Oil From A Critical Raw Material Perspective - Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) (12/22/19)
Oil From A Critical Raw Material Perspective - Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) (12/22/19)
Oil From A Critical Raw Material Perspective - Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) (12/22/19)
Unit
Place of business 22.12.2019 GTK Open File Work
Report 70/2019
Simon Michaux
Title of report
Oil from a Critical Raw Material Perspective
Abstract
Today approximately 90% of the supply chain of all industrially manufactured products depend on the
availability of oil derived products, or oil derived services. As the source material for various types of
fuels, oil is a basic prerequisite for the transportation of large quantities of goods over long distances.
Oil, alongside information technology, container ships, trucks and aircraft form the backbone of
globalization and our current industrial ecosystem.
Approximately 70% of our daily oil supply comes from oil fields discovered prior to 1970. Most of global
oil supply still comes from 10 to 20 huge oil fields. In 2006, 10 oil fields accounted for 29.9% of the
global proved reserves. Since 2006, comparatively very small oil fields have been discovered. 74% of
the current global oil reserves is geographically concentrated in what is termed the Strategic Ellipse,
which is the Middle East and Central Asia. Peak oil discovery was in 1962, since then rates of resource
discovery has been declining persistently. New discoveries are limited: the exploration success rate in
2017 was a record low of 5%, and the average discovery size was 24mbbls. A projected range for
average decline rate on post-peak production is 5-7%, equivalent to around 3-4.5mb/d of lost
production every year.
Currently the market is oversupplied. When the market returns to demand taking up all global supply,
effective spare capacity could only shrink by just 1% of global supply/demand of 96mb/d, leaving the
market very susceptible to disruptions. Oil demand is still growing by ~1mbd every year, and no central
scenarios that have been recently assessed see oil demand peaking before 2040.
Of existing world liquids production, 81% is already in decline (excluding possible future
redevelopments). By 2040, this means the world could need to replace over 4 times the current crude
oil output of Saudi Arabia (>40mb/d), just to keep output consistently flat.
In January 2005, Saudi Arabia increased its number of operating rig count by 144%, to increase oil
production by only 6.5%. This suggests that the market swing producer (as Saudi Arabia was seen) was
not able increase production enough to meet increasing demand.
Global conventional crude oil plateaued in January 2005. This would prove to be a decisive turning
point for the industrial ecosystem. Since then, unconventional oil sources like tight oil (fracked oil shale)
and oil sands have made up the demand shortfall, where U.S. shale (tight oil, fracking with horizontal
drilling) contributed 71.4% of new global oil supply since 2005. Global conventional oil production
broke out of its plateau in late 2013 and has been able to expand in capacity, where deep off shore
plays become more important.
Since 2008, the Shale revolution (tight oil or fracked oil) has increased global oil supply which stabilized
increased demand. This was achieved with the application of precision horizontal drilling applied to the
existing hydraulic fracking industry. US tight oil produced in August 2019 was 7.73 million barrels per
day, approximately 8.37% of global supply. The U.S. tight oil sector accounted for 98% of global oil
production growth in 2018. Future global demand growth is now dependent on the U.S. tight oil sector.
Fracked well average production increased between 2010 and 2018 by 28%, but also water injection
(and therefore chemical and proppant use) increased by 118%. This is an average across the whole U.S.
Tight Oil Sector. Hydraulic fracked wells (used in Tight Oil) go through four basic stages in their life
cycle. The three biggest tight oil producer basins of Permian, Eagle Ford and Bakken are all still growing
but are in the mature stage of their life cycles. Mature is the third of four stages, where the fourth is
decline.
The productivity (per rig as measured by EIA) of the U.S. Tight Oil sector in 2018 is less effective than in
2016. This suggests that the U.S. Tight Oil sector is approaching its peak production reasonably soon.
Due to well depletion in fracking, 5 399 new wells are needed to be drilled to keep the U.S. tight oil
production consistent in 2019. Each year a similar number of new wells are required.
The environmental impacts of fracking tight oil and oil sands is being largely ignored. Most of these are
related to water way pollution and destruction of forestation habitat.
Most oil producers in the U.S. tight oil fracked sector have a negative cash flow and struggle to raise
capital to develop upstream infrastructure. This is unfortunate as to maintain production levels,
continual new drilling is required (which requires capital). As such Q1 2019 performance of fracking oil
producers was far below projections, suggesting further difficulties in this sector.
If the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) was to become as developed as the German
economy in context of oil consumption, the BRIC economy 2018 oil consumption would have to expand
by 254%. If the whole World was to become as developed as the 2018 German economy in context of
oil consumption in 2018, the global oil consumption of 99.84 million barrels per day would have to
expand by 117% and an extra 116.68 million barrels per day of oil would need to be brought to market.
Starting in January 2005, all commodity prices that the World Bank track to monitor the industrial
ecosystem (base metals, precious metals, oil, gas and coal) blew out in an unprecedented bubble. The
second worst economic correction in history, The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) in 2008, was not enough
to resolve the underlying fundamental issues. After the GFC, the volatility in commodity price
continued. This report makes the case that the GFC was created as the entire industrial ecosystem was
put under unprecedented stress, where the weakest link broke. That weakest link was in the financial
markets. The strain that created this unprecedented stress, was triggered by the global oil production
plateauing. This made the oil market in elastic in form. This is postulated to have happened because
the Saudi Arabian oil production was unable to increase production in January 2005, in spite a significant
increase of operating rig count. If further analysis supports this hypothesis, then the GFC was created
by a chain reaction that had its origins in the oil market.
Due to our dependence on oil, it may be the primary, or master raw resource. Oil has a more significant
CRM profile (immanent shortage in context of a vital resource) than almost any other raw material
supplying industry. It is recommended that oil, gas, coal and uranium are all added to the European
CRM list.
Contents
Documentation page
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Energy is the master resource 2
1.2 Energy, oil price and the economy 11
1.3 Energy and population growth 16
1.4 Oil consumption and industrial output 19
1.5 Fossil fuel energy and the European CRM map 26
2 Oil and its industrial uses and applications 28
2.1 Calorific value of petroleum products 31
2.2 Energy Content of Fuels 31
2.2.1 Gross (or high, upper) Heating Value 33
2.2.2 Net (or lower) Heating Value 33
2.2.3 Diesel Engines Efficiency 35
2.2.4 Petrol Engines Efficiency 35
2.2.5 Jet Fuel Turbine Engine Efficiency 35
2.3 Energy consumption and industrial agriculture 36
2.4 Fossil fuel Dependency to Manufacture Plastics 46
3 Petroleum Products Consumption 54
3.1 Global use of petroleum products 54
3.2 Oil consumption and imports in Europe 56
3.3 Use of petroleum products for transport in Europe 59
3.4 Petroleum products in the United States 61
4 Oil Demand 66
4.1 Future oil demand scenarios 70
4.2 Oil import/export profile for oil consumers 78
4.3 Increased demand from emerging economies 82
5 Crude Oil Production 84
5.1 Decline of oil production in most fields 99
5.2 Degradation of the quality of oil being extracted 102
6 Different methods of Oil extraction 106
6.1 Conventional oil extraction 107
6.2 Unconventional oil production 112
6.3 Heavy crude oil 113
REVIEW PROTOCOL
GTK has not traditionally researched oil as a commodity. It became clear it was necessary to do so in
context estimating pressure that will be applied to the battery minerals in context of the electric vehicle
revolution. This report was to understand the possible timing of the perceived transition away from
fossil fuels.
This report was subject to not only an internal review but was subject to external review from a number
of professionals from outside GTK. These reviewers were from a range of professions in the oil industry
and related areas of capability. The external reviewers were:
An oil industry professional who works with a wide technical platform in petroleum economics
for Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), shale gas/oil dynamics and economics.
A retired industrial financial actuary in the insurance industry that has been studying the energy
sector on a global scale.
A biophysical systems analyst working with energy networks in society. Currently a director of
an independent, nonprofit trans disciplinary research-solutions network analyzing violent
conflict in context of global ecological, economic and energy crises
An industrial professional with varied Norwegian and international experience strategic &
economic analysis, modeling, taxation, fiscal mechanisms, fiscal regulatory frameworks,
accounting, law and auditing/internal controls within extractive industries (oil & gas, and
mining) and general industry.
