The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has released its 2026 National Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas Resources, estimating significant volumes of oil and natural gas that may remain outside currently known fields on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
The assessment, issued every five years, evaluates the distribution of undiscovered but technically and economically recoverable energy resources across federal offshore areas. BOEM officials said the analysis helps inform federal leasing decisions and provides a baseline for future offshore exploration and development activity.
According to the report, the OCS contains a mean estimate of 65.80 billion bbls. of undiscovered technically recoverable oil and 218.43 trillion cu. ft. of natural gas. BOEM said that based on current production trends, those volumes could represent the potential for 100 or more years of energy production from the shelf.
“The Outer Continental Shelf holds tremendous resource potential,” BOEM Acting Director Matt Giacona said in a statement announcing the assessment. “This report provides the foundation for decisions that will ensure affordable energy and robust energy security for generations of Americans.”
BOEM conducts the national assessment using a play-based geological methodology, evaluating potential hydrocarbon “plays” across offshore basins. Each play is analyzed to determine the probability that undiscovered oil or gas resources exist, along with potential volumes that could be technically recovered.
Those play-level results are aggregated into regional estimates and ultimately a total resource estimate for the entire OCS.
The 2026 update incorporates new geological and geophysical data collected through Jan. 1, 2024, along with revisions to previously evaluated plays. Changes from earlier assessments reflect improved data sets, updated exploration information, and refined modeling of offshore basins.
BOEM officials said the assessment serves as a key planning tool for federal offshore energy policy, including potential lease sales and resource management decisions.
The OCS, which encompasses federal waters beyond state jurisdiction, remains a major source of U.S. offshore oil and gas production. Activity in those waters supports a broad network of offshore service providers, including drilling contractors, subsea technology firms, and vessel operators supplying offshore platforms and infrastructure.
By identifying areas with the highest potential for undiscovered resources, BOEM said the national assessment helps guide future exploration efforts while providing policymakers and industry with updated scientific data on offshore energy potential.
