07/05/2026
A Texas oil formation thought to be nearly exhausted still holds millions of barrels of undiscovered oil.
A new assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Buda Limestone contains about 12 million barrels of technically recoverable oil and 184 billion cubic feet of natural gas that have yet to be discovered.
The Buda Limestone stretches across parts of South and East Texas and has been producing oil and gas since around 1930.
Over that time, it has already yielded about 204 million barrels of oil and 287 billion cubic feet of natural gas.
Researchers believe the oil and gas found in the Buda originated in the overlying Eagle Ford Group, one of the most productive petroleum formations in the United States.
Although the newly estimated resources are relatively small compared with giant formations like the Permian Basin, the finding shows that even long-producing oil fields can still hold previously undiscovered energy resources.
At the same time, the U.S. Geological Survey says the formation has little remaining undiscovered oil and gas compared with what has already been produced.
Learn more:
"Scientists find more oil and gas in Texas after decades of drilling." Chron