This report is dedicated to Prof. Marion King Hubbert (October 5, 1903 – October 11, 1989), who more
than half a century before most industrial analysts, understood what oil really meant for the industrial
ecosystem. Hubbert then had the integrity to communicate to the rest of us what he saw, in
professionally challenging circumstances.
Figure 0. M. K. Hubbert
(Image: Post Carbon Institute)
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1 INTRODUCTION
Today approximately 90% of the supply chain of all industrially manufactured products depend on the
availability of oil derived products, or oil derived services. Oil is not only the source material for
producing fuels and lubricants but is also used as hydrocarbon for most organic polymers (plastic
materials). Currently substitution materials for plastics like hemp is not accepted by the current
plastics industry and considered not economically viable. It is therefore one of the most important raw
materials in the production of many different products such as pharmaceuticals, dyes and textiles.
As the source material for various types of fuels, oil is a basic prerequisite for the transportation of
large quantities of goods over long distances. Oil, alongside information technology, container ships,
trucks and aircraft form the backbone of globalization and our current industrial ecosystem.
International division of labor, to which many countries owe their wealth, would not be possible
without today’s volume of cost-efficient goods transport. Oil-based mobility also significantly
influences our lifestyle, both regionally and locally. For example, living in suburbs several kilometers
away from their workplace would be impossible for many people without a car. To a certain extent,
the classical suburb thus also owes its existence to oil.
A considerable increase in the oil price would pose a systemic risk because the availability of relatively
affordable oil is crucial for the functioning of large parts of the economic and social systems. For some
subsystems, such as worldwide goods shipping or individual transportation, the importance of oil is
obvious.
The systemic relevance and strategic significance that is ascribed to oil in particular and to secure
energy supplies in general is also reflected in various strategic documents of states and international
organizations. The international community as well as every single country therefore have a vital
interest in secure oil supplies.
A global lack of oil could represent a systemic risk because its versatility as a source of energy and as a
chemical raw material would mean that virtually every social subsystem would be affected by a
shortage.
The purpose of this report is to address the current dependency of oil, the industrial
implications of a possible supply short fall and an assessment of how far away a supply to
demand gap could be. This is done in a global context as energy is an international
industrial ecosystem. This study also will consider the implications for Europe and will
advocate the addition of oil to be added to the CRM list.
In 2019, there is a widely supported push to transform the industrial system into a non-fossil fuel
(preferably renewable) supported system (European Commission 2019). To do this oil, and petroleum
based technology is to be phased out. This is often referred to the Electric Vehicle Revolution (IEA
2019). In studying this task, the mineral requirements for industrial supply to construct and manage
the new power system is of strategic interest to GTK. What is also useful to understand is in what time
frame the new system is required to be commissioned.
One of the strategic restraints for the time frame is the understanding of the existing system of fossil
fuels, in this case, oil. How reliable is the current oil supply system? How long will it remain to be so?
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Figure 1 shows what part of the transition to a non-fossil fuel energy system that this report attempts
to examine.
Current Transport
Desired Future
Oil based ICE Technology • Batteries
Transport
System
System
• Petroleum • Power cells
• Diesel Electric Vehicle Technology
Industrial scale
Transition Phase equipment need to be
powered from electric
power grid
Sustainable Industrial
Desired Future Green
Manufacture System
Manufacture System
Current Industrial
Figure 1. Transition from a fossil fuel based industrial system to a renewable power industrial system
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CAPITAL
Resources
Energy = 200
ECONOMY PRODUCTION
Work
Muscles = 1
TECHNOLOGY &
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Figure 2. A simplified flow physical flows that sustain our productive system
(Source: developed from Jancovici 2011)
Future projections of global energy demand are usually developed on past behavior, with no
understanding of finite limits or depleting resources. Generally, reserves have been projected on by
past production and demand has been defined by population growth and economic GDP.
The modern world is heavily interdependent. Many of the structures and institutions we now depend
upon function in a global context. Energy as a fundamental resource underpins the global industrial
system (Fizaine & Court 2016, Meadow et al. 1972, Hall et al. 2009, Heinberg 2011, Martenson 2011,
Morse 2001, Ruppert 2004 and Tverberg 2014).
Figure 3 and 4 show that global crude oil production is related to global GDP and global human
population, but they are not direct correlations. The relationships are event and era based, where
events over time create different conditions of influence. This report will discuss what each of the
turning point dates shown might mean.
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100 000
2018
2005
90 000
1979 1997 2014
80 000
1973 2008
70 000
2009
60 000
50 000
40 000
1965
30 000
0 1E+13 2E+13 3E+13 4E+13 5E+13 6E+13 7E+13 8E+13 9E+13
Global Gross Domestic Product ($USD)
Figure 3. World GDP in $USD dollars (as measured in 1st Jun 2019) vs. global human population, 1965 to 2018.
(Source: BP Statistical Review 2019, BP Statistical Review 2011, and World Bank 2015 (GDP))
2005
90000
80000
1973 1979 2018
70000
60000
50000
1965
40000
30000
3,E+09 4,E+09 5,E+09 6,E+09 7,E+09 8,E+09
Global Human Population
Figure 4. Global human population correlation with global crude oil production
(Source: World Bank Group Population data, BP Statistical Review 2019, BP Statistical Review 2011)
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Figure 5 shows how Europe compares to other societies around the world in context of energy
consumption and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita population. This highlights the challenge
of maintaining long term economic security in context that not all nations have the same requirement.
Figure 5. Per capita energy consumption (tonnes of oil equivalent) vs. per capita GDP, PPP (2016 $USD). The size of the
bubbles denotes total population per country. All values refer to the year 2011.
(Source: European Environment Agency)
(Copyright license: https://www.eea.europa.eu/legal/copyright)
American society consumes petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more
than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each, but as shown in this report, petroleum is not just used
for fuel.
Ever since the Industrial Revolution started in the 18th century, vast quantities of fossil fuels have been
used to power the economy and deliver unprecedented affluence to large numbers of people
(consumers). Energy for the modern industrial world is generated from many sources. The usage of
fossil fuels has been increasing in step with economic growth. Fossil fuels were prerequisites for the
birth of a new industrial civilization that transformed our world.
Technology is made possible with the quality and quantity of available energy. Energy has been the
fundamental facilitator in the application of technology, seen as industrial revolutions. The First
Industrial Revolution (IR1), was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the
United States, in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840.
The Second Industrial Revolution (IR2) is characterized with new technological advancements initiated
the emergence of a new source of energy: electricity, gas and oil. An approximate date for the start of
IR2 is the mid to late 19th century, or approximately the year 1870. As a result, the development of the
internal combustion engine (ICE) made it possible to use these new resources to their full potential.
Furthermore, the steel industry began to develop and grow alongside the exponential demands for
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steel. Chemical synthesis also developed to bring us synthetic fabric, dyes and fertilizer (the
petrochemical industry). IR2 was made possible with the use of fossil fuels.
In approximately 1969, a Third Industrial Revolution (IR3) appeared with the emergence of a new type
of energy whose potential surpassed its predecessors: nuclear energy. This revolution witnessed the
rise of electronics—with the transistor and microprocessor—but also the rise of telecommunications
and computers.
Coal
27,21%
Natural Gas
23,87%
In 2018, the global system was still 84.7% dependent on fossil fuels, where renewables (including solar,
wind, geothermal and biofuels) accounted for 4.05% of global energy generation (Figure 6). Figure 7
shows the global energy consumption by source between 1820 and 2018.
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Nuclear Hydro-Elect
600
Nat Gas Oil
500
Coal Biofuels
IR3 start
Exajoules per year
400
300 84.7%
Fossil Fuels
200
IR2 start
100
0
1870
2000
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2010
2018
Figure 7. Global energy consumption by source 1820 to 2018 (excluding solar and wind)
(Source: Data from Tverberg, G. https://ourfiniteworld.com/, and BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2019, US Census Bureau)
Figure 8 shows the energy flows for the global industrial ecosystem. Figure 9 and 10 shows the energy
flows for the European Union (EU-28). Note the ubiquitous presence of fossil fuels. Note the
comparative volume of the contribution of oil (petroleum products). Appendix A shows the energy
flows through the ecosystems through multiple countries in the global ecosystem.
But the different sources of energy are not equal in calorific content. Nor are they used in the same
applications. What the different energy sources are and how they are used is discussed in Section 2.
Transfer of energy source to power technology from one resource to another is often not possible.
