Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region

1995 Assessment of Conventionally Recoverable Hydrocarbon Resources of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf

MMS 99-0034

by Gary L. Lore, Katherine M. Ross, Barbara J. Bascle, Lesley D. Nixon,
and Ralph J. Klazynski

This report presents the results of the 1995 play-level assessment of the conventionally recoverable hydrocarbon resources for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This evaluation was performed as part of a national assessment of undiscovered hydrocarbon resources—in which the onshore and State offshore areas of the Nation were assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Federal offshore ares of the Nation were assessed by the Minerals Management Service (MMS)—in order to develop an updated appraisal of the potential location and volume of undiscovered resources.

This study delineated 72 plays, of which 52 comprise the Gulf of Mexico Cenozoic Province, 9 comprise the Gulf of Mexico Mesozoic Province, and 11 comprise the Atlantic Mesozoic Province. These 72 plays account for a mean total endowment of nearly 26 billion barrels of oil (Bbo) and 300 trillion cubic feet of gas (Tcfg). Of this mean total endowment, approximately 11 Bbo and 123 Tcfg are undiscovered resources. Moreover, nearly 80 percent of these undiscovered resources are projected to occur in the Gulf of Mexico.

In order to provide maximum utility to the end user, a multi-part CD comprising an interactive report that describes and illustrates the assessment methodologies and detailed geologic and economic results by use of traditional Windows drop-down menus and buttons, GIS (geographic information system) play and infrastructure data, tabular data, and PDF (portable document format) files of the report were created. The CD's are self-contained with Adobe Acrobat Reader, ESRI ArcExplorer, and Microsoft Excel spreadsheet viewer for using the several file types included.

Copies of this CD are free and can be ordered from the MMS by calling 1-800-200-GULF or by sending a fax to (504) 736-2620. The PDF version of the report is free and available by clicking the button below.