Significant oil and gas resources found in western U.S., says Dept. of Interior

The Department of the Interior today announced the release of a new U.S. Geological Survey assessment identifying significant undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in the Mowry Composite Total Petroleum System.

Spanning parts of Wyoming, Colorado and Utah, the assessment estimates the presence of 473 million barrels of oil and 27 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—resources that could help bolster domestic energy supply and fuel local economies.

“This new USGS assessment underscores the role of American energy resources in strengthening our energy independence and driving economic development across the West,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in an official news release. “Public lands in Southwestern Wyoming hold significant potential, and this science-based evaluation provides critical data to help inform responsible resource management.

"We Map, Baby, Map to provide updated estimates of recoverable oil and gas and equip decision-makers, communities, and industry with the knowledge they need to support job creation, domestic energy production, and long-term economic growth," Burgum continued.  

Since exploration began in the 1950s, the Mowry Composite system, which includes the Dakota Sandstone, the Muddy Sandstone, the Mowry Shale, and the Frontier Formation, has produced approximately 7.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as much gas as the U.S. consumes in three months at the current rate of consumption, and 90 million barrels of oil, or four days’ supply for the nation.

“USGS energy assessments typically focus on undiscovered resources—areas where science tells us there may be a resource that industry hasn’t discovered yet,” added Acting USGS Director Sarah Ryker. “In this case, our assessment found substantial undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources.” 

The USGS assessment released this week includes the Mowry Composite Total Petroleum System, a geologic grouping in southwestern Wyoming and parts of Colorado and Utah containing deposits of a shallow, prehistoric ocean which covered most of the Rocky Mountain region. The USGS previously assessed undiscovered energy resources in the area in 2005.