New Data Reveal Significant Increase in Oil and Gas Reserves Discovered in Gulf of America: Interior Department

The department will no longer require an environmental impact statement for approximately 3,244 oil and gas leases in seven Western states.

President Donald Trump speaks to the press before signing a proclamation renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America on board Air Force One en route to New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of the Interior has announced a substantial increase in estimated oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf.

Recent analysis reveals an additional 1.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent, bringing the total reserve estimate to 7.04 billion barrels of oil equivalent, according to an April 10 statement from the department. A barrel of oil equivalent refers to an amount of energy equivalent to a barrel of oil.

The total reserve estimate includes 5.77 billion barrels of oil and 7.15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—a 22.6 percent increase in remaining recoverable reserves.

“This new data confirms what we’ve known all along—America is sitting on a treasure trove of energy, and under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, we’re unlocking it,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said.

“The Gulf of America is a powerhouse, and by streamlining permitting and expanding access, we’re not just powering our economy—we’re strengthening our national security and putting thousands of Americans back to work.”

The Gulf of America Outer Continental Shelf covers nearly 160 million acres and accounts for 14 percent of total U.S. crude oil production. According to the Energy Information Administration, more than 48 percent of U.S. petroleum refining capacity and 51 percent of total U.S. natural gas processing plant capacity are located along the Gulf Coast.

The Trump administration has emphasized the discovery, production, and advancement of U.S. energy.

Unleashing US Energy

In his executive order issued on Jan. 20, Trump said that despite the U.S. abundance of energy resources, “burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations” have impeded its development in recent years.

He ordered “energy exploration and production on Federal lands and waters, including on the Outer Continental Shelf” to meet domestic needs and establish the nation as a global energy leader.

On April 4, Burgum directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to hold the next scheduled oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of America, as these regions contain a “significant source of oil and gas for the nation’s energy supply, and BOEM’s latest estimates of technically recoverable oil and gas resources in undiscovered fields in the Gulf of America include 29.59 billion barrels of oil and 54.84 trillion cubic feet of gas.”

Making use of available resources “will lower prices at the pump, at the grocery store, and across all aspects of American life,” the secretary said.

The Interior Department will also no longer require the Bureau of Land Management to prepare an environmental impact statement for approximately 3,244 oil and gas leases in seven Western states, according to a statement published on April 10.

This is based on Trump’s executive order and the secretary’s subsequent order to tap into the nation’s energy and natural resources while reducing red tape barriers that hinder energy development in the country.

“With this action, the Bureau of Land Management will no longer move forward with preparing an environmental impact statement for oil and gas leasing decisions encompassing 3.5 million acres across Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, and the Bureau is evaluating options for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act for these oil and gas leasing decisions,” the statement reads.