Society of Petroleum Engineers, World Petroleum Council, American Association of Petroleum
Geologists and Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers
Petroleum Resources Management System
Definitions and Guidelines (
1
)
March 2007
Preamble
Petroleum resources are the estimated quantities of hydrocarbons naturally occurring on or within the Earth’s
crust. Resource assessments estimate total quantities in known and yet-to-be-discovered accumulations;
resources evaluations are focused on those quantities that can potentially be recovered and marketed by
commercial projects. A petroleum resources management system provides a consistent approach to estimating
petroleum quantities, evaluating development projects, and presenting results within a comprehensive
classification framework.
International efforts to standardize the definition of petroleum resources and how they are estimated began in the
1930s. Early guidance focused on Proved Reserves. Building on work initiated by the Society of Petroleum
Evaluation Engineers (SPEE), SPE published definitions for all Reserves categories in 1987. In the same year,
the World Petroleum Council (WPC, then known as the World Petroleum Congress), working independently,
published Reserves definitions that were strikingly similar. In 1997, the two organizations jointly released a single
set of definitions for Reserves that could be used worldwide. In 2000, the American Association of Petroleum
Geologists (AAPG), SPE and WPC jointly developed a classification system for all petroleum resources. This
was followed by additional supporting documents: supplemental application evaluation guidelines (2001) and a
glossary of terms utilized in Resources definitions (2005). SPE also published standards for estimating and
auditing reserves information (revised 2007).
These definitions and the related classification system are now in common use internationally within the
petroleum industry. They provide a measure of comparability and reduce the subjective nature of resources
estimation. However, the technologies employed in petroleum exploration, development, production and
processing continue to evolve and improve. The SPE Oil and Gas Reserves Committee works closely with other
organizations to maintain the definitions and issues periodic revisions to keep current with evolving technologies
and changing commercial opportunities.
The SPE PRMS document consolidates, builds on, and replaces guidance previously contained in the 1997
Petroleum Reserves Definitions, the 2000 Petroleum Resources Classification and Definitions publications, and
the 2001 “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Petroleum Reserves and Resources”; the latter document remains a
valuable source of more detailed background information.,
These definitions and guidelines are designed to provide a common reference for the international petroleum
industry, including national reporting and regulatory disclosure agencies, and to support petroleum project and
portfolio management requirements. They are intended to improve clarity in global communications regarding
petroleum resources. It is expected that SPE PRMS will be supplemented with industry education programs and
application guides addressing their implementation in a wide spectrum of technical and/or commercial settings.
It is understood that these definitions and guidelines allow flexibility for users and agencies to tailor application
for their particular needs; however, any modifications to the guidance contained herein should be clearly
identified. The definitions and guidelines contained in this document must not be construed as modifying the
interpretation or application of any existing regulatory reporting requirements.
The full text of the SPE PRMS Definitions and Guidelines can be viewed at:
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These Definitions and Guidelines are extracted from the Society of Petroleum Engineers / World Petroleum Council /
American Association of Petroleum Geologists / Society of Petroleum Evaluation Engineers (SPE/WPC/AAPG/SPEE)
Petroleum Resources Management System document (“SPE PRMS”), approved in March 2007.
