USGS estimates North Slope holds 96 trillion cubic feet of gas yet to be found

Alaska's North Slope may hold about 96 trillion cubic feet of natural gas that hasn't been found yet, nearly three times its proven reserves, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated Wednesday.

That's gas the agency believes could be pulled out with current technology, according to its fact sheet. Proven North Slope reserves are about 35 trillion cubic feet, the Interior Department said. The new estimate is close to three years of U.S. gas use. The country consumed about 33.5 trillion cubic feet last year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The catch is in the same fact sheet. "As of 2026, there is no method for bringing natural gas to markets at large commercial scales," it says. Most of the gas that comes up with North Slope oil is pumped back underground to keep pressure in the reservoirs.

The proposal to change that is Alaska LNG, which would pipe North Slope gas to Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula, first for Alaska utilities and then for export. The project company, 8 Star Alaska, is 75% owned by the developer Glenfarne and 25% by the state. It has its major federal permits, but no committed money to build it has been made public, Alaska News reported Oct. 16.

The gas it would carry is already known. The Prudhoe Bay gas cap is expected to yield about 25 trillion cubic feet and Point Thomson about 8 trillion, according to the fact sheet. Those are the only two fields with state approval to supply a major gas sale, the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission told lawmakers in June.

The new number is an estimate, and a wide one. USGS gives a 95% chance of at least 17.3 trillion cubic feet and a 5% chance of 276.7 trillion or more. "Technically recoverable" doesn't mean the gas would pay to produce.

The assessment covers the whole North Slope, from the Brooks Range to about 3 miles offshore and east to the Canadian border, and counts gas found with oil as well as gas found on its own. It also puts undiscovered oil at about 17 billion barrels, which USGS said reaffirms its recent oil estimates for the region.

Interior tied the work to "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential," the executive order President Donald Trump signed his first day in office. "Alaska's natural gas reserves can supply affordable, reliable, secure energy to Americans and our South Pacific allies for generations," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. USGS Director Ned Mamula said the agency's assessments "point to resources that industry hasn't discovered yet."