With the exception of oil and to a lesser extent gas, once these energy resources are used to generate
power, those power stations have to run at a consistent supply to grid level or suffer degradation in
their infrastructure. Oil and gas are flexible in use, coal and nuclear are not. Figure 5 shows the energy
inputs into the industrial ecosystem in a global context. Appendix A - ENERGY FLOWS THROUGH
INDUSTRIAL ECONOMIES shows a Sankey diagram of energy flows of many of the nation state
economies discussed in this report.
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Figure 10. Composition of the primary energy entering the energy system of the EU-28 in 2013
(Source: European Environmental Agency, https://www.eea.europa.eu/)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
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Current industrialization has a foundation in the continuous supply of natural resources. The methods
and processes associated with this foundation has significant momentum. This will not be undone
easily. Currently, our industrial systems are absolutely dependent on non-renewable natural resources
for energy sources. Oil, gas and coal. It is probable that this will continue to do so for some time. A
group of economists (Covert 2016) explored whether market forces alone would cause a reduction in
fossil fuel supply or demand. By studying the history of fossil fuel exploration and technological
progress for both clean and dirty technologies, they concluded that it is unlikely that the world will stop
primarily relying on fossil fuels anytime soon.
Neoclassical economics is an approach to economics focusing on the determination of goods, outputs, and
income distributions in markets through supply and demand. This determination is often mediated through
a hypothesized maximization of utility by income-constrained individuals and of profits by firms facing
production costs and employing available information and factors of production, in accordance with rational
choice theory (Xepapadeas 2008b).
One of the signatures of debates in the literature regarding resource depletion and the importance of
oil is the divergence of opinion between conventional economic thought, the perceived effectiveness
of current fiscal strategies, and other schools of thought. Various schools of thought that were useful
in understanding the world around us since the end of WWI have not been so successful or useful since
2008 in particular.
One of the outcomes of ecological economics is that peak oil and declining energy returns on energy
investment for oil and other primary energy resources (Murphy and Hall, 2010) are then likely to limit
economic growth and cause recession (Martinez-Alier, 2016; Tverberg, 2012). Once a viable
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replacement system for oil, petroleum and ICE technology is developed, there will also be a period of
disruption while the new system becomes fully established. The time period for this transition would
be approximately 20 years (Hirsch 2005 and 2010). This time period could be reduced to 10 years if
the all economies undertook the forced pace of industrial activity that was undertaken in the United
States during WWII (Hirsch 2005 and 2010).
Kallis et al 2016 did an excellent systems based study which attempts to enrich the standard causal
model implied by ecological economists, according to which the depletion of oil resources increases
their prices and acts as a brake to the economy. A very basic model that allows the complex mechanism
of oil price to interact with both GDP and oil reserves was developed (Figure 11)
+
Oil Oil - Oil
- GDP
Reserves Production Price
Figure 11. A simple casual model linking oil and the economy (Redrawn from Kallis et al 2016)
A system model was built to explore and study the influence and impact of the movements of oil price
(Figure 12) as the economy fucntions now. A number of nodes were considered (Oil Price and GDP)
and a number of interaction terms were considered (how for example oil price could influence wages,
labeled as R1, R2, R3, etc.).
R7
-
R7
Mortgage - House
Delinquency Sales
Wages + R5
+ R6 +
R7
Commuting
costs R6 Domestic +
- -
R3 Household R4 car sales R5
+ and firm + +
R7 Expenditures R4
Exports to oil
producing nations
Figure 12. How oil prices may affect the economy (Redrawn from Kallis et al 2016)
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There is much evidence to suggest that oil in some form is at the very heart of the modern industrial
society. The price of oil can influence economic activity both through the supply side (production) and
the demand side (consumption). Section 10 of this report examines the difference between a supply
constrained model for oil and a demand constrained model in context of oil capital investment. Rising
oil prices can increase the cost of production of firms, especially of energy-intensive ones (interaction
R1, Figure 12), and/or reduce labor productivity (interaction R2, Figure 12), also raising the costs of
production. The production channel is the one that implicitly concerns ecological economists.
A number of ecological economic papers have discussed and documented empirically that low energy
prices are related to increases in labor productivity (Cleveland et al 1984) and economic growth (Ayres
and Warr, 2009).
Periods of high economic growth of the US economy have been associated with low expenditures on
energy, where positive growth requires expenditures less than 11% of GDP. This could be modeled in
terms of a minimum EROI (energy return on energy investment) of 11:1 (Fizaine & Court, 2016).
Edelstein and Kilian (2009) examined the period 1970–2006, find that the effects of oil prices on
expenditures were generally small, although much larger than what energy's cost share alone would
suggest. While energy price shocks explained historical US consumption growth, they were by no
means the dominant factor. According to Edelstein and Kilian (2009), oil shocks make themselves felt
“primarily through reduced demand for cars and new houses” (i.e. interactions R4 & R5, Figure 12)
(Kilian, 2008). In a later study that focuses on the period 2007–2008 and the Global Financial Crisis
(GFC) economic crisis, Hamilton (2009) finds a much more significant effect. Hamilton (2009)
postulates that the rise in energy prices accounts, he argues, for about half of the gap between
predicted and actual consumption spending.
Oil prices are determined, at least in part, by the supply or production of oil (interaction S1, Figure 13)
and the demand for it (interaction S2, Figure 13). The supply of oil is affected by:
Acute events and disruptions in production, due, for example, to war (interaction S3, Figure 13);
Geological factors and constraints (S4, Figure 13); and
Investments in new capacity or new technologies (interaction S5, Figure 13).
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Financialization
S12 S14
Investment in + +
alternative Production from
Speculation
energy sources alternative energy
sources S12b
- S14
Investment for new S12 + +
crude oil capacity S13
S12 - Futures
+ oil price
S5 S11
+ + S15
-
Oil +?
Oil Price
Finite Oil Known Oil Production S1
Reserves Reserves -
GDP
S4 S2
S7
S4-5 + + S10
+ +
Precautionary
Demand S8
S3 + Global
- Growth
S9 S8b Actual
War & + + demand S6
Disruptions for oil +
Industrial
S6 Demand
+
Kilian (2009a) distinguished between increases in demand due to increasing industrial activity and
growing global demand for all industrial commodities (interaction S6, Figure 12) versus changes in
demand due to changing expectations about future oil demand and supply (interaction S7, Figure 12).
The system model shown in Kallis 2016 provides an interesting approach to examining the influence of
oil on the current economic environment. There is quite a lot of empirical data to show this basic
concept is valid.
As the biophysical economists have shown global economic growth is closely correlated with growth
in energy consumption. Professor Minqi Li of Utah University’s Department of Economics, shows that
between 2005 and 2016, that an increase in economic growth rate by one percentage point is
associated with an increase in primary energy consumption by 0.96% (Li 2018). Figure 14 compares
the historical world economic growth rates and the primary energy consumption growth rates from
1991 to 2017. In 2017, world primary energy consumption grew by 1.9 percent, a rate that is 0.4%
below what is implied by the historical trend. So energy consumption relates to economic growth rate
by moving up and down the relationship shown in Figure 14, where other influences are also in play.
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Figure 14. World energy consumption and economic growth (Source: Li 2018, World primary energy consumption from
1990 to 2017 is from BP (2018). Gross world product in constant 2011 international dollars from 1990 to 2016 is from
World Bank (2018), extended to 2017 using growth rate reported by IMF 2018, Statistical Appendix, Table A1)
Oil price is the heart beat of the global industrial economy. If the oil price goes too high, economic
growth cannot happen. GDP is required to growth to service the maintenance of existing debt. Figure
15 shows the percent of world oil consumption of world GDP. It also shows the approximate regions
of oil price where economic growth can or cannot happen.
Stagnation or
Recession
No Man's Land
Figure 15. World Oil Consumption as a Percent of World GDP. LHS axis Brent Oil Price. RHS axis % of World GDP
(Source: Stephen Kopits – Princeton Energy Advisors, http://www.prienga.com/)
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Figure 16. Correlation between the annual relative change in world oil consumption and GDP per capita averaged over
three years
(Source: Data from BP Statistical Review 2018, World Bank)
Figure 16 shows the strong correlation between the economic activity index global GDP, global energy
consumption and global oil consumption. The importance of this cannot be overstated. In our current
form, industrial society correlates directly with our ability to consume energy. Oil in particular is
important to understand. As can be seen in Figure 16, oil consumption correlates with both GDP and
energy consumption. This is because current society is a petroleum driven economy (Heinberg 2011,
Martenson 2011, Morse 2001, Ruppert 2004, Tverberg 2014 and Wiedenhofer 2013).
