The eight continuous AUs (and associated basins) are as follows:

Pennsylvanian Saginaw Coal Bed Gas AU (Michigan Basin),

[Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU (Appalachian Basin),

[Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU (Appalachian Basin),

Devonian Antrim Continu­ous Gas AU (Michigan Basin),

Devonian Antrim Continuous Oil AU (Michigan Basin), 

[Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU (Appalachian Basin),

[Ordovician] Utica Shale Gas AU (Appalachian Basin), and

Ordovician Collingwood Shale Gas AU (Michigan Basin).

Of these eight continuous AUs, only the following four AUs were 

assessed quantitatively: [Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU, Devonian Antrim Continuous Gas AU, [Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU, and 

[Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU. The other four continuous AUs 

lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively.

Resource Summary

For the U.S. portions of the Great Lakes, the USGS estimated the 

following quantities of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and 

gas resources (table 1):

a mean value of 312 million barrels of oil,

a mean value of 5.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and

a mean value of 122 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

These estimates are mean estimates. The ranges of uncertainty of 

these estimates are shown in table 1.

Oil and Gas Resource Allocations by Lake

Allocated oil and gas resources were compiled for each of the 

Great Lakes (tables 1 and 2). The only identified petroleum system 

beneath Lake Superior is the Precambrian Nonesuch TPS, which 

lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively.

Oil and Gas Resource Allocations by State

Allocated oil and gas resources were compiled for each of the 

Great Lakes States (tables 1 and 3). The only identified petroleum 

system in the Minnesota portion of the Great Lakes is the Precambrian 

Nonesuch TPS, which lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively. 

Additional Information

Supporting geologic studies of the U.S. portions of the Great 

Lakes total petroleum systems, assessment units, and allocations are in 

progress. The results of this work, as well as information on the assessment methodology, are posted on the USGS Web site at

http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga as they become available. Assessment results for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the U.S. portions 

of the Appalachian and Michigan Basins may be found online at

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-009-03 and http://pubs.usgs.gov/

fs/2005/3070/, respectively.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

By James L. Coleman, Christopher S. Swezey, Robert T.

Ryder, and Ronald R. Charpentier

Great Lakes Review Team

James L. Coleman (Co-Task Leader; jlcoleman@usgs.gov), 

Christopher S. Swezey (Co-Task Leader; cswezey@usgs.gov), Robert 

T. Ryder (Co-Task Leader; rryder@usgs.gov), Ronald R. Charpentier, 

Robert C. Milici, Joseph R. Hatch, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, 

Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk, and James W. Schmoker.

Table 2.  Summary of mean values of Great Lakes oil and

gas resource allocations by lake.

[Compiled from table 1, which contains the full range of statistical 

values]

Total undiscovered resources

Lake

Oil 

(million 

barrels), 

mean

Gas

(trillion 

cubic feet),

mean

Natural gas 

liquids

(million barrels), 

mean

Lake Erie 46.10 3.013 40.68

Lake Huron 141.02 0.797 42.49

Lake Michigan 124.59 1.308 37.40

Lake Ontario 0.00 0.112 1.12

Lake Superior not assessed quantitatively

Total 311.71 5.23 121.69

Table 3.  Summary of mean values of Great Lakes oil and

gas resource allocations by State.

[Compiled from table 1, which contains the full range of statistical

values]

Total undiscovered resources

State

Oil

(million 

barrels), 

mean

Gas

(trillion 

cubic feet),

mean

Natural gas 

liquids

(million barrels), 

mean

Illinois 0.75 0.003 0.14

Indiana 0.82 0.003 0.14

Michigan 282.48 2.157 83.27

Minnesota not assessed quantitatively

New York 0.00 0.564 6.49

Ohio 25.71 1.942 24.72

Pennsylvania 0.00 0.552 6.58

Wisconsin 1.95 0.008 0.34

Total 311.71 5.229 121.68
Table 1.  Great Lakes oil and gas resource allocations by total petroleum system and assessment unit.

