Peak Oil: The World’s Greatest Challenge

Presented by

Community SolutionsYellow Springs, Ohiowww.communitysolution.org

What Is Peak Oil?

The date an area’s oil production reaches its maximum

Means that about half the oil has been produced Does not mean “running out of oil” Does mean a continuous decline in production

When oil half gone, the flow of oil begins to fall Not like a gas tank Oil in the ground is not in a pool but in tiny droplets Droplets move slowly through the earth due to pressure At halfway point pressure drops – flow decreases

Peak Oil Discoverer: Dr. King Hubbert1903-1989 Shell Oil Geologist/ Petroleum Scientist

1949 – projected short historical oil period Triggered by 1930 U.S. discovery peak

1956 – predicted 1970 as U.S. Peak Oil year Came as predicted

1969 – predicted World Peak Oil year 2000 1970-80 demand decline delayed it

Dr. Colin Campbell – King Hubbert 2006

Geologist/ Petroleum Scientist

Worked for most major oil companies

Founder, Association for Study of Peak Oil Wrote “The Coming Oil Crisis” in 1997

Estimates World Peak for regular oil in 2010

Published two other books “Essence of Oil and Gas Depletion” “Oil Crisis”

Matthew Simmons

Oil Investment Banker Backed many oil and gas drilling

projects

Advisor to President Bush

Challenges Saudi Reserve Estimates Thinks Saudi oil may soon peak

Author, “Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy”

Given 100s of talks to government and business

ASPO: Association for the Study of Peak Oil European scientists & oil

geologists from 12 countries

Formed to address world leaders lack of concern for peak oil

Five Peak Oil conferences have been held Sweden (2002) Paris (2003) Berlin (2004) Lisbon (2005) Pisa (2006)

Source of the most objective depletion data

ASPO meeting 2003 May 28, Paris, France

ASPO View

Note plateau of conventional oil and U.S. Peak Heavy, deepwater, polar oil very expensive

Oil Discovery/Production Peaks – U.S. 1930 – U.S. “lower 48” Oil

Discovery Peak year

1970 – U.S. “lower 48” Oil Production Peak year

Peak discovery/peak production lag time of 40 years

Oil Discovery/Production Peaks – World 1965 – the World Oil Discovery Peak year

What do oil experts think Dr. Ken Deffeyes: author

“Hubbert’s Peak” – 2005

Dr. Colin Campbell: founder of ASPO – 2010

PFC Consulting – 2015

The argument is not “if” but “when” and “how fast?”

1 barrel of oil is found for every 5 barrels consumed.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2050

Gb

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Past

Future

Production

When Do We Run Out? – The Reserves We know the world discovery rate

We know the consumption rate is 5 times the discovery rate

We have a buffer – the reserves Popular misleading view – “We have reserves for 40 years”

Reserves – estimates by different people with different methods

Published reserve information is inaccurate Political and financial reason exists to state high or low OPEC – quotas are set at a % of reserves

Kuwait’s suddenly increased in 1985 – others followed

Middle East Oil Jump

No changes made to reserves since jump

Source: Oil and Gas Journal

“Misleading” Reserves – Recent Events In 2002 Canada reserves increased from 4.8 Gb to 178 Gb

Defined tar sands as conventional oil But tar sands is not oil – must be mined and “cooked”

Jan. 12, 2004 – Shell Oil reduced their reserves 20% Reduced three more times in 2004 Aug 25, 2004 – Shell Oil fined $151,000,000 Feb. 3, 2005 – Shell Oil reduced reserves for fifth time

Feb. 2004 – Russia declared all oil data a state secret

Oil companies (and countries) hold reserve data confidential Feb. 2005 – G7 Meeting – “we need to know!” Saudi Arabia – “We’re not partners – we’re suppliers”

The shocker – no one knows!!! It’s all guesswork

Why Not Pump Faster to Offset Declines? Oil reservoirs can provide oil faster by injecting gas/liquids

Forcing the oil is harmful Injections may limit ultimate recovery Depletion occurs suddenly

Saudi Arabia is injecting 7 million barrels sea water daily

That’s why when about half the oil is gone – production must decrease

This is a major concern – can’t predict depletion as well

Oil – “Black Gold”

Provides 40% of our primary energy 95% of all transportation fuel is from oil Huge part of life – not just gas in the car

Fossil fuels are the basis of Industrial Agriculture Oil is feedstock for herbicides and pesticides With natural gas fertilizers, there are 10 calories of fossil fuel

inputs for each food calorie output

Raw material for many plastics

Basis of 300,000 manufactured products

Cheap oil makes globalization possible In U.S. average food product travels 1500 miles

Why Is Peak Oil So Important?

