| The new PGC estimate of the total United States natural gas resource base at year-end 2006 is 1,525 trillion cubic feet (Tcf), more than 16 percent higher than in 2004. This total reflects an unprecedented 18 percent (202 Tcf) net increase in the PGC estimate of potential gas resources, a volume more than 5 times larger than the 36 Tcf produced during 2004 and 2005. This total also includes 204 Tcf of proved gas reserves at year-end 2005, the most recent estimate independently made by the Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy. q.v.
The year-end 2006 PGC natural gas resource estimate, which is the volume the Committee believes could be found and produced in future years, is 1,320.9 Tcf. This is comprised of 1154.8 Tcf resident in traditional gas reservoirs and 166.1 Tcf resident in coalbed reservoirs. The estimated traditionally reservoired resources are 21.6% higher than in the 2004 PGC estimate and the estimated coalbed methane resources are 1.9% lower. These changes arose primarily from analysis of new data for the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, Rocky Mountain, and Pacific areas. The greatest increase in gas resources resulted from new assessments of shale-gas plays in the Arkoma, Anadarko, Fort Worth, and Permian basins of the Mid-Continent Area. |