Figure 29 
EXTENT OF OFFSHORE CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITY IN THE FREE WORLD’ 
Latin : 5 Far Free 
Category Year U.S.A. Canada America Europe Africa Mideast East World 
Countries with Offshore Activity” 1960 1 1 5 2 6 5 4 24 
1964 1 1 15 8 21 12 8 66 
1967 1 1 18 9 26 14 11 80 
Offshore Concession Acreage . 1960 = = = = = _ - 300° 
(Millions of acres) 1964 7 154 87 48 56 34 422 807 
1966 9 202 125 69 127 53 760 1,345 
Geophysical Crew Months . 1960 93 5 6 - 31 ~ — 135 
(Marine seismograph) 1964 273 22 12 133 45 26 35 546 
1966 461 26 18 103 33 47 140 828 
Crude-Oil Production 1960 190 - 25 - - 181 - 396 
(Thousand b/d) 1964 449 - 59 8 65 684 a 1,272 
1967 870 - Thi 10 165 1,184 50 2,356 
Proven Crude Reserves . 1960 1,700 — 220 100 - 14,750 = 16,770 
(Million bbl) 1964 2,200 ~ 260 100 1,050 32,300 100 35,910 
1967 4,100 — 330 220 3,150 43,350 1,400 52,550 
‘A Does not take into account activity in such protected waters as Venezuela's rich Lake Maracaibo. 
2 
“Excludes countries where onshore concessions extend into offshore areas and where there is no offshore activity. 
3 Breakdown not available. 
Source: The Oil and Gas Journal, May 6, 1968, p. 77. 
and its operations have recovered about $3.5 
billion in revenue from oil and gas sales—a $4 
billion net deficit.’° Yet, the U.S. industry still 
regards the offshore as its last big frontier. 
b. Production—Reserves Latest figures from the 
American Petroleum Institute place U.S. offshore 
oil reserves total at 4.3 billion barrels, including 
2.4 billion off Louisiana and 1.4 billion off 
California. U.S. offshore oil production has 
climbed from 335,000 b/d in 1960 to over 
1,300,000 b/d in 1968. One major company 
reports that offshore Louisiana accounts for over 
one-third its total production; another reports that 
half its production increase in North American 
liquids will come from Cook Inlet, Alaska. 
3. Natural Gas 
a. Free World Six per cent of Free World natural 
gas production comes from underwater areas, 
compared to 16 per cent for oil. Outside the 
1°Wilson, J. E., “Economics of Offshore Louisiana,” 
presented before the Louisiana-Arkansas Division, Mid- 
Continent Oil and Gas Association, Sept. 12, 1967. 
VI-162 
United States, the Free World’s only commercial 
offshore gas areas lie in the North Sea, off 
Australia, and in the Adriatic. Some however, will 
be large producers in the future. Britain’s Gas 
Council estimates England’s share of North Sea gas 
reserves at 25 trillion cubic feet; the search for gas 
is just beginning on the Netherlands’ side of the 
sea.!! 
There is a strong possibility that the Free 
World offshore gas production will follow the trend 
of offshore oil with a sudden growth spurt in the 
next few years. Any offshore gas discovered near 
sizable market areas will find outlets. 
However, expensive failures have occured off 
Norway and Sweden. All efforts in the German 
part of the North Sea ceased after about a dozen 
expensive dry holes were drilled. 
b. United States In this country offshore natural 
gas is becoming big business, and much future 
growth in supply is expected to come from 
close-in offshore areas. For example, one company 
reports that its offshore Louisiana reserves repre- 
sent over half the company’s total. 
'1 The Oil and Gas Journal, May 6, 1968, p. 77. 
