Offshore Oil and Gas Resources:
Differences in Estimates by Interior and Industry for Offshore California
RCED-86-179BR: Published: Jul 10, 1986. Publicly Released: Jul 21, 1986.
Additional Materials:
- Full Report:
Contact:
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the procedures and assumptions the Department of the Interior and the petroleum industry used to develop estimates of offshore oil and gas resources in federal lands off California.
GAO found that: (1) the department's Minerals Management Service (MMS) uses a computer model to estimate the potential volume and value of offshore energy resources in a given area; (2) the model's outputs are considered conditional estimates of the quantities of offshore resources in a given area; (3) the oil industry's methods for estimating offshore resources are essentially the same as those MMS uses; (4) many industry sources consider their resource estimation methods proprietary; (5) the accuracy of any offshore resource estimate depends on the amount, type, and quality of available geophysical and other data; (6) MMS estimated in 1984 that the unleased federal lands off California contain the equivalent of 2.47 billion barrels of oil; and (7) an oil industry source estimated in 1985 that the same lands contain the equivalent of 5 billion barrels of oil.
Dec 10, 2020
-
Uranium Management:
Actions to Mitigate Risks to Domestic Supply Chain Could Be Better Planned and CoordinatedGAO-21-28: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
Dec 8, 2020
-
Offshore Wind Energy:
Planned Projects May Lead to Construction of New Vessels in the U.S., but Industry Has Made Few Decisions amid UncertaintiesGAO-21-153: Published: Dec 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 8, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
-
Nuclear Waste Disposal:
Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot PlantGAO-21-48: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
-
Nuclear Safety:
DOE and the Safety Board Should Collaborate to Develop a Written Agreement to Enhance OversightGAO-21-141: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Oct 15, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Plans to Modernize Critical Depleted Uranium Capabilities and Improve Program ManagementGAO-21-16: Published: Oct 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Jul 24, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
Action Needed to Address the W80-4 Warhead Program's Schedule ConstraintsGAO-20-409: Published: Jul 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 2020.
Jun 24, 2020
-
National Nuclear Security Administration:
Analyzing Cost Savings Program Could Result in Wider Use and Additional Contractor EfficienciesGAO-20-451: Published: Jun 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 24, 2020.
Jun 9, 2020
-
Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Needs to Incorporate Additional Management Controls Over Its Microelectronics ActivitiesGAO-20-357: Published: Jun 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 9, 2020.
May 13, 2020
-
Environmental Liabilities:
DOE Needs to Better Plan for Post-Cleanup Challenges Facing SitesGAO-20-373: Published: May 13, 2020. Publicly Released: May 13, 2020.
May 12, 2020
-
Hanford Waste Treatment Plant:
DOE Is Pursuing Pretreatment Alternatives, but Its Strategy Is Unclear While Costs Continue to RiseGAO-20-363: Published: May 12, 2020. Publicly Released: May 12, 2020.
Looking for more? Browse all our products here