USGS Finds Limited Undiscovered Oil and Gas Remaining in Texas' Buda Limestone

The U.S. Geological Survey has discovered natural gas and recoverable oil in the Buda Limestone formation along the Texas Gulf Coast, while noting that the formation contains relatively limited remaining energy resources.

What did the USGS find?

The U.S Geological Survey has released a new assessment of the Buda Limestone formation near the Texas Gulf Coast, estimating the area contains approximately:

• 184 billion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas.
• 12 million barrels of technically recoverable oil.

The assessment focuses on undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources that could potentially be developed using existing technology.

What is the Buda Limestone?

The Buda Limestone has been an important source of domestic energy production for decades.

According to the USGS, since production began around 1930, the formation has produced:

• 204 million barrels of oil, equal to roughly 10 days of U.S.oil consumption at 2025 rates.
• 287 billion cubic feet of natural gas, equivalent to about three days of U.S. natural gas consumption.

The formation lies beneath the Eagle Ford Group, one of the nation's most productive oil and natural gas formations, which serves as the primary source of hydrocarbons found within the Buda Limestone.

What the USGS is saying

USGS Director Ned Mamula said the assessment suggests the formation contains relatively little remaining undiscovered oil and gas.

USGS Director Ned Mamula: "The U.S. economy and our way of life depend on energy, and USGS oil and gas assessments point to resources that industry hasn't discovered yet."

Ned Mamula continued: "In this case, the Buda Limestone has little remaining undiscovered oil or gas, indicating a need for new resources."

The Bottom Line

While the Buda Limestone has played a significant role in Texas energy production for nearly a century, the latest USGS assessment indicates most of its recoverable resources have already been discovered. The findings provide updated data for policymakers and industry as the United States continues to evaluate future domestic oil and natural gas opportunities.