The present poor condition of our natural petroleum resource is 

 well demonstrated by the critical declines in the big, Gulf of Mexico 

 producing states, Texas and Louisiana. Texas, the leading U.S. oil 

 producer since 1928, which presently produces over 40 percent of the 

 Nation's crude oil, has seen its measured reserves of crude drop from a 

 peak of 13.0 billion barrels in 1971 to 10.1 billion barrels as of 

 January 1, 1975. Louisiana's measured reserves have declined from 5.7 

 billion barrels in 1970 to 3.8 billion barrels in 1975. 



1.1.3 U.S. Production Trends 



While U.S. crude production slumped in the mid-1970's, industry has 

 forecast a long term increase in production until 1990 (Table 2), but it is 



Table 2. Projected U.S. Oil and Gas Production to the 

 Year 1990 in Millions of Barrels Per Day (Two Trillion 

 Cubic Feet of Gas/Year Equals One Million Barrels/Day 

 Oil Equivalent) (Source: Reference 2) 



16.9 21.5 25.4 



Gas Production 1975 1980 1990 

 Conventional 



3 

 Synthetic 



Imports 



Subtotal 21.9 18.7 25.0 



1. Oil and gas fields tapped by drilling wells. 



2. Oil created from oil shale or coal liquification. 



3. Gas created from coal gasification. 