[All tabulated results are for technically recoverable resources. MMBO is million barrels of oil. BCFG is billion cubic feet of gas. MMBNGL is million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas fields, all liquids are included under the NGL (natural gas liquids) category. F95 represents a 95-percent chance of at least the amount tabulated. Other fractiles are defined similarly. Fractiles are additive under the assumption of perfect positive correlation. TPS is total petroleum system. AU is assessment unit. Gray shade indicates not applicable or not assessed quantitatively]

Resource 

type

Total petroleum 

systems

 Assessment 

units Lake State Field type

Total undiscovered resources

Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)

F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean

entional oil and gas resources

Devonian ShaleMiddle and 

Upper Paleozoic TPS

Oriskany SandstoneStratigraphic AU Lake Erie Ohio Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Gas 9.31 31.89 77.29 36.06 0.07 0.25 0.65 0.29

Lake Erie Pennsylvania Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 4.31 14.55 34.71 16.41 0.03 0.11 0.29 0.13

Silurian Niagara/

Salina TPS

Devonian Sylvania 

Sandstone AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Silurian Niagara AU Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.28 3.34 11.09 4.21 0.54 6.66 23.60 8.65 0.04 0.50 1.90 0.68

Gas 0.84 10.21 33.78 12.80 0.05 0.63 2.23 0.82

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 38.86 90.59 163.97 94.74 72.90 181.49 362.23 194.89 5.20 13.78 30.16 15.22

Gas 117.27 273.60 507.52 287.74 6.82 17.13 34.58 18.42

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.01 0.17 0.56 0.21 0.03 0.33 1.18 0.44 0.00 0.03 0.10 0.03

Gas 0.04 0.51 1.70 0.64 0.00 0.03 0.11 0.04

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 32.31 75.55 144.54 80.23 60.77 151.61 315.02 165.05 4.35 11.54 26.09 12.89

Gas 96.95 228.66 445.25 243.90 5.71 14.25 30.17 15.61

Ordovician to 

Devonian Composite TPS

Devonian to 

Mississippian Berea/Michigan Sandstones AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 1.88 4.76 9.33 5.01 0.85 2.28 4.96 2.50 0.03 0.09 0.21 0.10

Gas 10.80 30.06 63.47 32.75 0.40 1.18 2.68 1.31

Middle Devonian 

Carbonates AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.00 0.02 0.08 0.03 0.00 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Indiana Oil 0.00 0.07 0.32 0.10 0.00 0.03 0.16 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 2.26 10.91 37.08 14.13 1.07 5.33 18.96 7.05 0.08 0.42 1.56 0.56

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.04 0.68 3.16 1.02 0.02 0.33 1.60 0.51 0.00 0.03 0.13 0.04

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 6.03 26.17 69.62 30.51 2.84 12.71 36.08 15.21 0.21 0.99 3.00 1.22

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Silurian A-1

Carbonate AU

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 1.36 6.89 26.03 9.37 0.03 0.13 0.53 0.19

Silurian Burnt Bluff 

AU

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.05 0.22 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 3.86 13.32 35.21 15.60 0.07 0.26 0.73 0.31

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.12 1.61 6.54 2.24 0.00 0.03 0.13 0.04

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 4.67 16.34 45.02 19.43 0.09 0.32 0.93 0.39

Ordovician Trenton/

Black River AU

Lake Erie Ohio Oil 0.79 11.41 47.98 16.16 1.52 22.12 98.61 32.38 0.10 1.50 7.08 2.27

Gas 0.58 8.41 38.31 12.51 0.01 0.16 0.79 0.25

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.78 11.35 48.54 16.18 1.51 22.09 99.21 32.38 0.10 1.51 7.08 2.27

Gas 0.58 8.38 37.99 12.42 0.01 0.16 0.78 0.25

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.03 0.51 2.13 0.72 0.07 0.99 4.40 1.45 0.00 0.07 0.31 0.10

Gas 0.02 0.37 1.72 0.55 0.00 0.01 0.03 0.01

Lake Michigan Indiana Oil 0.03 0.51 2.15 0.72 0.07 0.99 4.40 1.44 0.00 0.07 0.32 0.10

Gas 0.02 0.38 1.70 0.55 0.00 0.01 0.04 0.01
Table 1.  Great Lakes oil and gas resource allocations by total petroleum system and assessment unit.

