The following images are taken from a recent report, North American Energy Inventory (PDF) from Institute for Energy Research. I encourage you to read the entire report, and download it for future reference. It is full of useful information, most of which is rarely found in the skankstream media.
These images are approximations of recoverable resources, sometimes accompanied by proven reserves. Proven reserves for both North America and the rest of the world will inevitably increase over time -- as they have continually increased since first estimated.
Undiscovered Resources: Refers to undiscovered oil and natural gas in currently unexplored areas estimated to exist based upon geologic characteristics.
Undiscovered Technically Recoverable Resources (UTRR): Portion of undiscovered resources recoverable with existing drilling and production technologies.
Undiscovered Economically Recoverable Resources (UERR): Portion of undiscovered technically recoverable resources recoverable under imposed economic and technical conditions.
Proved Reserves: Refers to oil and natural gas that have already been discovered, typically through actual exploration or drilling, and which can be recovered economically today. (This is the smallest number of the four terms and commonly used by those promoting an energy scarcity story.)_NorthAmericanEnergyInventory (PDF)
By. Al Fin
Al Fin runs a number of very successful blogs that cover, energy, technology, news and politics. More