning from 2000 to 2012.
- FAQ
Below are FAQ associated with this project.
What are "technically recoverable" oil and gas resources?
“Technically recoverable” means that the oil and/or gas can be produced using currently available technology and industry practices. This is regardless of any economic or accessibility considerations. For example, the technology required to produce oil from a location might exist, but it costs more than the oil is worth. The oil is still technically recoverable. Learn more: USGS Energy Assessments...
What are the different columns on a USGS oil and gas resource assessment table?
Oil and gas estimates always involve some amounts of uncertainty. To account for this, the USGS presents its assessments of oil and gas potential in the form of a range based on how certain we are that this amount of oil and gas exist. The USGS uses a statistically based process (or model) to calculate the likely range of its estimates. The range of values extends from a 5% or greater likelihood...