U.S. Proved Crude Oil Reserves by State
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated U.S. proved reserves of crude oil at 41,151 million barrels at the end of 2021, 14.8% higher than the 35,835 a year earlier. EIA defines proved reserves as estimated quantities that analysis of geologic and engineering data demonstrates with reasonable certainty are recoverable under existing economic and operating conditions. Because the definition depends on economic and operating conditions, estimates can change from one year to the next even without new discoveries. 2021 is the latest year EIA has published in this series.
U.S. proved crude oil reserves, 1899–2021
Chart data table (123 rows)
| Period | MMbbl |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 41,151 |
| 2020 | 35,835 |
| 2019 | 44,191 |
| 2018 | 43,824 |
| 2017 | 39,160 |
| 2016 | 32,773 |
| 2015 | 32,318 |
| 2014 | 36,385 |
| 2013 | 33,371 |
| 2012 | 30,529 |
| 2011 | 26,544 |
| 2010 | 23,267 |
| 2009 | 20,682 |
| 2008 | 19,121 |
| 2007 | 21,317 |
| 2006 | 20,972 |
| 2005 | 21,757 |
| 2004 | 21,371 |
| 2003 | 21,891 |
| 2002 | 22,677 |
| 2001 | 22,446 |
| 2000 | 22,045 |
| 1999 | 21,765 |
| 1998 | 21,034 |
| 1997 | 22,546 |
| 1996 | 22,017 |
| 1995 | 22,351 |
| 1994 | 22,457 |
| 1993 | 22,957 |
| 1992 | 23,745 |
| 1991 | 24,682 |
| 1990 | 26,254 |
| 1989 | 26,501 |
| 1988 | 26,825 |
| 1987 | 27,256 |
| 1986 | 26,889 |
| 1985 | 28,416 |
| 1984 | 28,446 |
| 1983 | 27,735 |
| 1982 | 27,858 |
| 1981 | 29,426 |
| 1980 | 29,805 |
| 1979 | 29,810 |
| 1978 | 31,355 |
| 1977 | 31,780 |
| 1976 | 30,942 |
| 1975 | 32,682 |
| 1974 | 32,250 |
| 1973 | 35,300 |
| 1972 | 36,339 |
| 1971 | 38,063 |
| 1970 | 39,001 |
| 1969 | 29,632 |
| 1968 | 30,707 |
| 1967 | 31,377 |
| 1966 | 31,452 |
| 1965 | 31,352 |
| 1964 | 30,991 |
| 1963 | 30,970 |
| 1962 | 31,389 |
| 1961 | 31,759 |
| 1960 | 31,613 |
| 1959 | 31,719 |
| 1958 | 30,536 |
| 1957 | 30,300 |
| 1956 | 30,435 |
| 1955 | 30,012 |
| 1954 | 29,561 |
| 1953 | 28,945 |
| 1952 | 27,961 |
| 1951 | 27,468 |
| 1950 | 25,268 |
| 1949 | 24,649 |
| 1948 | 23,280 |
| 1947 | 21,488 |
| 1946 | 20,874 |
| 1945 | 20,827 |
| 1944 | 20,453 |
| 1943 | 20,064 |
| 1942 | 20,083 |
| 1941 | 19,559 |
| 1940 | 19,025 |
| 1939 | 18,483 |
| 1938 | 17,348 |
| 1937 | 15,507 |
| 1936 | 13,063 |
| 1935 | 12,400 |
| 1934 | 12,177 |
| 1933 | 12,000 |
| 1932 | 12,300 |
| 1931 | 13,000 |
| 1930 | 13,600 |
| 1929 | 13,200 |
| 1928 | 11,000 |
| 1927 | 10,500 |
| 1926 | 8,800 |
| 1925 | 8,500 |
| 1924 | 7,500 |
| 1923 | 7,600 |
| 1922 | 7,600 |
| 1921 | 7,800 |
| 1920 | 7,200 |
| 1919 | 6,700 |
| 1918 | 6,200 |
| 1917 | 5,900 |
| 1916 | 5,900 |
| 1915 | 5,500 |
| 1914 | 5,400 |
| 1913 | 5,500 |
| 1912 | 5,400 |
| 1911 | 5,000 |
| 1910 | 4,500 |
| 1909 | 4,200 |
| 1908 | 4,000 |
| 1907 | 3,900 |
| 1906 | 3,800 |
| 1905 | 3,800 |
| 1904 | 3,600 |
| 1903 | 3,400 |
| 1902 | 3,200 |
| 1901 | 3,000 |
| 1900 | 2,900 |
| 1899 | 2,500 |
Texas (17,031), New Mexico (4,517) and North Dakota (4,353) held the largest state reserves, together 63% of the U.S. total. Federal offshore areas, reported separately, held 4,515 million barrels. The U.S. total peaked at 44,191 million barrels in 2019 in EIA's series, which begins in 1899; its lowest point since 1970 was 19,121 million barrels in 2008.
