The Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database has not only set the standard for oil and gas field and reservoir databases during the past twenty years; it has revolutionized that standard. Our leadership in providing strategic information for upstream decisions is the result of our unique database design philosophy. We collect, develop, and organize data to meet the strategic information needs of the upstream oil and gas industry. Our corporate history is one of continuous innovation to enhance the ability of the database to meet these needs.
The key features of the database include:
- Complete integration of information by field and major reservoir
- Thoughtful organization (both geologic and geographic) of the data to facilitate a broad variety of data groupings
- Accurate economic field and reservoir production and size histories
- Complete cross-referencing of our field codes and names to the IHS Energy field names and codes
- Wide range of relevant information Conceptually uniform variable definitions
- High rates of coverage by variable
- Thorough testing and editing
- Design that facilitates GIS applications
Learn more about our most recent database innovations.
The Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database covers all producing provinces (basins) in the United States except the Appalachian Basin and the Cincinnati Arch. To facilitate data research, testing, and use, the database is divided into eight geographic regions: Gulf Coast Cenozoic, Gulf Coast Mesozoic, Gulf of Mexico, Illinois-Michigan, Midcontinent, Pacific (including Alaska), Permian, and Rocky Mountain. View a map of these eight regions tied to the AAPG-CSD geological provinces.
The Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database provides information on all fields with an estimated ultimate recovery of 500,000 BOE (3 BCFE) or more. Over 16,000 fields are included in the latest version of the database (fields discovered through 2005). Together these fields contain more than 99% of the known recoverable petroleum resources of the United States (excluding the Appalachian region).
The field-level data provided in the database consists of four basic types of information:
- General Field Information
- Field Discovery Well
- Field Production, Reserves, and Wells
- Field Original Oil-In-Place and Gas-In-Place
View a detailed listing of the field-level data.
The Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database provides information on all major reservoirs within the significant fields. A major reservoir (or major reservoir suite) is defined as any reservoir with an estimated ultimate recovery of 500,000 BOE (3 BCFE) or more. All reservoirs in smaller fields (less than 2.5 million BOE ultimate recovery) with an estimated ultimate recovery of 250,000 BOE (1.5 BCFE) or more are also included. Major reservoir suites (used most frequently in the Cenozoic of the Gulf Coast onshore and offshore) consist of two or more pools (sand bodies) in the same chrono-stratigraphic unit that have no substantial vertical separation among them or are separated horizontally by sealing faults. The current version of the database (discoveries through 2005) includes 24,000 major reservoirs. Each major reservoir is assigned to one of the oil and gas plays defined by Nehrin! g Associates for the database.
The reservoir-level data provided in the database consists of five basic types of information:
- Reservoir Rock and Fluid Characteristics
- Reservoir Discovery Well
- Reservoir Production and Reserves
- Reservoir Original Oil-in-Place and Gas-in-Place
- Reservoir Oil Post-Primary Recovery Methods
View a detailed listing of the reservoir-level data.
The oil and gas play is a basic concept for the petroleum geologist (and should be for the petroleum engineer as well). The concept of play provides the most geologically relevant means for evaluating related groups of reservoirs and prospects.
Plays are defined generically as groups of geologically similar reservoirs and prospects within a common geographical area. Geological similarity is essential to ensure that each group is homogenous. Geological similarity is defined primarily by stratigraphy (the reservoir formation) and the trapping mechanism. Secondary characteristics used to define plays include depositional environment, reservoir lithology, fluid type, and petroleum source.
Because of our emphasis on meeting the strategic needs of the upstream petroleum industry, play definitions are a fundamental part of the Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database. Nehring Associates pioneered in providing the first publicly available comprehensive set of play definitions for the United States, released in 1986. Since then, our play definitions and assignments of reservoirs to plays have undergone several thorough revisions and nearly continuous refinements. Currently, we have 655 plays defined for the database (the NRGPLAYs).
Because we recognize the value of different perspectives on play definition, the database also includes two other sets of play definitions: those by the U.S. Government (the USGPLAYs) and by the Gas Research Institute (the GRIPLAYs). The U.S. Government play definitions were developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for the onshore and state waters and the Minerals Management Service (MMS) for the federal offshore areas. More than 99% of the reservoirs in the database are assigned to one of the USGPLAYs (and thus can be correlated with the USGS and MMS petroleum resource assessments). The GRI play definitions, developed primarily by the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology during the 1990s for GRI's Gas Atlas series, apply only to the larger gas reservoirs in the major gas-producing states.
The New Fields table provides a comprehensive annual overview of the results of recent exploration and development activity in the United States. This table contains basic location, discovery well, reservoir, and field size class information about fields that have recently become or are likely to become significant. The current version of the New Fields Table includes information on 325 "suspense" fields, fields discovered through 2005 that are likely to become significant during the next several years when they begin production or undergo further development.
The Library Tables of the Significant Oil and Gas Fields of the United States Database provide the names for all the codes used in the field, reservoir, and play tables of the database. Codes are used only in the database tables where both common industry codes exist and are widely used (for example, the state/district, county, AAPG/CSD province, and formation codes), where the name signified by the code is too long or unwieldy to include in the database (for example, the NRG, U.S. Government, and GRI play codes), or where the use of a code value offers substantial convenience (for example, the field and reservoir size codes, the API operator, and the subprovince codes). Otherwise full variable names are used.
Updating, Upgrading, and Testing
Both the field and reservoir data in the database are updated annually. With each update, another year of production data for crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids and another year of well data are added. All estimates of known (ultimate) recovery and proved reserves are reviewed, updated, and revised as necessary. (Production and reserve data for small fields - those between 0.5 and 1.0 million BOE- are only updated in even-numbered years.) New significant fields and new major reservoirs are also added, following a comprehensive review of new developments.
Many field and reservoir variables are reviewed periodically and revised as necessary. When new data sources become available, we improve our data coverage. New variables are added to the database periodically, such as year of first production in 2004. New features are also added, such as the Field Cross-Reference Table in 2004. Fundamental features of the database, such as the formation code system in 2002-2005, occasionally undergo systematic review and improvement.
The current version of the database incorporates more than 150 person-years of intensive research. This research was conducted according to the rigorous standards for the database developed by Nehring Associates in discussion with the initial licensees of the database. Prior to each annual release, the database is thoroughly tested and edited to minimize omissions, research mistakes, and entry errors. Our thorough research and testing have been designed to enable our licensees to use the database with confidence.