The Gulf of America: Driving Society, Elevating Lives
The Gulf of America is a leading U.S. offshore energy hub, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions in government revenue, and reliable, affordable energy nationwide. With growing reserves and world-class infrastructure, it plays a critical role in meeting rising domestic and global energy demand while strengthening America’s economy and national security.
The Gulf of America: A Titan of Energy
Offshore energy is an American success story. In the Gulf of America, offshore production provides the lowest carbon barrels of oil, generates millions of dollars in funding for parks and recreation programs for underprivileged urban communities, and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across every state.
Source: bp
Source: U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Gulf of Mexico Region: Oil and Gas Production Forecast 2022-2031, OCS Report BOEM 2022-022 page 23
The Gulf of America has been the premier offshore oil and gas region for decades
There are more than 1,000 production facilities and thousands of miles of active pipelines in the Gulf of America. The Gulf of America offers a mix of world class infrastructure, thousands of companies and hundreds of thousands of workers with incredible experience and expertise, and a strong backdrop of safety regulations, standards, and practices.
The Gulf of America: A Global Offshore Energy Powerhouse
The Gulf of America continues to distinguish itself as one of the world’s most prolific and strategic offshore energy basins. From 2015 to 2019, it ranked as the second most prospective offshore region globally, trailing only Guyana. Over this period, the Gulf yielded an estimated 5.03 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in new discoveries—valued at roughly $1.9 billion. In a significant update, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently revised its reserve estimates upward by 1.3 billion barrels, bringing the Gulf’s total estimated reserves to 7.04 billion boe.
Source: EIA.gov
SPOTLIGHT:
The Gulf of America: A Resurgent Energy Giant
Source: Offshore Magazine
In April 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced a significant increase in estimated oil and gas reserves in the Gulf of America, underscoring the region’s critical role in advancing our country’s national security and American Energy Dominance.
The analysis from Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) analysis reveals an additional 1.30 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2021, bringing the total reserve estimate to 7.04 billion barrels of oil equivalent. This includes 5.77 billion barrels of oil and 7.15 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—a 22.6% increase in remaining recoverable reserves.
BOEM’s updated assessment evaluated over 140 oil and gas fields, identifying 18 new discoveries and analyzing more than 37,000 reservoirs across 1,336 fields in the Gulf. This comprehensive review added 4.39 billion barrels of oil equivalent in original reserves. After subtracting production of 3.09 billion barrels of oil equivalent since 2020–2021, the net increase reflects continued opportunity and momentum in offshore development.
“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.”
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum
April 10, 2025
Globally, the offshore region is a major energy and oil supplier.
While almost the entirety of U.S. offshore oil and gas production is isolated to the Western and Central Gulf of America, other countries have eagerly embraced their offshore oil and gas resources. Globally, offshore oil and gas production accounts for nearly 30% of all oil and gas production. In the U.S., 15% of oil production is from the offshore, and has been as high as 29%. U.S. offshore production at levels of 1 to 2 million barrels per day makes a real difference on the world stage.
Source: Statistica
The Gulf of America: A Global Offshore Energy Powerhouse
The Gulf of America continues to distinguish itself as one of the world’s most prolific and strategic offshore energy basins. From 2015 to 2019, it ranked as the second most prospective offshore region globally, trailing only Guyana. Over this period, the Gulf yielded an estimated 5.03 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in new discoveries—valued at roughly $1.9 billion. In a significant update, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) recently revised its reserve estimates upward by 1.3 billion barrels, bringing the Gulf’s total estimated reserves to 7.04 billion boe.
BREAKOUT:
Breaking New Ground: The Gulf of America’s HPHT Revolution
Source: Chevron
Another pivotal factor in America’s offshore resurgence is the novel development of High-Pressure, High-Temperature (HPHT) projects in the Gulf of America. These initiatives target reservoirs at extreme depths and conditions—pressures exceeding 15,000 psi and temperatures above 350°F—once deemed inaccessible. Advanced drilling and completion technologies now make these challenging environments viable, promising substantial yields. By tapping into these frontier zones, HPHT projects position the Gulf as a hub of innovation and growth, amplifying its capacity to bolster U.S. energy output.
Chevron’s Anchor project, which achieved its first oil in August 2024, exemplifies the industry’s commitment to innovation, safety, and efficiency. As the first deepwater high-pressure development to begin production, Anchor uses 20,000 psi subsea technology to tap into reservoirs at depths of 34,000 feet below the water surface.
This achievement required the collaboration of numerous companies. For instance, Chevron contracted Transocean’s newly built Deepwater Titan, an eighth-generation drillship, to drill and complete the project’s subsea high-pressure production wells. The Deepwater Titan and its sister ship are the first rigs in the world equipped with a 1,700-ton hoisting system, a 20,000-psi well control system, and a 10,000-psi mud system.
Other frontier HPHT projects, like Beacon Offshore Energy’s Shenandoah Project and bp’s Kaskida Project, are poised to follow and build upon the Gulf region’s impressive resilience and status as a premier global energy basin.
Source: Aries Marine
No Leases, No Production, No Progress
Offshore oil and gas production begins with access. Like all forms of energy development, oil and gas production is impossible without acreage that companies can explore, develop, and bring into production. Leasing is the gateway—the essential first step in securing the acreage necessary to find and produce the energy America needs.
Powering Prosperity: How Gulf of America Oil and Natural Gas Enhances Energy Affordability & Healthier Outcomes
The offshore oil and natural gas industry in the Gulf of America is a linchpin in ensuring energy affordability for Americans, delivering substantial cost savings by bolstering domestic production and stabilizing global energy markets. Over the past decade, the surge in U.S. oil and gas output, including from the Gulf of America, have helped manage oil and gasoline prices, effectively drilling the nation’s way to lower energy costs
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The Gulf of America: Hydrocarbons Build the World Around Us
Learn how the Gulf of America strengthens U.S. energy security, drives economic growth, and powers offshore innovation.
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Section 2
Demand Continues for All Forms of Energy
As the global middle class grows and American energy consumption rises—from manufacturing to data centers—demand for reliable energy continues to surge. Meeting this need requires an all-of-the-above strategy, with oil and gas from the Gulf of America playing a critical role in powering progress at home and abroad.
Section 4
Gulf of America: Fueling High-Skill, High-Wage Jobs
Offshore energy supports hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs across all 50 states. From welders to geologists, the Gulf of America is creating opportunity across industries while strengthening America’s workforce and economic resilience.
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The Gulf of America Forward report shows how offshore energy powers daily life, supports jobs, strengthens security, and leads on innovation and sustainability. Download now to see why the Gulf is a strategic national asset shaping America’s future.
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