EIA estimates that 3,834 million barrels of crude oil were produced from U.S. proved reserves in 2021. Dividing year-end reserves by that figure gives a reserves-to-production ratio of 10.7 years. The ratio is a snapshot, not a forecast of when production would end: reserves are re-estimated every year. (EIA's field production series, used on the production pages, also counts lease condensate and is higher.)
Proved reserves by state, end of 2021
| Rank | State | 2021 | Share of U.S. | vs 2011 | 2021 production from reserves (MMbbl) | Reserves ÷ production (years) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 17,031 | 41.4% | +142.8% | 1,568 | 10.9 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 4,517 | 11.0% | +421.6% | 440 | 10.3 |
| 3 | North Dakota | 4,353 | 10.6% | +64.3% | 399 | 10.9 |
| 4 | Alaska | 3,127 | 7.6% | −18.1% | 164 | 19.1 |
| 5 | California | 1,716 | 4.2% | −42.9% | 151 | 11.4 |
| 6 | Oklahoma | 1,474 | 3.6% | +67.7% | 124 | 11.9 |
| 7 | Colorado | 1,469 | 3.6% | +247.3% | 152 | 9.7 |
| 8 | Wyoming | 978 | 2.4% | +48.2% | 75 | 13.0 |
| 9 | Utah | 530 | 1.3% | +5.2% | 34 | 15.6 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 365 | 0.9% | −12.5% | 28 | 13.0 |
| 11 | Montana | 316 | 0.8% | −17.7% | 21 | 15.0 |
| 12 | Kansas | 292 | 0.7% | −14.9% | 28 | 10.4 |
| 13 | Mississippi | 119 | 0.3% | −50.0% | 13 | 9.2 |
| 14 | Ohio | 105 | 0.3% | +156.1% | 4 | — |
| 15 | Michigan | 53 | 0.1% | +20.5% | 5 | 10.6 |
| 16 | Arkansas | 35 | 0.1% | −7.9% | 4 | — |
| 17 | Alabama | 26 | 0.1% | −43.5% | 4 | — |
| 18 | West Virginia | 23 | 0.1% | +9.5% | 2 | — |
| 19 | Nebraska | 14 | <0.1% | 0.0% | 2 | — |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | 8 | <0.1% | −66.7% | 1 | — |
| 21 | Kentucky | 7 | <0.1% | −58.8% | 1 | — |
| United States | 41,151 | 100.0% | +55.0% | 3,834 | 10.7 | |
| Lower 48 states | 38,024 | 92.4% | +67.3% | 3,670 | 10.4 | |
| Federal Offshore | 4,515 | 11.0% | −9.3% | 610 | 7.4 |
State names link to each state's production page. EIA does not publish a separate estimate for every state, so the rows do not add exactly to the U.S. total. Production from reserves is EIA's estimate in the same report, in million barrels of crude oil; ratio = year-end reserves ÷ that year's production from reserves, not shown below 5 MMbbl of production. Percent changes are not shown from bases under 10 MMbbl.
Not the Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Proved reserves are oil still in the ground. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is crude oil that has already been produced and that the federal government holds in storage; it is a separate measure and is not included here. Definition of proved reserves: Glossary: Proved energy reserves (EIA).
Source and methodology
| Provider | Series | Units | Coverage | Latest observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Energy Information Administration | Crude oil proved reserves (petroleum/crd/pres), U.S., states, federal offshore | million barrels (MMbbl) | 1899–2021 | 2021 |
EIA publishes proved reserves annually in its U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Proved Reserves report. The API series used here currently ends at year-end 2021, so these are the latest figures this page can show.
Last updated: Oct 21, 2026, 5:24 PM CDT. Raw values are shown in source units; any conversion is labeled. See methodology and data sources.
Download:Reserves by state (CSV)