HEADLINE: “USGS: Wyoming 4th in oil, natural gas in undiscovered resources under federal lands”
“The U.S. Geological Survey released a report earlier this week on undiscovered oil and gas resources in formations under the federally managed public lands of the United States broken out by state…”
USGS: Wyoming 4th in oil, natural gas in undiscovered resources under federal lands
Jun 20, 2025 Updated Jun 20, 2025
RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released a report earlier this week on undiscovered oil and gas resources in formations under the federally managed public lands of the United States broken out by state, estimating that there are technically recoverable resources of 988.3 million barrels of oil, fourth in the nation, and 57.1 trillion cubic feet of gas, fourth in the nation, in Wyoming.
If produced, that would be enough oil to supply all the nation’s needs for a month and a half at the current rate of consumption, and enough natural gas to meet the nation’s needs for a year and nine months.
The onshore public lands of the United States included in the report are those administered by the Departments of Agriculture (Forest Service), Defense, Energy and Interior (Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service), and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
For the nation’s public lands, the report estimates a total of 29.4 billion barrels of oil, and 391.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
The undiscovered oil and gas resource estimates are both significant increases from the most recent USGS estimates in 1998. These increases are due not to any change in the subsurface but to the revolution in energy production since the previous USGS estimates of undiscovered oil and gas resources on public lands in 1998, when the USGS estimated 7.86 billion barrels of oil and 201.1 trillion cubic feet of gas. Those estimates focused on conventional oil and gas accumulations, and did not include all unconventional resources such as shale oil, tight oil and tight gas (oil and gas trapped in impermeable rock), and coal-bed gas, which are routinely produced using fracking, and are now part of USGS oil and gas assessments.
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. Two methodologies are used by the USGS: one for assessing conventional oil and gas resources and one for assessing unconventional (continuous) oil and gas resources (such as shale gas and coalbed gas).
“USGS assessments of undiscovered resources are science-based estimates of what may be discovered in the future,” said Ryker. “They are different from – and complementary to – industry production numbers, which focus on known or discovered resources. USGS research focuses on areas of uncertainty.”
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, technically recoverable 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 policy makers on resource potential in areas of the U.S. 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.
The range of assessments produced has changed with the technology available to produce oil. In 1995, the USGS began conducting assessments of unconventional, technically recoverable resources. “The shift to horizontal drilling with fracking has revolutionized oil and gas production, and that is reflected in these estimates,” said Christopher Schenk, USGS geologist.
BOTTOMLINE: “USGS energy resource assessments provide information to policy makers on resource potential in areas of the U.S. 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.”