Key terms are defined as follows:
|
Term |
Definition |
|
Ultimate recovery |
Total recovery from a
field, i.e. reserves plus past production. |
|
Reserves |
Discovered, remaining
reserves which are recoverable and commercial. Can be proven, probable or
possible depending on confidence level (as described below). |
|
Potential additional
reserves |
Discovered reserves
that are not currently technically or economically producible. |
|
Undiscovered
resources |
Undiscovered
potentially recoverable resources in mapped leads. |
Reserves are categorised as being ‘proven’, ‘probable’ or ‘possible’ based on confidence levels, as follows:
|
Reserves
|
Description |
|
Proven
|
Reserves which on the
available evidence are virtually certain to be technically and commercially
producible, i.e. have a better than 90% chance of being produced. |
|
Probable
|
Reserves which are
not yet proven, but which are estimated to have a better than 50% chance of
being technically and commercially producible. |
|
Possible
|
Reserves which at
present cannot be regarded as probable, but which are estimated to have a
significant but less than 50% chance of being technically and commercially
producible. |
Introduction
Potential additional reserves exist in discoveries for which there are no current plans for development and which are not currently technically or commercially producible.
These discoveries are not included in the estimates of reserves which are listed in separate tables on the website. In January and February 2004, each UKCS field and undeveloped discovery was reviewed by DTI with the current operator to establish its reserves and status as at the end of 2003.
A total of 652 separate fields or discoveries, both onshore and offshore, were reviewed. The figures shown in the table below take account of all discoveries made up to the end of 2003 which do not or no longer justify inclusion in the Reserves category.
Potential Additional Reserves(1) as at end 2003 - [figures in brackets are for end 2002]
| Lower | Central(2) | Upper | ||
| oil | 95 [91] | 247 [244] | 496 [490] | million tonnes |
| 710 [685] | 1855 [1830] | 3720 [3675] | million barrels | |
| gas | 74 [71] | 153 [145] | 276 [265] | bcm(3) |
| 2610 [2525] | 5405 [5135] | 9760 [9330] | bcf(3) |
Note:
The ranges of potential additional reserves may vary from year to year. As additional data become available, some reserves are transferred to the reserves category when possible development is considered. Similarly, reserves may be transferred from reserves to potential additional reserves if there are no longer plans to develop a discovery.
The total oil and gas volumes held in the potential additional reserves have increased from last year. The increase is mainly due to greater evaluation activity on existing discoveries. The PILOT Fallow Discovery Initiative has contributed to this increased activity level. The movement of discoveries between potential additional reserves and reserves categories gave a net increase to reserves held in potential additional reserves. The number of discoveries held in the potential additional reserves has also increased.
This data was last updated on : July 2004 and is due to be updated on : June 2005
Joy Gray
email: joy.gray@dti.gsi.gov.uk
phone: +44 (0) 20 7215 5083
fax: +44 (0) 20 7215 5070
Back
| Title
| Table of Contents
Appendix 1 | Appendix 2 | Appendix 3 | Appendix 4 | Appendix
5 | Appendix 6 | Appendix 7 | Appendix 8 | Appendix 9
Appendix 10 | Appendix 11 | Appendix 12 |
Appendix 13 | Appendix 14 | Appendix 15 |
Appendix 16 | Appendix
17
Index Map | Plate 1 |
Plate 2W | Plate 2E | Plate 3W | Plate 3E | Plate
4W | Plate 4E |
Plate 5 | Plate 6
Plate 7 | Plate
8W | Plate 8E | Plate 9W | Plate 9E | Plate 10W | Plate
10E | Plate 11 | Plate 12 | Legend