Water truck in background is providing maintenance water to a producing well drilled in the Bakken Formation near Williston, North Dakota.
Does the Bakken Formation contain more oil than Saudi Arabia?
Probably not. In 2000, the USGS assessed undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in Saudi Arabia at 87 billion barrels (USGS 2000 World Petroleum Assessment) compared to a mean estimate of 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable continuous oil in the Bakken and Three Forks formations (USGS 2021 Bakken and Three Forks Assessment). In addition, Saudi Arabia contains even more oil that has already been found, which is reported by the U.S. Energy Information Administration as current proven oil reserves.
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Related Content
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
How is hydraulic fracturing related to earthquakes and tremors?
Reports of hydraulic fracturing causing felt earthquakes are extremely rare. However, wastewater produced by wells that were hydraulic fractured can cause “induced” earthquakes when it is injected into deep wastewater wells. Wastewater disposal wells operate for longer durations and inject much more fluid than the hydraulic fracturing operations. Wastewater injection can raise pressure levels in...
Why does the USGS decide to reassess oil and gas formations?
The USGS regularly re-examines our assessments to see if updated information warrants a reassessment. Sometimes more information is available either from USGS research or industry production, and the USGS decides to conduct a new assessment. Learn more: USGS Energy Assessments
Why do USGS oil and gas resource assessments differ from other oil and gas assessments from other agencies or industry?
This question cannot be answered clearly because the methods used by those organizations to estimate oil and gas resource volumes are often not publicly available to compare step-by-step. One common reason different organizations get different results is based on what the assessments include. USGS estimates are for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. The USGS does not...
What is the difference between assessed oil and gas “resources” and “reserves”?
“ Reserves ” are quantities of oil and gas that are already discovered, recoverable, and commercial. Domestic reserves are tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration . The USGS assesses “undiscovered, technically recoverable resources,” which are those that are estimated to exist based on geologic knowledge and theory. Learn more: USGS Energy Resource Assessments
Well Drill in the Bakken Formation near Williston
Water truck in background is providing maintenance water to a producing well drilled in the Bakken Formation near Williston, North Dakota.
Bakken Drill Rig
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
Bakken Drill Rig
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
Oil Well being Drilled into the Bakken Formation
Oil well being drilled into the Bakken Formation in North Dakota in 2015.
Oil well being drilled into the Bakken Formation in North Dakota in 2015.
Bakken Oil Well
Oil-well pads dotting the landscape of typical badland topography. Thousands of new wells are drilled into the Bakken and Three Forks annually, making this one of the most productive plays in the Nation.
Oil-well pads dotting the landscape of typical badland topography. Thousands of new wells are drilled into the Bakken and Three Forks annually, making this one of the most productive plays in the Nation.
Related Content
- FAQ
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
How is hydraulic fracturing related to earthquakes and tremors?
Reports of hydraulic fracturing causing felt earthquakes are extremely rare. However, wastewater produced by wells that were hydraulic fractured can cause “induced” earthquakes when it is injected into deep wastewater wells. Wastewater disposal wells operate for longer durations and inject much more fluid than the hydraulic fracturing operations. Wastewater injection can raise pressure levels in...
Why does the USGS decide to reassess oil and gas formations?
The USGS regularly re-examines our assessments to see if updated information warrants a reassessment. Sometimes more information is available either from USGS research or industry production, and the USGS decides to conduct a new assessment. Learn more: USGS Energy Assessments
Why do USGS oil and gas resource assessments differ from other oil and gas assessments from other agencies or industry?
This question cannot be answered clearly because the methods used by those organizations to estimate oil and gas resource volumes are often not publicly available to compare step-by-step. One common reason different organizations get different results is based on what the assessments include. USGS estimates are for undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. The USGS does not...
What is the difference between assessed oil and gas “resources” and “reserves”?
“ Reserves ” are quantities of oil and gas that are already discovered, recoverable, and commercial. Domestic reserves are tracked by the U.S. Energy Information Administration . The USGS assesses “undiscovered, technically recoverable resources,” which are those that are estimated to exist based on geologic knowledge and theory. Learn more: USGS Energy Resource Assessments
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Well Drill in the Bakken Formation near Williston
Water truck in background is providing maintenance water to a producing well drilled in the Bakken Formation near Williston, North Dakota.
Water truck in background is providing maintenance water to a producing well drilled in the Bakken Formation near Williston, North Dakota.
Bakken Drill RigA drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
Bakken Drill RigA drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
A drill rig in the Bakken oil field in Stark County, western North Dakota.
Oil Well being Drilled into the Bakken FormationOil well being drilled into the Bakken Formation in North Dakota in 2015.
Oil well being drilled into the Bakken Formation in North Dakota in 2015.
Bakken Oil WellOil-well pads dotting the landscape of typical badland topography. Thousands of new wells are drilled into the Bakken and Three Forks annually, making this one of the most productive plays in the Nation.
Oil-well pads dotting the landscape of typical badland topography. Thousands of new wells are drilled into the Bakken and Three Forks annually, making this one of the most productive plays in the Nation.
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