USGS Releases Assessment of Undiscovered Natural Gas Resources in Alaska’s North Slope

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released an assessment estimating 96 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable, undiscovered natural gas resources on Alaska’s North Slope. 

This is nearly three times the roughly 35 trillion cubic feet (TCFG) of proven gas reserves on the North Slope. 

“Alaska is one of America’s greatest energy frontiers, and President Trump is committed to unlocking its extraordinary potential,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Alaska’s natural gas reserves can supply affordable, reliable, secure energy to Americans and our South Pacific allies for generations, and this assessment helps underscore the importance of understanding these vast resources beneath the North Slope and using world-class American science to turn that potential into opportunity. By advancing responsible energy development, we can strengthen American Energy Dominance, create jobs and deliver lasting economic benefits for Alaskans and the entire nation." 

“This North Slope assessment, backed by the world-class science of the USGS, supports President Trump’s Executive Order 14153 signed the first day of this administration: Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential. Alaska’s untapped, abundant energy and mineral resources are needed for U.S. economic and national security, and for the benefit of Alaskans. Under Secretary Burgum’s Order 3422, we will continue to prioritize investigation of Alaska’s energy and mineral resources,” said Assistant Secretary of the Interior Andrea Travnicek. 

“The U.S. economy and our way of life depend on energy, and USGS natural gas assessments point to resources that industry hasn’t discovered yet. In this case, we estimate there are significant undiscovered gas resources in the North Slope of Alaska,” said USGS Director Ned Mamula. 

USGS oil and gas assessments began 50 years ago following an oil embargo against the U.S. that signaled a need to understand the occurrence, distribution and potential volumes of undiscovered resources. The embargo led to a mandate for the USGS to use geologic science and data to assess undiscovered oil and gas resources to help meet the nation’s needs. The work continues today – identifying new resources for domestic production as well as international resources that affect market conditions – an important part of the USGS mission to provide actionable insight to U.S. leaders, other federal agencies, industry and the public. 

USGS energy resource assessments provide information to policymakers on resource potential in areas of the United States and the world. For land-management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the results of an energy resources assessment feed into land-use and resource management plans. For the private sector, USGS assessments of undiscovered energy resources provide context for planning detailed exploration. 

For information on the uncertainty in oil and gas resource assessments, see What are the different columns on a USGS oil and gas resource assessment table? | U.S. Geological Survey 

The USGS Energy Resources Program assesses the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources in priority geologic provinces in the United States and around the world. The scope of these assessments has evolved alongside advances in energy production technology. 

The fact sheet on the Alaska North Slope Gas Assessment is available here. 

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