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1E+09 100
10
0 0 0
1980
2018
1820
1840
1860
1880
1900
1920
1940
1960
2000
1860
1940
2000
1820
1840
1880
1900
1920
1960
1980
2018
1880
1960
1820
1840
1860
1900
1920
1940
1980
2000
2018
1820-2018 1820-2018 1820-2018
Population Growth x 7.3 Per Capita Growth x 3.7 Consumption Growth x 27.1
Figure 17. World population, per capita-, and total energy consumption, 1820-2018
(Source: Data from Tverberg, G. https://ourfiniteworld.com/, and BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2019, US Census Bureau)
Note in Figure 17 how the middle chart has Per Captia Consumption for energy. This highlights how
increasing complexity of technology has resulted in an increase per person in terms of energy
requirements (the same can be shown for all natural resources). In summary, the energy requirements
per capita have increased over time in line with technological development and complexity. In
conjunction to this, human population consuming and operating this technology is growing at an
exponential rate. The right-hand-side plot shows that the combination of the two have resulted in a
multiplication times 50, the demands on our energy resource sector (89% finite non-renewable
resources).
The implications for Figure 17 are also that the global human population, and the society that
population inhabits, needs energy to function. At this time, the majority of that energy is dependent
on finite non-renewable natural resources like oil, gas and coal. This highlights the importance of
understanding the true supply status of fossil fuels and the true viability of any replacement system.
Figure 18 shows the increase per capita for individual energy resources.
Oil has sharply increased since its inception and then declined per capita since 1970
Natural gas has increased steadily since its inception
Coal rose steadily from the start of the industrial revolution and plateaued in 1910, was stable
till it sharply increased in the year 2000
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Figure 19 show the total global energy consumption normalized for population growth. As can be seen,
energy consumption was on a rough plateau from 1970 to 2001. From 2001 to about 2005 there was
an increase, followed by a bumpy plateau. There was a peak in per capita energy consumption in 2013.
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As can be observed in Figures 19, energy and oil consumption correlate with economic activity. Also it
can be shown that the most useful way to look at population based data structures is in a per capita
context.
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2000 Serbia
Belarus
Chinese Currency
Qatar
Revaluation, 2015
United Arab Emirates
Argentina
1600 Saudi Arabia
Indonesia
Australia
GFC, 2008
South Africa
1400 Egypt
Canada
Vietnam
Mexico
Ukraine
1200
Taiwan
Iran
Brazil
Turkey
1000 Russia
United Kingdom
Portugal
Luxembourg
800 Romania
Finland
Sweden
European Union
Czech Republic
Slovakia
600
Netherlands
Austria
Belgium
Spain
400 Poland
France
Italy
Germany
200 South Korea
United States
Japan
India
People's Republic of China
0
1967
1980
1990
2000
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Figure 20. Crude steel production in 1967, 1980, 1990, 2000 and from 2007 to 2018. All countries with annual production
of crude steel at least 2 million metric tons are listed.
(Source: based on data provided from World Steel Association)
22.12.2019
Figure 21. Chinese consumption of natural resources in 2015 as a fraction of global consumption
(Source: visualcapitalist.com) (Copyright: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/frequently-asked-questions/)
To prove the point that oil is connected to industrialization, global oil consumption is then examined
in context of industrial output. Figure 22 shows the global steel production plotted against global oil
consumption. There clearly is a correlation, but that correlation is interrupted by structural change as
an external influence. The years 2009 to 2014 correlate in a consistent relationship, then there was a
structural setback (possibly the end of the third round of Quantitative easing by the U.S. Federal bank
QE3). The years 2016 to 2018 have a similar gradient to 2009 to 2014. This suggests that oil
consumption can be used as a proxy for industrial activity when there is no global scale structural
change (like the Global Finance Crisis).
4700
Chinese Currency 2018
4600 2017
Global Oil Consumption (Mtoe)
Figure 22. Global oil consumption compared to global steel production. (Source: BP Statistical Review of the World
Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2011, World Steel Association)
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What is interesting is that 71% of steel is produced using coal. Oil has no clear relationship to its
production or application. Figure 23 shows global steel production to global coal consumption.
Compared to Figure 22, the relationship shown in Figure 23 is not nearly as smooth, while the same
structural changes can be seen.
2016 2017
3700
QE1 start,
3300 2007
Nov 2008
3200
1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900
Global crude steel production (million metric tons)
Figure 23. Global coal consumption compared to global steel production. (Source: BP Statistical Review of the World
Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2011, World Steel Association)
3900
20132014
3800
2011 2012
Global Coal Consumption (Mtoe)
2015 2018
QE1 start,
3600 2010 QE3 end,
Nov 2008
Oct 2014
3500 2008
2009 Chinese Currency
3400 GFC, 2008 Revaluation, Aug 2015
3300 2007
3200
3950 4050 4150 4250 4350 4450 4550 4650 4750
Global Oil Consumption (Mtoe)
Figure 24. Global oil consumption compared to global coal consumption. (Source: BP Statistical Review of the World
Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2011, World Steel Association)
22.12.2019
Figure 24 shows the relationship between oil consumption and coal consumption. This is not a linear
relationship. They are both vital energy fuels that do very different things. Note the change in
relationship when QE1 starts, and QE3 finishes.
Figure 25 and 26 shows the correlation relationship between the change in Chinese industrial output
(Year on Year % change) and a change in Brent oil price on the international market (Year on Year %
change).
Industrial activity represents real physical work, and the YOY % Industrial output is a measured index
of physical work done and goods manufactured by Chinese heavy industry. China dominates the
industrial activity in the global market, controlling the majority of mining, refining recycling and
manufacture (Wübbeke et al 2016). This means that a change in Chinese industrial activity is a useful
proxy for global industrial activity. Energy is the ability to do work, and the YOY % change in the price
of oil is a proxy for the stability of the energy system. A correlation between the two strongly supports
As can be observed these is a correlation. It can also be noted in Figures 27 and 28 that there is three
different time periods that have different signatures.
During the crash of 2008 (Global Financial Crisis), there is a strong correlation as both indexes dip
sharply followed by temporary recovery (this signature is the most prominent in the whole data set
from 1991 to 2018), followed by a steady decrease. Prior to the GFC crash in 2008, there is a second
time period where the two indexes correlate (but not as strongly). The relation between the two
proxies is clearly involving multiple parameters. After the GFC is a third time period were the two
indexes do not correlate at all. The change in Chinese industrial output decreases steadily, where the
change in oil price does not. This is another signature of the contraction of the real economy.
On August 11, 2015, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) conducted three consecutive devaluations of
the yuan renminbi or yuan (CNY), removing over 3% off its value. Between 2005 and 2015, China’s
currency had appreciated 33% against the U.S. dollar, and the first devaluation marked the most
significant single drop in 20 years (Investopedia 2019).
This is significant as in Figures 25 and 26, there is a crash in the YOY % change in the average monthly
Brent oil spot price in 2015. This crash is of similar size to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). At a similar
time, the industrial Baltic Dry Index (The Baltic Dry Index or BDI measures how much it costs to ship
"dry" commodities in the international market — raw materials like grain and steel) crashed to an all-
time low of 291 in February 12th 2016 (Bloomberg BDIY Quote 2019). So Chinese industrial output,
the price of oil, and the global maritime trade of dry goods all had a signature in 2015 as significant as
the GFC in 2008. This happened just as the U.S. Federal Reserve 3rd Quantitative Easing program (QE3)
ended. The Baltic Dry Index has been used as a leading indicator for an economic slowdown (Martin
2016). Economic slowdowns are a signature of what the industrial ecosystem is doing. Oil is a
fundamental raw material supply to the industrial ecosystem at all scales. Thus while the BDI is a
lagging signature in context of the oil market, it is still useful in mapping outcomes.
This suggests a structural move happened in the global economy in 2015 that significantly affected the
real economy (the production of physical goods and services as opposed to financial products like
derivatives).
