The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has released the 2026 National Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources, an estimate of the undiscovered, technically and economically recoverable oil and natural gas resources outside of known oil and gas fields on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The National Assessment, published every five years, represents BOEM's current understanding of the distribution of undiscovered oil and gas resources on the OCS.
Using a play-based assessment methodology, the National Assessment estimates a mean Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Resource of 65.80 billion barrels of oil and 218.43 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf. Based on current production trends, these undiscovered resources represent the potential for 100 or more years of energy production from the shelf.
The findings are derived from analyzing each geologic play across the Outer Continental Shelf and assigning a probability for the existence of undiscovered oil and gas resources for individual plays. Play results are then aggregated up to regional results and ultimately, a total Outer Continental Shelf estimate.