[All tabulated results are for technically recoverable resources. MMBO is million barrels of oil. BCFG is billion cubic feet of gas. MMBNGL is million barrels of natural gas liquids. Results shown are fully risked estimates. For gas fields, all liquids are included under the NGL (natural gas liquids) category. F95 represents a 95-percent chance of at least the amount tabulated. Other fractiles are defined similarly. Fractiles are additive under the assumption of perfect positive correlation. TPS is total petroleum system. AU is assessment unit. Gray shade indicates not applicable or not assessed quantitatively]

Resource 

type

Total petroleum 

systems

 Assessment 

units Lake State Field type

Total undiscovered resources

Oil (MMBO) Gas (BCFG) NGL (MMBNGL)

F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean F95 F50 F5 Mean

onventional oil and gas resources

Devonian ShaleMiddle and 

Upper Paleozoic TPS

Oriskany SandstoneStratigraphic AU Lake Erie Ohio Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 Gas 9.31 31.89 77.29 36.06 0.07 0.25 0.65 0.29

Lake Erie Pennsylvania Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 4.31 14.55 34.71 16.41 0.03 0.11 0.29 0.13

Silurian Niagara/

Salina TPS

Devonian Sylvania 

Sandstone AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Silurian Niagara AU Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.28 3.34 11.09 4.21 0.54 6.66 23.60 8.65 0.04 0.50 1.90 0.68

Gas 0.84 10.21 33.78 12.80 0.05 0.63 2.23 0.82

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 38.86 90.59 163.97 94.74 72.90 181.49 362.23 194.89 5.20 13.78 30.16 15.22

Gas 117.27 273.60 507.52 287.74 6.82 17.13 34.58 18.42

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.01 0.17 0.56 0.21 0.03 0.33 1.18 0.44 0.00 0.03 0.10 0.03

Gas 0.04 0.51 1.70 0.64 0.00 0.03 0.11 0.04

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 32.31 75.55 144.54 80.23 60.77 151.61 315.02 165.05 4.35 11.54 26.09 12.89

Gas 96.95 228.66 445.25 243.90 5.71 14.25 30.17 15.61

Ordovician to 

Devonian Composite TPS

Devonian to 

Mississippian Berea/Michigan Sandstones AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 1.88 4.76 9.33 5.01 0.85 2.28 4.96 2.50 0.03 0.09 0.21 0.10

Gas 10.80 30.06 63.47 32.75 0.40 1.18 2.68 1.31

Middle Devonian 

Carbonates AU

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.00 0.02 0.08 0.03 0.00 0.01 0.04 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Indiana Oil 0.00 0.07 0.32 0.10 0.00 0.03 0.16 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 2.26 10.91 37.08 14.13 1.07 5.33 18.96 7.05 0.08 0.42 1.56 0.56

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.04 0.68 3.16 1.02 0.02 0.33 1.60 0.51 0.00 0.03 0.13 0.04

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 6.03 26.17 69.62 30.51 2.84 12.71 36.08 15.21 0.21 0.99 3.00 1.22

Gas 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Silurian A-1

Carbonate AU

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 1.36 6.89 26.03 9.37 0.03 0.13 0.53 0.19

Silurian Burnt Bluff 

AU

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.00 0.05 0.22 0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 3.86 13.32 35.21 15.60 0.07 0.26 0.73 0.31

Lake Michigan Wisconsin Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 0.12 1.61 6.54 2.24 0.00 0.03 0.13 0.04

Lake Huron Michigan Oil 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Gas 4.67 16.34 45.02 19.43 0.09 0.32 0.93 0.39

Ordovician Trenton/

Black River AU

Lake Erie Ohio Oil 0.79 11.41 47.98 16.16 1.52 22.12 98.61 32.38 0.10 1.50 7.08 2.27

Gas 0.58 8.41 38.31 12.51 0.01 0.16 0.79 0.25

Lake Erie Michigan Oil 0.78 11.35 48.54 16.18 1.51 22.09 99.21 32.38 0.10 1.51 7.08 2.27

Gas 0.58 8.38 37.99 12.42 0.01 0.16 0.78 0.25

Lake Michigan Illinois Oil 0.03 0.51 2.13 0.72 0.07 0.99 4.40 1.45 0.00 0.07 0.31 0.10

Gas 0.02 0.37 1.72 0.55 0.00 0.01 0.03 0.01

Lake Michigan Indiana Oil 0.03 0.51 2.15 0.72 0.07 0.99 4.40 1.44 0.00 0.07 0.32 0.10

Gas 0.02 0.38 1.70 0.55 0.00 0.01 0.04 0.01

Lake Michigan Michigan Oil 0.59 8.59 36.33 12.21 1.11 16.72 74.00 24.46 0.08 1.14 5.28 1.71