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18
16
14
12
10
Financial Crisis
Oct 2010
Apr 2010
Global
Global Oct 2009
Financial Crisis Apr 2009
Oct 2008
(Credit Markets) Apr 2008
Oct 2007
Apr 2007
Oct 2006
Apr 2006
Oct 2005
Apr 2005
Oct 2004
Apr 2004
Brent Spot Monthly Average YOY% Difference
Chinese Industrial Output YOY % Difference
Oct 2003
Apr 2003
Oct 2002
Dotcom Apr 2002
Bubble Oct 2001
(Tech markets) Apr 2001
Oct 2000
Pre - GFC
Apr 2000
Oct 1999
Apr 1999
Oct 1998
Asian
Apr 1998
Financial Crisis Oct 1997
(Emerging markets) Apr 1997
Oct 1996
Apr 1996
Oct 1995
Apr 1995
Oct 1994
Apr 1994
Early 1990’s Oct 1993
recession Apr 1993
Oct 1992
Apr 1992
Oct 1991
Apr 1991
-0,5
-1,0
-1,5
1,0
0,5
0,0
Figure 25. Chinese Industrial output and the price of oil, 1991 - 2018
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China, Nasdaq Stock Exchange, https://www.nasdaq.com/markets/crude-oil-
brent.aspx)
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18
16
14
12
10
4
Jun 2019
Mar 2019
Dec 2018
Sep 2018
Jun 2018
Mar 2018
Dec 2017
Sep 2017
Jun 2017
Mar 2017
Dec 2016
Sep 2016
Dec 2009
Sep 2009
Global
Sep 2007
Start Jun 2007
Mar 2007
Dec 2006
Sep 2006
Jun 2006
-0,4
0,2
-0,2
-0,6
-0,8
-1,0
-1,2
-1,4
0,6
0,4
0,0
Figure 26. Chinese Industrial output and the price of oil, 2006 - 2018
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China, Nasdaq Stock Exchange, https://www.nasdaq.com/markets/crude-oil-
brent.aspx)
22.12.2019
Table 1. The 2017 list of Critical Raw Materials (Source: Deloitte et al 2017)
Figure 27 shows the Critical Raw material map that the European Commission has developed since
2010, for the minerals listed in Table 1.
This map was developed to study the possible mineral and metal supply shortages that could disrupt
the European industrial ecosystem. Without energy (the master resource) to facilitate the active of
actual work done, most of these minerals are irrelevant. These materials would simply be stored in
stockpiles of raw minerals. They have to be manufactured into something which requires energy to do
so.
Figure 28 shows a graphic the European Commission is using to describe and develop the Circular
Economy (European Commission 2019). In many of the meetings where the Circular Economy is
discussed in an exchange of ideas context, the CRM list in Table 1 is discussed, but the actual mining of
these minerals from primary sources is rarely discussed. The sourcing of these minerals and metals is
from market purchases and/or recycling of waste. Energy and energy resources (oil, gas, coal and
uranium) is not discussed at all. This was a policy decision taken in 2008 when the CRM list was first
assembled.
EI threshold (2.8)
Figure 27. The CRM map of economic importance and supply risk results of 2017 criticality assessment
(Source: Deloitte et al 2017) (Image: Tania Michaux)
Figure 28. The circular economy to develop the future European industrial ecosystem
(Source: EIT Raw Materials)
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Crude oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons that formed from plants and animals that lived millions of years
ago. Crude oil is a fossil fuel, and it exists in liquid form in underground pools or reservoirs, in tiny
spaces within sedimentary rocks, and near the surface in tar (or oil) sands. Petroleum products are
fuels made from crude oil and other hydrocarbons contained in natural gas. Petroleum products can
also be made from coal, natural gas, and biomass.
The internal combustion (IC) engine has been the dominant prime mover in our society since its
invention in the last quarter of the 19th century (Heywood 1988). Its purpose is to generate mechanical
power from the chemical energy contained in the fuel and released through combustion of the fuel
inside the engine. It is this specific point, that fuel is burned inside the work-producing part of the
engine.
Internal combustion engines are used in applications ranging from marine propulsion and power
generating sets with capacity exceeding 100 MW to hand-held tools where the power delivered is less
than 100 W (Heywood 1988). This implies that the size and characteristics of today's engines vary
widely between large diesels having cylinder bores exceeding 1,000 mm and reciprocating at speeds
as low as 100 rpm to small gasoline two-stroke engines with cylinder bores around 20 mm. Within
these two extremes lie medium-speed diesel engines, heavy-duty automotive diesels, truck and
passenger car engines, aircraft engines, motorcycle engines and small industrial engines. From all these
types, the passenger car gasoline and diesel engines have a prominent position since they are, by far,
the largest produced engines in the world; as such, their influence on social and economic life is of
paramount importance.
Figure 29. Internal combustion engines power most trucks and automobiles
(Source: Image by Monika Neumann LHS and Jan-Marco Gessinger RHS from Pixabay)
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Initially, kerosene, used for lighting and heating, was the principal product derived from petroleum.
However, the development of drilling technology for oil wells in mid-19th century America put the
petroleum industry on a new footing, leading to mass-consumption of petroleum as a highly versatile
fuel powering transportation in the form of automobiles, ships, airplanes and so on, applied to
generate electricity, used for heating and to provide hot water supplies. By 1919, gasoline sales
exceeded those of kerosene. Oil-powered ships, trucks and tanks, and military airplanes in World War
One proved the role of oil as not only a strategic energy source, but also a critical military asset.
The most common use of petroleum now is in the internal combustion engine, used across all
industries, especially transport. Petroleum products are used to propel vehicles, to heat buildings, and
to produce electricity. In the industrial sector, the petrochemical industry uses petroleum as a raw
material (a feedstock) to make products such as plastics, polyurethane, solvents, and hundreds of other
intermediate and end-user goods. Figure 30 shows the oil and oil product application in the European
Union.
Figure 30. Consumption of oil and petroleum products by industry EU-28, as of 2014
(Data Source: Eurostat) (Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items). One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates
19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make products similar to shown in Table 2.
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Table 2: Products that are made from petroleum products and oil derived products (Source: EIA)
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Petroleum products are made from crude oil and from natural gas processing, including gasoline,
distillate fuels (mostly diesel fuel), jet fuel, residual fuel oil, and propane. Biofuels refer to ethanol and
biodiesel. The form these uses take are:
Gasoline is used in cars, motorcycles, light trucks, and boats. Aviation gasoline is used in many types of airplanes.
Distillate fuels (diesel) are used mainly by trucks, buses, and trains and in boats and ships.
Jet fuel is used in jet airplanes and some types of helicopters.
Residual fuel oil is used in ships.
Biofuels are added to gasoline and diesel fuel.
Natural gas, as compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas, is used in cars, buses, trucks, and ships. Most of
the vehicles that use natural gas are in government and private vehicle fleets.
Natural gas is also used to operate compressors to move natural gas in pipelines.
Propane (a hydrocarbon gas liquid) is used in cars, buses, and trucks. Most of the vehicles that use propane are in
government and private vehicle fleets.
Electricity is used by public mass transit systems and by electric vehicles.
Table 3. Refined Petroleum Products (Source: OECD Data Statistics Database and Table 4)
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A known amount of the fuel is burned at constant pressure and under standard conditions (0°C and 1
bar) and the heat released is captured in a known mass of water in a calorimeter. If the initial and final
temperatures of the water is measured, the energy released can be calculated using the equation:
H = ΔT mCp Equation 1
where :
H = heat energy absorbed (in J)
ΔT = change in temperature (in °C)
m = mass of water (in g),
Cp = specific heat capacity (4.18 J/g°C for water)
The resulting energy value divided by grams of fuel burned gives the energy content (in J/g).
In terms of engineering material characterization, energy sources are differentiated between gross
and net heating values:
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Table 4 gives the gross and net heating value of fossil fuels as well as some alternative bio-based
fuels. Higher and lower calorific values for some common fuels - coke, oil, wood, hydrogen and
others.
