A simplified spreadsheet program for estimating future growth of oil and gas reserves

Reserve growth refers to the typical increases in estimated sizes of fields that occur through time as oil and gas fields are developed and produced. Projections of the future reserve growth of known fields have become important components of hydrocarbon resource assessments. In this paper, we present an algorithm for estimating the future reserve growth of known fields. The algorithm, which incorporates fundamental reserve-growth assumptions used by others in the past, is programmed for a personal computer in the form of formulas for a spreadsheet. The primary advantages of this spreadsheet program lie in its simplicity and ease of use. We also present a library of 17 different growth functions that provides numerical models for predicting the future sizes of existing oil and gas fields in various regions of the United States. These growth functions are formatted for use in the spreadsheet program. © 1998 International Association for Mathematical Geology.