Estimated Oil and Gas Reserves
Pacific Outer Continental Shelf

(as of December 31, 2003)

By Harold E. Syms and Armen Voskanian

Executive Summary

Proved reserves of oil^¹ and gas^² in the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), off­shore California, are estimated to be 303 million barrels and 987 billion cubic feet, respectively, as of December 31, 2003. These reserves are attributed to 13 fields. Original recoverable oil and gas reserves for these fields are estimated to be 1,388 million barrels and 2,112 billion cubic feet, respectively. Un­proved reserves are estimated to be 1,166 million barrels of oil and 490 billion cubic feet of gas, in 12 fields.

Reserve estimates for 18 of the 25 Pacific OCS fields were calculated using individual reservoir volu­metric studies. Both decline‑curve and volumetric analyses were used for the remaining 7 fields. Over three-fourths of all originally recoverable oil re­serves (both proved and unproved) and approximately two-thirds of all originally recoverable gas reserves are attributed to reservoirs in the Monterey Formation. Over three-fourths of remaining oil reserves are contained within fields that have not yet been developed.

Thirteen of the 25 fields were producing at yearend 2003. Oil production during 2003 was approximately 29.7 million barrels, while gas production was about 58.4 billion cubic feet. Through 2003, over 1,085 million barrels of oil and 1,377 billion cubic feet of gas have been produced from 13 fields in the Pacific OCS.

¹ Oil, as used in this report, includes crude oil and condensate.
² Gas, as used in this report, includes associated and nonassociated dry gas.

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