Core assumptions Our economy “runs on oil” – oil “fuels our economy” We measure our material welfare (income) by the economy To paraphrase – our income is based on oil consumption

Economy grows when oil consumption increases

Economy shrinks when oil consumption decreases

Implies major societal change when demand exceeds supply Oil prices will rise rapidly but shortages will still occur Could have long-term recessions

The Money Implications of Peaking

$40-$90+ oil lasted from early 1970s – mid-1980s Oil shortfall was approximately 3% North Sea, Alaska & Mexico discoveries increased supply There are no new regions to explore now

Inflation Adjusted Monthly Crude Oil Prices 1946-Present

World Population – Billions in 2000 Years

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 250 500 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000

Invention of the steam engine – 1698 (Thomas Savery) First oil well – 1859 Earliest major fossil fuel was coal

World Population – Billions 1900-2000

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

First half 1.5 Billion to 2.3 Billion – 150% increase Second half 2.5 billion to 6 Billion – 240% increase Spurt in growth correlates with switch from coal to oil

World Oil Usage – Billion Barrels/Year

Production vs. Population

All Energy per Capita Projected Decline

Slide/cliff – Declining fossil fuels meet growing population From 10.4 boe/c/yr to 3.3 boe/c/yr is 4.5% decline

3 % source decline, 1.5% population growth Remember population – and fuel – in 2030 =~4x 1930

Source: Richard C. Duncan, Ph.D. “The Olduvai Theory – Terminal Decline Imminent,” The Social Contract Quarterly, Spring 2007.

Government View 2005 – DOE Report As peaking is approached…the economic, social, and political

costs will be unprecedented.

…peaking will be extremely complex, involve literally trillions of dollars and require many years of intense effort.

Peaking…will cause protracted economic hardship in the United States and the world.

…the problem of the peaking of world conventional oil production is unlike any yet faced by modern industrial society.

Executive Summary from “Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation & Risk Management, Dr. Robert Hirsch, February 2005

Government View 2005 – Department of Army Report “Uncertainty about future oil supply makes it important to

develop a strategy for addressing a peak and decline in oil production”

“Most studies estimate that oil production will peak sometime between now and 2040”

“An imminent peak and sharp decline in oil production could have severe consequences, including a worldwide recession”

“While the consequences of a peak would be felt globally, the United States, as the largest consumer of oil and one of the nations most heavily dependent on oil for transportation, may be particularly vulnerable”

Government View 2005 – GAO Report on Crude Oil (GAO-07-283) March 29, 2007 “Uncertainty about future oil supply makes it important to

develop a strategy for addressing a peak and decline in oil production”

“Most studies estimate that oil production will peak sometime between now and 2040”

“An imminent peak and sharp decline in oil production could have severe consequences, including a worldwide recession”

“While the consequences of a peak would be felt globally, the United States, as the largest consumer of oil and one of the nations most heavily dependent on oil for transportation, may be particularly vulnerable”

Recent Comments President Bush: “We have a serious problem: America is

addicted to oil.”

Chevron “Will You Join Us” Ad: Oil production is in decline in 33 of the 48 largest oil producing countries, yet energy demand is increasing around the globe as economies grow and nations develop.

Victor Khristenko, Russia’s energy minister: “One can say with certainty that the era of cheap hydrocarbons is over.”

Chief economist of China’s state oil company said that he expects global oil production to peak at 94-100 mb/day during the next five years.

Bill Clinton: “We may be at a point of peak oil production. You may see $100 a barrel oil in the next two or three years.”

Peak Oil Summary

Despite technology improvements and major investments, world oil discovery has declined steadily for 40 years

Experts forecast a global oil peak in 5–15 years Natural gas will follow a decade or so later

No alternatives are clearly evident Dozens of options are being evaluated Huge investments are being made

The essence of the problem – There is no ready substitute Representative Roscoe Bartlett – ASPO USA – Nov. 2005