• DOI:10.1126/science.1169467
• Corpus ID: 206517941

Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Arctic

@article{Gautier2009AssessmentOU,
  title={Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas in the Arctic},
  author={Donald L. Gautier and Kenneth J. Bird and Ronald R. Charpentier and Arthur C. Grantz and David W. Houseknecht and Timothy R. Klett and Thomas E. Moore and Janet K. Pitman and Christopher J. Schenk and John H. Schuenemeyer and Kai S{\o}rensen and Marilyn E. Tennyson and Zenon C. Valin and Craig J. Wandrey},
  journal={Science},
  year={2009},
  volume={324},
  pages={1175 - 1179}
}

• D. Gautier, K. Bird, +11 authors C. Wandrey
• Published 29 May 2009
• Geology, Environmental Science
• Science

Arctic Energy Reserves The Arctic consists of approximately equal fractions of terrain above sea level, continental shelves with depths less than 500 meters, and deep ocean basins that have been mostly covered in ice. While the deep ocean regions probably have limited petroleum reserves, the shelf areas are likely to contain abundant ones. Based on the limited amount of exploration data available, Gautier et al. (p. 1175) have constructed a probabilistic, geology-based estimate of how much oil and gas may be found. Approximately 30% of the world's undiscovered gas, and 13% of its undiscovered oil, may be found north of the Arctic Circle. Advances in the technology of hydrocarbon recovery, as well as vanishing ice cover around the North Pole, make the Arctic an increasingly attractive region for energy source development, although the existing reserves are probably not large enough to shift current production patterns significantly. About 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas and 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil probably exist north of the Arctic Circle. 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.