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BAKKEN WIRE
** USGS Estimates 340 Tcf Recoverable Gas in Bossier Formation - Bakken Wire
Pipeline & Infrastructure

** USGS Estimates 340 Tcf Recoverable Gas in Bossier Formation

** Federal assessment identifies significant undiscovered resources in Bakken's deeper layer, potentially expanding region's recoverable reserves

Bakken Wire Staff·🌅Afternoon Wire·

BODY: The U.S. Geological Survey has identified an estimated 340 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered, technically recoverable gas resources within the Bossier Formation, North Dakota's Bakken shale play, according to data from industry publication Rigzone.

The assessment published May 8, 2026 represents the first federal evaluation of the Bossier since 1995. The announcement follows the USGS's 2021 update which estimated the Bakken's Three Forks formation held 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered oil. The Bossier Formation lies stratigraphically below the primary Bakken shale targets.

"Significant amounts of gas in the Bossier Formation have been known for decades," USGS Director Ned Mamula stated in the agency's release. " new assessment incorporates updated geological data from recent drilling activity to provide a technically recoverable resource estimate.

The assessment does not measure economic viability or current commercially recoverable reserves. Resource estimates represent potential volumes that could be produced using existing technology, regardless of economic or accessibility constraints. Development in the deeper Bossier would face distinct technical and economic challenges compared to the primary Bakken and Three Forks zones.

Industry activity in the Bakken has focused on the Bakken and Three Forks formations. The Bossier has seen limited targeted drilling, though some operators have reported gas shows in deeper wells. The USGS estimate provides a foundational resource appraisal that may inform future exploration strategies should market conditions or technological advancements improve the play's economics.

The Bakken region remains a cornerstone of U.S. tight oil production, with North Dakota's output consistently exceeding 1 million barrels per day. Federal resource assessments help quantify the nation's long-term hydrocarbon potential.

TAGS: bakken-shale, bossier-formation, usgs, resource-assessment, north-dakota, natural-gas, recoverable-resources

**

Source

** Assessment data from Rigzone article "USGS Sees 340 Tcf of Recoverable Gas in Bossier Formation," published May 8, 2024.

** bakken-shalebossier-formationusgsresource-assessmentnorth-dakotanatural-gasrecoverable-resources

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