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Table 4. Higher and Lower Calorific Values of fuels (Source: The Engineering Toolbox
https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fuels-higher-calorific-values-d_169.html )
Density Higher Heating Value (HHV) Lower Heating Value (LHV)
Fuel (Gross Calorific Value - GCV) (Net Calorific Value - NCV)
@0°C/32°F, 1 bar
Gaseous fuels [kg/m3] [g/ft3] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/m3] [Btu/ft3] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/m3] [Btu/ft3]
@15°C/60°F, 1
bar
Liquid fuels [kg/l] [g/gal] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/l] [Btu/gal] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/l] [Btu/gal]
Acetone 0,79 2,98 8,83 31,80 13671,00 25,00 89792,00 8,22 29,60 12726,00 23,30 83580,00
Butane 0,60 3,07 13,64 49,10 21109,00 29,50 105875,00 12,58 45,30 19475,00 27,20 97681,00
Butanol 0,80 10,36 37,30 16036,00 30,20 108359,00 9,56 34,40 14789,00 27,90 99934,00
Diesel fuel* 0,85 3,20 12,67 45,60 19604,00 38,60 138412,00 11,83 42,60 18315,00 36,00 129306,00
Dimethyl ether (DME) 0,67 2,52 8,81 31,70 13629,00 21,10 75655,00 8,03 28,90 12425,00 19,20 68973,00
Ethane 0,57 2,17 14,42 51,90 22313,00 29,70 106513,00 13,28 47,80 20550,00 27,30 98098,00
Ethanol (100%) 0,79 2,99 8,25 29,70 12769,00 23,40 84076,00 7,42 26,70 11479,00 21,10 75583,00
Diethyl ether (ether) 0,72 2,71 11,94 43,00 18487,00 30,80 110464,00
Gasoline (petrol)* 0,74 2,79 12,89 46,40 19948,00 34,20 122694,00 12,06 43,40 18659,00 32,00 114761,00
Gas oil (heating oil)* 0,84 3,18 11,95 43,00 18495,00 36,10 129654,00 11,89 42,80 18401,00 36,00 128991,00
Glycerin 1,26 4,78 5,28 19,00 8169,00 24,00 86098,00
Heavy fuel oil* 0,98 3,71 11,61 41,80 17971,00 41,00 146974,00 10,83 39,00 16767,00 38,20 137129,00
Kerosene* 0,82 3,11 12,83 46,20 19862,00 37,90 126663,00 11,94 43,00 18487,00 35,30 126663,00
Light fuel oil* 0,96 3,63 12,22 44,00 18917,00 42,20 151552,00 11,28 40,60 17455,00 39,00 139841,00
LNG* 0,43 1,62 15,33 55,20 23732,00 23,60 84810,00 13,50 48,60 20894,00 20,80 74670,00
LPG* 0,54 2,03 13,69 49,30 21195,00 26,50 94986,00 12,64 45,50 19561,00 24,40 87664,00
Marine gas oil* 0,86 3,24 12,75 445,90 19733,00 39,20 140804,00 11,89 42,80 18401,00 36,60 131295,00
Methanol 0,79 2,99 6,39 23,00 9888,00 18,20 65274,00 5,54 19,90 8568,00 15,80 56562,00
Methyl ester (biodiesel) 0,89 3,36 11,17 40,20 17283,00 35,70 128062,00 10,42 37,50 16122,00 33,30 119460,00
MTBE 0,74 2,81 10,56 38,00 16337,00 28,20 101244,00 9,75 35,10 15090,00 26,10 93517,00
* Fuels which consist of a mixture of several different compounds may vary in quality between seasons
and markets. The given values are for fuels with the given density. The variation in quality may give
heating values within a range 5 -10% higher and lower than the given value. Also the solid fuels will have
a similar quality variation for the different classes of fuel.
22.12.2019
Diesel engines work by compressing only the air. This increases the air temperature inside the cylinder
to such a high degree that atomized diesel fuel injected into the combustion chamber ignites
spontaneously. With the fuel being injected into the air just before combustion, the dispersion of the
fuel is uneven; this is called a heterogeneous air-fuel mixture.
The diesel engine has the highest thermal efficiency (engine efficiency) of any practical internal or
external combustion engine due to its very high expansion ratio and inherent lean burn which enables
heat dissipation by the excess air. Diesel engines, large capacity industrial engines, deliver efficiencies
in the range of 35 – 42 % (Kiameh 2013).
While diesel fuel is mainly used for transport applications, a small portion of it is used for electric power
generation. As of July 2018, global fuel oil power generation capacity was 255.8 GW (Global Energy
Observatory 2018).
In most petrol engines, the fuel and air are usually mixed after compression (although some modern
petrol engines now use cylinder-direct petrol injection). The pre-mixing was formerly done in a
carburetor, but now it is done by electronically controlled fuel injection, except in small engines where
the cost/complication of electronics does not justify the added engine efficiency (Kiameh 2013).
Modern gasoline engines have a maximum thermal efficiency of about 25% to 50% when used to power
a car.
The term "jet engine" is commonly used only for air breathing jet engines. These typically feature a
rotating air compressor powered by a turbine, with the leftover power providing thrust through the
propelling nozzle – this process is known as the Brayton thermodynamic cycle (Kiameh 2013). Jet
aircraft use such engines for long-distance travel.
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Jet engines use a number of rows of fan blades to compress air which then enters a combustor where
it is mixed with fuel (typically JP fuel) and then ignited. The burning of the fuel raises the temperature
of the air which is then exhausted out of the engine creating thrust. A modern turbofan engine can
operate at as high as a range of 36 - 48% efficiency (Griggs et al 2014).
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Figure 32: How NPK fertilizer was marketed as part of the petrochemical Green Revolution. Test cropping in 1940s
Tennessee Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum
(Source: Faradji & de Boer 2016).
(Copyright: Public Domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TVA_Results_of_Fertilizer.gif)
In summary, petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides are needed to ensure a constantly high level of
crop yields. These, in turn, are necessary to meet the world's food demand and provide a living for the
farmer engaging in planting and harvesting the crops. Most of the fertilizers consumed have phosphate
rock as their primary ingredient. Currently, for every calorie of food consumed, there was 10 calories
of fossil fuel energy consumed to create and deliver that food (Ruppert 2004, Martenson 2011 and
Turner 2008).
Vast amounts of oil and gas are used as raw materials and energy in the manufacture of fertilizers and
pesticides, and as cheap and readily available energy at all stages of food production: from planting,
irrigation, feeding and harvesting, through to processing, distribution and packaging. In addition, fossil
fuels are essential in the construction and the repair of equipment and infrastructure needed to
facilitate this industry, including farm machinery, processing facilities, storage, ships, trucks and roads.
The industrial food supply system is one of the biggest consumers of fossil fuels.
Figure 33 shows the FAO Food Price Index (an index used by the World Bank to model a basket of food
based commodities in the production of food at a global scale) and the North Sea Brent Oil price.
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270
250
Food Price Index (PFOOD) GFC
Metals Price Index (PMETA) End QE3
230
Crude Oil Price Index (POILAPSP)
Index value, Indexed to average of year 2005 = 100
210
190
170
150
130
110
90
70
50
Start QE1
30
2000M1
2000M8
2001M3
2001M10
2002M5
2002M12
2003M7
2004M2
2004M9
2005M4
2005M11
2006M6
2007M1
2007M8
2008M3
2008M10
2009M5
2009M12
2010M7
2011M2
2011M9
2012M4
2012M11
2013M6
2014M1
2014M8
2015M3
2015M10
2016M5
2016M12
Figure 33. Correlation between global food price, metal price and crude oil
(Source: IMF Primary Commodity Price System, http://www.imf.org/external/np/res/commod/External_Data.xls)
As can be seen, industrial agriculture food production (Food price Index) strongly correlates with the
oil price index (which reflects demand). Initially, the concept of food being dependent on oil seems
counter intuitive. For every calorie of food that is produced in the United States, 10 calories of fossil
fuel energy are put into the system to grow that food in terms of production, storage and transport
(Green 1978, Canning et al. 2017). Figure 34 shows how this happens. This is a systems modelling
approach to examine and model farming. The words in red show the sections that depend on fossil
fuels either directly (consumption of diesel fuel) or indirectly (consumption of electricity generated
from fossil fuels).
The manufacture of phosphate to make petrochemical fertilizer is also dependent on oil and gas (Green
1978). Phosphate rock first has to be mined then refined. This requires energy as well, including oil
and gas.
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System boundaries
Another Farm
System Inputs Outputs
Throughputs
Phosphate Feed for Milk
livestock
Oil & gas Finance Beef
products Fertilisers Fossil fuel
directly driven
Oil & gas Lamb
Farm transport
Fossil fuels products
System Cheese
power directly
Electricity
generation Electricity Eggs (fossil fuel)
Farm
refrigeration
Fossil fuel Machinery
Labour Fruit
driven
transport Hot
water Vegetables
There is however a complication in the analysis of food to oil correlation. What was considered arable
agricultural land for food production is now being diverted to the production of biofuels (Muller et al.
2007).
