In a report released last Thursday, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) reported that as of Dec. 31, 2000, there were about 24.6 Tcf of natural gas proved reserves and about 3 billion barrels of petroleum liquids (both oil and natural gas condensate) in 875 proved active fields of the Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf.

In the report, titled Estimated Oil and Gas Reserves Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf, December 31, 2000, MMS indicated an annual increase of about 0.02 billion bbl of liquids (oil and gas condensate) and 1 Tcf of gas in remaining proved reserves compared with Dec. 31, 1999 estimates. New proved field discoveries accounted for an increase of 0.33 billion bbl of liquids and 2.6 Tcf of gas.

The MMS estimated that there were 2.22 billion bbl and 4.1 Tcf of unproven reserves as of Dec 31, 2000. These reserves include unproved reserves from proved and unproved active fields. There are 51 unproved active fields. In summary, there are 926 active fields located in federal waters of the Gulf.

Total proved reserves, which include 175 depleted and abandoned fields, are estimated at 14.93 billion bbl of oil and 167.3 Tcf of gas from 1,050 proved fields under the federal submerged lands in the Gulf. Not included in those numbers are the 51 unproved active fields. As of Dec. 31 2000, cumulative production from the 1,050 fields was 11.93 billion bbl of oil and 142.7 Tcf of gas.

The MMS report, along with digital data, is available free via the MMS homepage at www.gomr.mms.gov.

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