Abstract: New Approach to Geologic Estimates of Oil and Gas Resources by U.S. Geological Survey

Gordon L. Dolton, Richard B. Powers, Edward G. Sable

Geologic interpretation and evaluation of potentially petroliferous areas provide the basis for oil and gas resource assessment. The Resource Appraisal Group, in conjunction with other personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey, systematically collected, summarized, and inventoried a large amount of geologic and geophysical data on a regional scale for the appraisal of undiscovered recoverable oil, natural gas, and natural-gas-liquid resources of the onshore and offshore United States. These data are amenable to treatment by many different resource-appraisal methods and eventually to computerized data-bank storage and retrieval procedures.

Geologic factors considered to be critical to the oil and gas resource appraisal methods used in this study include area, thickness, and age range of potential strata; character, volume, and age of producing and prospective reservoir beds; source beds, seals, and organic maturity; dominant lithologies; depositional environments; regional and local aspects of structure and tectonics; types of traps; indications of hydrocarbons; and known or suspected presence of hydrocarbons.

Engineering, development, and historical factors used include stage of exploration, production and reserve data, field and reservoir information, other resource estimates, and overall qualitative ratings of each province or region based on geologic and yield-analog procedures.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90972©1976 AAPG-SEPM Annual Convention and Exhibition, New Orleans, LA