Food versus fuel is the dilemma regarding the risk of diverting farmland or crops for biofuels production
to the detriment of the food supply. The biofuel and food price debate involves wide-ranging views,
and is a long-standing, controversial one in the literature. There is disagreement about the significance
of the issue, what is causing it, and what can or should be done to remedy the situation. This complexity
and uncertainty is due to the large number of impacts and feedback loops that can positively or
negatively affect the price system. Moreover, the relative strengths of these positive and negative
impacts vary in the short and long terms, and involve delayed effects. The academic side of the debate
is also blurred by the use of different economic models and competing forms of statistical analysis.
Direct competition
Competition in
Competition in food domestic demand
Indirect competition
related demand
(Food use, free use, Processed
food use, Other industrial use
Competition in Direct competition
and others)
international
Competition
demand Indirect competition
between biofuels
and food
Competition in natural
and agricultural Direct competition
resources (Land, Water,
Fertilizer, Pesticide, Indirect competition
Agricultural machinery,
Labour, Capital and others)
Figure 35. Competition between biofuels and food for arable land use
22.12.2019
Biofuel production has increased in recent years. Some commodities like maize (corn), sugar cane or
vegetable oil can be used either as food, feed, or to make biofuels. For example, since 2006, a portion
of land that was also formerly used to grow other crops in the United States is now used to grow corn
for biofuels, and a larger share of corn is destined to ethanol production, reaching 25% in 2007. Second
generation biofuels could potentially combine farming for food and fuel and moreover, electricity could
be generated simultaneously, which could be beneficial for developing countries and rural areas in
developed countries.
With global demand for biofuels on the increase due to the oil price increases taking place since 2003
and the desire to reduce oil dependency as well as reduce GHG emissions from transportation, there
is also fear of the potential destruction of natural habitats by being converted into farmland.
Environmental groups have raised concerns about this trade-off for several years, but now the debate
reached a global scale due to the 2007–2008 world food price crisis. On the other hand, several studies
do show that biofuel production can be significantly increased without increased acreage.
However, the ERoEI ratio for biofuels makes this an irrelevant issue, as shown in Figure 198. Biofuels
are not a credible energy source to replace fossil fuels (usually oil is the target product for substitution).
In December 2007, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) calculated that
world food prices rose 40% in 12 months prior, and the price hikes affected all major biofuel feedstocks,
including sugarcane, corn, rapeseed oil, palm oil, and soybeans. On 17 December 2007, the
International Herald Tribune quoted FAO head Jacques Diouf warning of “a very serious risk that fewer
people will be able to get food,” particularly in the developing world. In the summary proceedings of
the First FAO Technical Consultation Bioenergy and Food Security, held in April 2007 in Rome, authors
from a group of UN agencies cautioned that “possible income gains to producers due to higher
commodity prices may be offset by negative welfare effects on consumers, as their economic access
to food is compromised.” (“Welfare” here refers to standard of living, not government payments.)
Studies have found that there is a close correlation between global food prices and the incidence of
riots in North Africa and the Middle East (Figure 36) (Lagi et al. 2011). In 2008 more than 60 riots
occurred worldwide in 30 different countries during a peak in food prices. After declining temporarily
in 2009 (mirroring the fall in oil price), even higher prices at the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011
coincided with additional food riots as well as the larger protests and revolts that have become
popularly known as the Arab Spring. In contrast, there were relatively few incidents of collective
violence when food prices were low. (This does not include incidence of rioting in China, or the food
index data from China in these time periods).
Incidence of civil unrest and instances of political violence seem to becoming more frequent. It can be
argued that this increasing frequency and impact is linked to a range of trends showing growing
complex interdependencies (Ahmed 2016).
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A previous study found the identical pattern in the British Isles in the 1800’s, with peaks of civil unrest
in 1800 1810, 1815 correlating with peaks in food price (Johnson 2011, Archer 2000). In nearly all cases
the riots were preceded by a sharp rise in price and once the price fell the incidence of riots fell with
it. This isn't to suggest that wheat price alone was the cause, or that a rise in price always resulted in a
riot. But it does suggest that the two were correlated and that a rise in food price promoted the same
kind of social discord that lay behind incidents of collective violence.
To put the peaks seen in Figure 36 and Archer 2000 context, the dates are compared to a global study
of civil unrest. Lloyd’s Risk Advisory published a report on political violence in a global context between
1950 and 2013 (Wilkinson 2016). They identified three sub-categories of civil unrest.
Type A - Anti-imperialist, independence movements, removing occupying force
Type B - Mass pro-reform protests against national government
Type C - Armed insurrection, insurgency, secessionist, may involve ideology (e.g. Marxism,
Islamism)
Type C (armed insurrection, insurgency, secessionist, may involve ideology) appears to represent by
far the most contagious form of political violence (although this may also reflect the wider trend of civil
conflict representing by far the most prevalent form of armed conflict today). Type B (mass pro-reform
protests against national governments) pandemics tend to be more cyclical and occur in spikes, and
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appear to precede the incidence of Type C outbreaks or, in other words, popular mass uprisings may
trigger or at least contribute to the spread of armed insurrections.
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Figures 37, 38 and 39 show all the recorded incidents of civil unrest (unclear if all China examples are
included). This suggests that the incidents of civil interest shown in Figures 37 are of Type B, which
spiked in 2011 at a much greater rate than any other part of the data set. So the civil unrest correlating
with the rising cost of food are the largest seen in decades, and are driven by public dissatisfaction with
their governments. In speculation, the rioters were demanding a change in behavior from their
governments that would fix the rising cost of food.
For some time now there has been widespread civil unrest in China, which has not been reported in
the Western media due to state imposed controls by the People’s Republic of China government. The
cause of the civil unrest in China could be due to a number of factors, the severity of which are unknown
outside China.
Figure 40 shows two possible interactions between oil, food and civil unrest. The blue labels show the
interaction that created the peaks seen in Figures 33 and 36. The blue label interaction is what would
happen while oil is available but the oil price rises.
The green labels in Figure 40 show an interaction in context of the concepts develop later in this report
(Figures 260, 276 and 277). This could happen when oil price drops due to market consumers unable
to support a higher price. This would case a chain reaction of oil producers not able to produce, which
leads to the needed volume of oil not being supplied to the market, including food producers, where
the oil price is unable in increase high enough.
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Figure 40. Two possible interactions between oil, food production and civil unrest
So in summary, currently:
Lack of food = civil unrest
Currently, oil = food
In some cases food is replaced by an oil substitute (ethanol)
Oil price directly correlates to society to function in terms of capability to supply food
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Figure 41. Food security levels in the face of high food prices
(Source: Bingxin Yu et al 2009)
(Copyright license: © 2018 International Food Policy Research Institute http://www.ifpri.org/copyright ,
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ )
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Already a major component of the global energy system, the importance of petrochemicals is growing
even more. Demand for plastics – the most familiar of petrochemical products – has outpaced all other
bulk materials (such as steel, aluminum or cement), nearly doubling since the start of the millennium.
The United States, Europe, and other advanced economies currently use up to 20 times as much plastic
and up to 10 times as much fertilizer as India, Indonesia, and other developing economies on a per
capita basis, underscoring the huge potential for growth worldwide (IEA 2018b).
Chemicals produced from oil and gas make up around 90% of all raw materials, which are known as
feedstocks; the rest comes from coal and biomass (Figure 45). About half of the petrochemical sector’s
energy consumption consists of fuels used as raw materials to provide the molecules to physically
construct products. The growing role of petrochemicals is one of the key “blind spots” in the global
energy debate. The diversity and complexity of this sector means that petrochemicals receive less
attention than other sectors, despite their rising importance.
The raw materials for most plastic resins are found in fossil fuels, predominantly natural gas and oil
resources (ACC 2015). While an increasing share of plastic resins are made with bio-based materials
from plants and algae, fossil fuels continue to provide the vast majority of hydrocarbon raw materials,
called feedstocks, for plastic resins.
These feedstocks are broken down to create the building blocks that are recombined into plastic resins.
Nearly three-quarters of U.S. plastic resin feedstock is derived from natural gas and natural gas liquids
(NGLs). Roughly a quarter of feedstock comes from petroleum-based feedstocks.
