How is the natural gas resource base defined and measured?
Natural gas reserves are estimated quantities of gas in known drilled reservoirs, which are near existing pipelines and markets. These gas volumes are known with considerable certainty to be recoverable today and in future years under existing technological and economic conditions. Resources are estimated volumes of natural gas – discovered or undiscovered – that exist in subsurface accumulations. Discovered resources are estimated quantities of gas in known drilled reservoirs, which are too remote to be connected to existing pipelines and markets. If pipelines were built, gas volumes would be recoverable under existing technological and economic conditions. Undiscovered resources are an estimate, inferred from geological data, of gas volumes thought to be recoverable under current or anticipated economic and technological conditions, but not yet discovered by drilling. These resources may be near or remote from pipelines.
