How do the reserves and technically recoverable resources for unconventional gas compare to recent US natural gas production?
The pyramid in Figure 12 shows 105 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves for unconventional natural gas as of December 31, 2005, (second layer of pyramid). This level amounted to a little over half of US total proven reserves of 204 trillion cubic feet as of that date. The latest date for which proven natural gas reserves are available is December 31, 2006. Proven reserves were then 211 trillion cubic feet, based on EIA data. Natural gas production for 2006 was 18.5 trillion cubic feet, so proven reserves amount to about 11.4 years of production. These are the published amounts, without consideration of future “resources”. In Figure 12, ARI’s estimate of technically recoverable, but not necessarily economically recoverable, unconventional natural gas resources as of December 31, 2006 was 580 trillion cubic feet. If we add this full amount to the proven reserves of 211 trillion cubic feet as of the same date, we get 791 trillion cubic feet of possibly available resources. 791 trillion
Related Questions
- How do the reserves and technically recoverable resources for unconventional gas compare to recent US natural gas production?
- Where can I find shale gas and coalbed methane (or unconventional natural gas) production data and reserves estimates?
- Where in the United States Are Oil and Gas Resources Concentrated Enough for Commercial Production?
