World's giant oil and gas fields, geologic factors affecting their formation, and basin classification. Pt. 1. giant oil and gas fields

Journal Article · Sun Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1970 · Mem. - Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5964778

Halbouty, M T; Meyerhoff, A A; King, R E; Dott, Sr, R H; Klemme, H D

In this paper, a giant oil field is defined as one containing 500 million bbl or more of recoverable oil; a giant gas field has a minimum of 3.5 trillion cu ft of recoverable gas. At least 187 giant oil fields and 79 giant gas fields are known. Together they contain an estimated, ultimate, minimum recoverable reserve of 638.77 billion bbl of oil and 1,180 trillion cu ft of gas. Reserves of oil remaining to be produced from these giant fields amount to 521 billion bbl. Of all giant oil-field reserves, 58% is in sandstone and 42% is in carbonate reservoirs; 75% of giant-gas-field reserves is in sandstone and only 25% in carbonate reservoirs. A total of 29% of the oil and 10% of the gas is in strata of Tertiary age; 63% of the oil and 65% of the gas is in beds of Mesozoic age; and 8% of the oil and 25% of the gas is in Paleozoic reservoirs. The largest number--190 (71%)--of the giant fields is in the Eastern Hemisphere; only 76 (29%) are in the Western Hemisphere; of those in the Eastern Hemisphere, 154 (58% of the world's total) are in a U-shaped belt 6,000 miles (10,000 km) long and 750 to 1,300 miles (1,250 to 2,000 km) wide that extends from Algeria to the Arctic Ocean at the longitude of the Polar Urals.

• OSTI ID: 5964778
• Journal Information: Mem. - Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.; (United States), Journal Name: Mem. - Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.; (United States) Vol. 14; ISSN MAPGA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020200 -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
020300* -- Petroleum-- Drilling & Production
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
030300 -- Natural Gas-- Drilling
Production
& Processing
CARBONATE ROCKS
CENOZOIC ERA
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
MESOZOIC ERA
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NATURAL GAS FIELDS
OIL FIELDS
OIL WELLS
PALEOZOIC ERA
PETROLEUM
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
PRODUCTION
RESERVES
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
TERTIARY PERIOD
WELLS