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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

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Image: Bakken Oil Well

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...

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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...

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Image: Bakken Drilling
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Image: Bakken Drill Rig
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Image: Bakken Drill Rig
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Image: Bakken Oil Well
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National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Summary

IntroductionIn 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a probabilistic assessment of the volume of technically recoverable oil resources that might be produced by using current carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) technologies in amenable conventional oil reservoirs underlying the onshore and State waters areas of the conterminous United States. The assessment also includes est
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

National assessment of carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery and associated carbon dioxide retention resources — Results

In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a probabilistic assessment of the volume of technically recoverable oil resources available if current carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) technologies were applied to amenable oil reservoirs underlying the onshore and State waters areas of the conterminous United States. The assessment also includes estimates of the mass of CO2 that
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Energy Resources Program, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center

Geology and assessment of the undiscovered, technically recoverable petroleum resources of Armenia, 2013

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources of Armenia in 2013. A Paleozoic and a Cenozoic total petroleum system (TPS) were identified within the country of Armenia. The postulated petroleum system elements are uncertain, resulting in low geologic probabilities for significant oil an gas resources. Two assessment units (AU) were delin
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources of Armenia, 2014

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated mean volumes of 1 million barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional oil and 6 billion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable conventional natural gas in Armenia.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resources of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico-U.S. Virgin Islands Exclusive Economic Zone, 2013

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 19 million barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and 244 billion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in the Puerto Rico–U.S. Virgin Islands Exclusive Economic Zone.
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Energy Resources Program, Central Energy Resources Science Center

Assessment of Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Oil and Gas Resources of the Bakken Formation, Williston Basin, Montana and North Dakota, 2008

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and associated gas resources of the Upper Devonian to Lower Mississippian Bakken Formation in the U.S. portion of the Williston Basin of Montana and North Dakota and within the Williston Basin Province. The assessment is based on geologic elements of a total petroleum system (TPS), which include (1) source-rock d
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Energy Resources Program

Estimates of technically recoverable petroleum resources for continuous-type (unconventional) plays in sandstones, shales, and chalks on Federal Lands of the conterminous United States

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