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Offshore Oil and Gas Resource Potential

Published by Office for Coastal Management | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: February 07, 2026 | Last Modified: 2021-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
These data show the location of probable oil or gas geologic structures (plays) mapped within the outer continental shelf of the United States. Plays are groups of known or postulated subsurface hydrocarbon accumulations that share common geologic, geographic, and temporal properties, such as history of hydrocarbon generation, migration, reservoir development, and entrapment. Seismic surveys were used to analyze the Unrecovered Technically Recoverable Resource. Plays are displayed as two-dimensional features, but may overlap vertically allowing for multiple plays in the same area.

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