Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Arctic

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 324; no. 5931; pp. 1175 - 1179
• Main Authors: Gautier, Donald L, Bird, Kenneth J, Charpentier, Ronald R, Grantz, Arthur, Houseknecht, David W, Klett, Timothy R, Moore, Thomas E, Pitman, Janet K, Schenk, Christopher J, Schuenemeyer, John H, Sørensen, Kai, Tennyson, Marilyn E, Valin, Zenon C, Wandrey, Craig J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 29.05.2009; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Assessments; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fossil fuels; Geological resources; Geological surveys; Geology; Hydrocarbons; Marine resources; Measuring instruments; Metallic and non-metallic deposits; Natural gas; Natural gas exploration; Natural gas reserves; Natural resources; Offshore; Offshore engineering; Oil exploration; Oil reserves; Petroleum; Probability theory; Randomness; Rocks; Sedimentary rocks; Uncertainty; Useful material except metal geology; polar regions; Arctic region; natural gas; hydrocarbons; probability; reserves; petroleum; U. S. Geological Survey; potential deposits; methodology; hydrocarbon resources
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1169467

Among the greatest uncertainties in future energy supply and a subject of considerable environmental concern is the amount of oil and gas yet to be found in the Arctic. By using a probabilistic geology-based methodology, the United States Geological Survey has assessed the area north of the Arctic Circle and concluded that about 30% of the world's undiscovered gas and 13% of the world's undiscovered oil may be found there, mostly offshore under less than 500 meters of water. Undiscovered natural gas is three times more abundant than oil in the Arctic and is largely concentrated in Russia. Oil resources, although important to the interests of Arctic countries, are probably not sufficient to substantially shift the current geographic pattern of world oil production.