2009/05/28 by Donald L. Gautier, Kenneth J. Bird, Ronald R. Charpentier +11 · 1 citation
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Energy · Engineering · #Geological Studies and Exploration #Global Energy and Sustainability Research #Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1169467
openalex publication_date 2009/05/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Arctic Energy Reserves The Arctic consists of approximately equal fractions of terrain above sea level, continental shelves with depths less than 500 meters, and deep ocean basins that have been mostly covered in ice. While the deep ocean regions probably have limited petroleum reserves, the shelf areas are likely to contain abundant ones. Based on the limited amount of exploration data available, Gautier et al. (p. 1175 ) have constructed a probabilistic, geology-based estimate of how much oil and gas may be found. Approximately 30% of the world's undiscovered gas, and 13% of its undiscovered oil, may be found north of the Arctic Circle. Advances in the technology of hydrocarbon recovery, as well as vanishing ice cover around the North Pole, make the Arctic an increasingly attractive region for energy source development, although the existing reserves are probably not large enough to shift current production patterns significantly.