World Oil and Gas Resource Assessments
Explore Unconventional/Continuous Oil and Gas Assessments
Click here to launchAssessment 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.
Conventional Oil and Gas Assessments
In 2012, the USGS completed a comprehensive assessment of priority basins throughout the world. This map lists publications for each of these basins.
Explore ConventionalRecent Publications
Below is a list of the latest World Oil and Gas Assessment Publications
2019 Horn River Basin, Cordova Embayment, and Liard Basin, Canada
2019 Lower Silurian Shales of the Arabian Peninsula
2019 Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria
Browse AssessmentsScience Center Objects
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.
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Date published: April 19, 2019Status: ActiveUnited 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).
Contacts: Christopher J SchenkAttribution: Energy and Minerals, Energy Resources Program, Region 1: North Atlantic-Appalachian, Region 2: South Atlantic-Gulf (Includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), Region 3: Great Lakes, Region 4: Mississippi Basin, Region 5: Missouri Basin, Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf, Region 7: Upper Colorado Basin, Region 9: Columbia-Pacific Northwest, Region 11: Alaska, Region 12: Pacific Islands (American Samoa, Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), Central Energy Resources Science Center, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Pitman, Janet K.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Drake, Ronald M.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Kinney, Scott A.
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.
Brownfield, Michael E.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Drake, Ronald M.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Kinney, Scott A.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Le, Phuong A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Drake, Ronald M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Finn, Thomas M.
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.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Le, Phuong A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Drake, Ronald M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Finn, Thomas M.
Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province, Algeria, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 378 million barrels of oil and 7 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Grand Erg/Ahnet Province of Algeria.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Le, Phuong A.; Pitman, Janet K.; Drake, Ronald M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Gaswirth, Stephanie B.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Beetaloo Basin, Australia, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 429 million barrels of continuous oil and 8 trillion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Beetaloo Basin of northern Australia.
Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Finn, Thomas M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Drake, Ronald M.
Assessment of tight-oil and tight-gas resources in the Junggar and Santanghu Basins of Northwestern China, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 241 million barrels of tight oil and 10.1 trillion cubic feet of tight gas in the Junggar and Santanghu Basins of northwestern China.
Potter, Christopher J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Pitman, Janet K.
Assessment of Paleozoic Shale-Oil and Shale-Gas Resources in the Tarim Basin of China, 2018
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 1.4 billion barrels of shale oil and 26.9 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in Paleozoic formations in the Tarim Basin of China.
Potter, Christopher J.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Mercier, Tracey J.; Tennyson, Marilyn E.; Finn, Thomas M.; Woodall, Cheryl A.; Leathers-Miller, Heidi M.; Marra, Kristen R.; Le, Phuong A.; Drake, Ronald M.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Pitman, Janet K.-
Date published: April 29, 2021USGS 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.
Attribution: Central Energy Resources Science Center -
Date published: April 2, 2021
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
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.
Attribution: Central Energy Resources Science Center -
Date published: May 3, 2019
USGS 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 highe...
Attribution: Energy Resources Program -
Date published: May 2, 2019
USGS 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 highe...
Attribution: Energy Resources Program -
Date published: April 3, 2019Circum-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.
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Date published: April 3, 2019World 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.
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Date published: April 3, 2019World Geologic Maps Data Downloads
This page provides access to data from various USGS World Geologic Maps.
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Date published: April 18, 2019Map 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.
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Date published: April 18, 2019Map 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.
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What are the different columns on a USGS oil and gas resource assessment table?
The USGS uses a statistically-based process to calculate the likely range of its estimate. The range of values extends from a 5% or greater likelihood of occurrence (the F5 value, or largest estimated value) to less than 95% likelihood of occurrence (the F95 value, or smallest estimated value). The F50 column is the value that occurs when 50% of... -
Are other countries using hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas extraction?
Yes, hydraulic fracturing is being used extensively in Canada and is increasingly being used in countries in Asia, Europe, and South America. Learn more: Hydraulic Fracturing Induced Earthquakes -
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...