Gas 0.43 6.39 29.09 9.45 0.01 0.12 0.59 0.19
The eight continuous AUs (and associated basins) are as follows:

Pennsylvanian Saginaw Coal Bed Gas AU (Michigan Basin),

[Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU (Appalachian Basin),

[Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU (Appalachian Basin),

Devonian Antrim Continu­ous Gas AU (Michigan Basin),

Devonian Antrim Continuous Oil AU (Michigan Basin), 

[Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU (Appalachian Basin),

[Ordovician] Utica Shale Gas AU (Appalachian Basin), and

Ordovician Collingwood Shale Gas AU (Michigan Basin).

Of these eight continuous AUs, only the following four AUs were 

assessed quantitatively: [Silurian] Clinton-Medina Transitional AU, Devonian Antrim Continuous Gas AU, [Devonian] Marcellus Shale AU, and 

[Devonian] Northwestern Ohio Shale AU. The other four continuous AUs 

lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively.

Resource Summary

For the U.S. portions of the Great Lakes, the USGS estimated the 

following quantities of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and 

gas resources (table 1):

a mean value of 312 million barrels of oil,

a mean value of 5.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and

a mean value of 122 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

These estimates are mean estimates. The ranges of uncertainty of 

these estimates are shown in table 1.

Oil and Gas Resource Allocations by Lake

Allocated oil and gas resources were compiled for each of the 

Great Lakes (tables 1 and 2). The only identified petroleum system 

beneath Lake Superior is the Precambrian Nonesuch TPS, which 

lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively.

Oil and Gas Resource Allocations by State

Allocated oil and gas resources were compiled for each of the 

Great Lakes States (tables 1 and 3). The only identified petroleum 

system in the Minnesota portion of the Great Lakes is the Precambrian 

Nonesuch TPS, which lacked sufficient data to assess quantitatively. 

Additional Information

Supporting geologic studies of the U.S. portions of the Great 

Lakes total petroleum systems, assessment units, and allocations are in 

progress. The results of this work, as well as information on the assessment methodology, are posted on the USGS Web site at

http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/oilgas/noga as they become available. Assessment results for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the U.S. portions 

of the Appalachian and Michigan Basins may be found online at

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs-009-03 and http://pubs.usgs.gov/

fs/2005/3070/, respectively.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

1.

2.

3.

By James L. Coleman, Christopher S. Swezey, Robert T.

Ryder, and Ronald R. Charpentier

Great Lakes Review Team

James L. Coleman (Co-Task Leader; jlcoleman@usgs.gov), 

Christopher S. Swezey (Co-Task Leader; cswezey@usgs.gov), Robert 

T. Ryder (Co-Task Leader; rryder@usgs.gov), Ronald R. Charpentier, 

Robert C. Milici, Joseph R. Hatch, Troy A. Cook, Timothy R. Klett, 

Richard M. Pollastro, Christopher J. Schenk, and James W. Schmoker.

Table 2.  Summary of mean values of Great Lakes oil and

gas resource allocations by lake.

[Compiled from table 1, which contains the full range of statistical 

values]

Total undiscovered resources

Lake

Oil 

(million 

barrels), 

mean

Gas

(trillion 

cubic feet),

mean

Natural gas 

liquids

(million barrels), 

mean

Lake Erie 46.10 3.013 40.68

Lake Huron 141.02 0.797 42.49

Lake Michigan 124.59 1.308 37.40

Lake Ontario 0.00 0.112 1.12

Lake Superior not assessed quantitatively

Total 311.71 5.23 121.69

Table 3.  Summary of mean values of Great Lakes oil and

gas resource allocations by State.

[Compiled from table 1, which contains the full range of statistical

values]

Total undiscovered resources

State

Oil

(million 

barrels), 

mean

Gas

(trillion 

cubic feet),

mean

Natural gas 

liquids

(million barrels), 

mean

Illinois 0.75 0.003 0.14

Indiana 0.82 0.003 0.14

Michigan 282.48 2.157 83.27

Minnesota not assessed quantitatively

New York 0.00 0.564 6.49

Ohio 25.71 1.942 24.72

Pennsylvania 0.00 0.552 6.58

Wisconsin 1.95 0.008 0.34

Total 311.71 5.229 121.68