Proved reserves of crude oil and lease condensate — the estimated quantities that geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty can be recovered from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions. Proved reserves are the industry standard measure of producible oil.
Proved reserves data are sourced from the EIA's Domestic Oil and Gas Reserves survey (Form EIA-23L), conducted annually. Operators of producing properties submit reserve estimates based on geological and engineering analysis. The EIA compiles state-level totals and publishes them in the U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves report.
Reserves data lag production data by about a year due to the time required for operators to complete reserve assessments.
This series measures crude oil and lease condensate combined, following EIA's current reporting. The national series runs from 1963 and is shown as a line over time; state-level figures are shown only for the latest year (2024) in the map, bar, and distribution views. EIA's earlier “crude oil only” state series (which ran from 1977) was discontinued after 2021 and is not comparable, and several smaller-producing states are now folded into an “other states” aggregate rather than reported individually.
