U.S. gas resource estimate up 6% in 2 years

The Potential Gas Committee has reported the U.S. natural gas resource base, including proved reserves, has increased 6% in the past 2 years to 1.039 quadrillion cu ft. PGC estimated the magnitude of the traditional gas resource, other than coalbed methane, at 741 tcf, compared with 723 tcf in its 1994 estimate. It said the quantity of recoverable gas in coalbed methane reservoirs decreased to 132 tcf from 134 tcf, mostly due to production.

April 21, 1997

2 min read

The Potential Gas Committee has reported the U.S. natural gas resource base, including proved reserves, has increased 6% in the past 2 years to 1.039 quadrillion cu ft.

PGC estimated the magnitude of the traditional gas resource, other than coalbed methane, at 741 tcf, compared with 723 tcf in its 1994 estimate.

It said the quantity of recoverable gas in coalbed methane reservoirs decreased to 132 tcf from 134 tcf, mostly due to production.

"These two levels of recoverable natural gas, plus the 165 tcf of proved reserves reported by the Energy Department, equal the total resource base of 1,039 tcf."

The PGC consists of 174 volunteers from industry, government, and academia who estimate resources in 89 geologic regions. The Colorado School of Mines' Potential Gas Agency (PGA) provides guidance and technical aid.

Scott Jenkins, PGC president, said the survey shows "the future for natural gas in this country is quite bright," because potential reserves represent 55 years of supply at current production levels.

Methodology

John Curtis, PGA director, said the estimates do not assume any schedule for the discovery and production of future gas supply.

"Estimates of the PGC are baseline estimates in that they attempt to provide a reasonable appraisal of the total natural gas resource potential of the U.S.," he said.

PGC historically has reported its results as the arithmetic summation of the most likely volumes. It also reported its numbers in a technique that results in a mean estimate of 1.232 quadrillion cu ft for the U.S., so they can be compared with resource estimates released by the U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service, and others.

PGC also released a study comparing four sets of natural gas resource estimates published by industry and government.

It concluded that while the different organizations do not estimate the same precise categories of gas under the same assumptions, "there is a consensus that a large, accessible potential gas resource exists that backs up the current inventory of proved reserves and is available to make a larger contribution to the nation's energy supply."