Future petroleum resources in New England appear to be restricted to the Lake Champlain and perhaps the northern Maine areas on land and the Georges Bank area offshore. Shows of gas, oil, and solid hydrocarbons in wells of the Lake Champlain area are from Ordovician shale beds that crop out west of the Champlain thrust fault. Commercial gas produced from Cambrian sandstone beds in Three Rivers, Quebec, indicates that the Cambrian also may contain reservoir rocks; these rocks have not been tested in Vermont.

The Gregorie No. 1 well was drilled through the upper plate of the Champlain thrust fault; the plate is composed of low-grade metamorphic rocks. Gas found in unmetamorphosed Ordovician rocks of the lower plate indicates that this part of the section is favorable for petroleum accumulations. This favorable part of the section, beneath and west of the thrust, is estimated to contain 600-2,400 cu mi (2,500-10,000 cu km) of sedimentary rocks in Vermont.

The geology of northern Maine is poorly known, but unmetamorphosed Ordovician to Lower Devonian rocks of possible interest may be present. Other areas on land have no potential for petroleum production. Structures and geologic relations on land suggest favorable offshore areas, particularly in the Georges Bank area.