USGS Estimates 96 Trillion Cubic Feet of Undiscovered Natural Gas on Alaska's North Slope, Nearly Three Times Proven Reserves
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has released an assessment estimating 96 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable, undiscovered natural gas resources on Alaska's North Slope, the Department of the Interior said in a news release.
The figure is nearly three times the roughly 35 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves on the North Slope, according to the release.
"Alaska is one of America's greatest energy frontiers, and President Trump is committed to unlocking its extraordinary potential," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. "Alaska's natural gas reserves can supply affordable, reliable, secure energy to Americans and our South Pacific allies for generations, and this assessment helps underscore the importance of understanding these vast resources beneath the North Slope and using world-class American science to turn that potential into opportunity. By advancing responsible energy development, we can strengthen American Energy Dominance, create jobs and deliver lasting economic benefits for Alaskans and the entire nation."
Assistant Secretary of the Interior Andrea Travnicek said the North Slope assessment, backed by the world-class science of the USGS, supports President Trump's Executive Order 14153, "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential," signed on the first day of this administration. Alaska's untapped, abundant energy and mineral resources are needed for U.S. economic and national security and for the benefit of Alaskans, she said, adding that under Secretary Burgum's Order 3422, the department will continue to prioritize investigation of Alaska's energy and mineral resources.
"The U.S. economy and our way of life depend on energy, and USGS natural gas assessments point to resources that industry hasn't discovered yet. In this case, we estimate there are significant undiscovered gas resources in the North Slope of Alaska," said USGS Director Ned Mamula.
The release said USGS oil and gas assessments began 50 years ago, following an oil embargo against the United States that signaled a need to understand the occurrence, distribution and potential volumes of undiscovered resources. The assessments provide information to policymakers on resource potential, feed into land-use and resource management plans for land-management agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, and give the private sector context for planning detailed exploration. A fact sheet on the Alaska North Slope Gas Assessment is available from the USGS.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：阿拉斯加北坡 Brooks Range 山麓、输油管道线路附近的冰川湖（资料图）。美国国家档案馆（NARA）藏，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons
