The process of estimating oil and gas reserves for a producing field continues throughout the life of the field. There is always uncertainty in making such estimates. The level of uncertainty is affected by the following factors: 1. Reservoir type, 2. Source of reservoir energy, 3. Quantity and quality of the geological, engineering, and geophysical data, 4. Assumptions adopted when making the estimate, 5. Available technology, and 6. Experience and knowledge of the evaluator. The magnitude of uncertainty, however, decreases with time until the economic limit is reached and the ultimate recovery is realized, see Figure 1.
Figure 1: Magnitude of uncertainty in reserves estimates