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OilderivedOil
derived derived products
products Natural
Naturalgas
gas gas
derived products Note: petrochemicals
derived products
Oil products Natural derived products includes process energy
(global) (global)
(global) (global) (global)
(global) and feedstock
Figure 44. Primary oil (LHS) and natural gas (RHS) demand in 2017 by sector
(Source: IEA 2018 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2018)
(Copyright License: https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
Feedstocks from natural gas liquids include ethane and propane that are especially important for
petrochemical (and plastic resin) manufacturing.
Plastics are often produced from natural gas, feedstocks derived from natural gas processing, and
feedstocks derived from crude oil refining. Petrochemical feedstock naphtha and other oils refined
from crude oil are used as feedstock for petrochemical crackers that produce the basic building blocks
for making plastics. However, the petrochemical industry also consumes large quantities of
hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL), which may be produced by petroleum refineries or natural gas
processing plants.
There are several key building block chemicals that are used to produce plastic resins. These building
block chemicals are linked together to form long chains called polymers. Each polymer has its own
portfolio of performance characteristics (i.e., strength, permeability, etc.). One of the most prevalent
and largest-volume building block chemicals is ethylene. Ethylene is used to produce thousands of
products, including plastic resins such as polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene
terephthalate (PET).
Another important building block chemical for resin production is propylene. Ethylene is a critical
feedstock for the production of polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene terephthalate
(PET), and polystyrene, which combined represent approximately 61% of global plastics production by
weight. Propylene is the platform chemical for polypropylene. Therefore, the overwhelming majority
of plastics can be traced to the product streams of just two industrial chemicals: ethylene and
propylene (European Union 2018, A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy).
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Until recently, most propylene was produced in oil refineries as a byproduct of fuel production. With
shale gas, supplies of propane (a natural gas liquid) have become abundant. New technologies have
emerged to convert propane into propylene which, like ethylene, has many uses, including the resin
polypropylene (PP). Packaging is the leading end-use of plastic consumption globally (Figure 45). The
most important types of plastic by volume are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene. Multiple
feedstocks can be utilized to make the same product, but with significant variations between the
amount of input required (Figure 46).
Figure 45. Estimated consumption of plastic by end-use sector (LHS) and resin (RHS)
(Source: Geyer et al 2017 and IEA 2018)
(Copyright License: https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
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Because energy resources—which account for up to 70% of total costs for plastic resin producers—are
the primary raw materials to make plastic resins, the price of energy feedstocks is critical to the global
competitiveness of plastic resin producers. In the case of ethylene, ethane is the predominant
feedstock in the U.S. In Europe and Asia, producers use naphtha, an oil-based feedstock. Ultimately,
because the price of ethylene is effectively the same across the world, the competitiveness of one
region over the other depends on the relative price of these feedstocks. Thus, the spread (difference)
between naphtha and ethane prices is key to understanding petrochemical competiveness.
Oil products used as chemical feedstock may come from refinery operations or NGL fractionation. In
volume terms, oil demand for chemical feedstock is dominated globally by the fractionation products
of NGLs. Refineries do not produce ethane to any meaningful extent, and their LPG yields are typically
below 5%. Thus, ethane, which accounts for almost a third of all chemical feedstock, and most of the
LPG used as chemical feedstock, are supplied by NGL fractionation plants. In contrast, refineries
provide the bulk of heavier feedstocks, including naphtha, which is the most popular feedstock, and
other distillates. Average refinery naphtha yields are around 7%.
The proportion of chemical feedstocks sourced from refineries is limited, not only because an average
barrel of crude oil contains only a limited amount of light fractions (LPG), but also because of
competition for straight-run yields of light distillates (naphtha) for gasoline blendstocks, to supplement
that part coming from the upgrading of residual oils. Moreover, LPG and naphtha usually have negative
margins (i.e. priced lower than crude oil), discouraging refineries from increasing their yields.
Petrochemicals are rapidly becoming the largest driver of global oil consumption. They are set to
account for more than a third of the growth in oil demand to 2030, and nearly half to 2050, ahead of
trucks, aviation and shipping (IEA 2018b). Petrochemicals are also predicted to consume an additional
56 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas by 2030, equivalent to about half of Canada’s total gas
consumption today. Approximately 190 Mt of chemicals, two-thirds of which are HVCs, are also
produced as byproducts in the refining sector, making their way into the chemical sector for further
processing. The remainder of these refinery chemicals, butylene – also produced as a co-product in
steam cracking within the chemical sector – is used for various fuel applications and forms the base of
most synthetic rubber.
Approximately 12 million barrels per day (mb/d) of oil products, 105 billion cubic metres (bcm) of
natural gas and 80 million tonnes (Mt) of coal enter the sector as feedstock and undergo a complex
series of chemical transformations, eventually leaving the sector embedded in chemical products.
• More than 90% of the oil – mostly in the form of ethane or naphtha – entering the chemical sector as feedstock is
transformed into high-value chemicals (HVCs). Very small amounts are used for methanol and ammonia
production, with the rest being used for other chemicals, notably, carbon black.
• About 25% of gas demand for chemical feedstock is used to produce methanol, with the majority of the rest used
to produce ammonia.
• Coal feedstock usage is split in fairly even proportions across methanol and ammonia.
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More than 500 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) of feedstock is consumed per year to make
approximately 1 billion tonnes of chemical products. Oil is the dominant feedstock for HVC’s whereas
gas and coal are used for ammonia and methanol.
Nitrogen fertilizers, plastics, synthetic fibers and rubber account for more than 70% of the total mass
production of chemicals. The remainder of the products consist of a host of monomers and other
intermediate chemicals that go on to be transformed into thousands of small volume downstream
chemicals and products. The complexity at the margins in the chemical sector is hard to overstate.
Figure 47 shows the passage of fossil fuels through the global plastics industry. Figure 48 shows a more
complex picture in how plastics relate and compare to fertilizer manufacture.
Globally in 2017, recycling of major plastic resins is estimated to have reached 16% of available waste,
while global production capacity of bio-plastics stood at just over 2 Mt (European Bioplastics, 2018)
(the latter equivalent to less than 1% of annual global plastic demand, if fully utilized). Theoretically,
the chemical sector could do without fossil fuels altogether, but feedstock containing carbon and
hydrogen will remain a requirement (IEA 2018b).
There are alternatives to making plastics from fossil fuels. They are not nearly as effective but they are
economically viable. Oil produced from pyrolysis of plastics have been known for its higher calorific
value than wood-based oil, in which comparable to conventional diesel. Even though many studies
have been conducted on pyrolysis of plastics, the findings of those studies are not applied and reported
yet according to the real portion of plastic waste.
A variety of carbon- and hydrogen-containing materials can replace oil, natural gas and coal as chemical
feedstocks (IEA 2018b). Key among these are bioenergy products, which are a source of both carbon
and hydrogen. Alternatively, each element can be sourced separately, for instance from gases arising
from the iron and steel industry (e.g. coke oven gas (COG)) or from CO2 and water. The main advantage
of alternative feedstocks is that they can offer a net reduction in
CO2 emissions – process emissions during production and end-of-life emissions – relative to traditional
feedstocks. The reductions stem from the fact that these substances would have otherwise gone
unutilized (even if originally sourced from fossil fuels), or because they are renewable and therefore
do not contribute to accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere (on a long-term basis).
While not all fossil fuels are used to make plastic, all (or virtually all) plastic is made from fossil fuels.
In addition, the largest players in each industry — DowDuPont, ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, and
Sinopec — are all integrated companies that produce both fossil fuels and plastics.
There is no accepted viable substitution for plastics in current technology nor the fossil fuel feedstocks
to make them.
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Figure 47. Passage of fossil fuel feedstock through the petrochemical industry in 2017
(Source: IEA 2018b, The Future of Plastics)
(Copyright License: https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
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Figure 48. Sankey diagram depicting the passage of feedstock through the chemical sector: from fossil fuel feedstocks to
chemical products. NGLs: Natural gas liquids, N-fertilizers: Nitrogenous fertilizers. (Source: Levi & Cullen 2018)
(Copyright License: https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
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According to the composition of the crude oil and depending on the demands of the market, refineries
can produce different shares of petroleum products. The largest share of oil products is used as "energy
carriers", i.e. various grades of fuel oil and gasoline. These fuels include or can be blended to give
gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, heating oil, and heavier fuel oils. Heavier (less volatile) fractions can also
be used to produce asphalt, tar, paraffin wax, lubricating and other heavy oils.
Figure 49 and 50 shows world liquid consumption for the previous two years and a prediction for the
next two years. As can be seen it is expected that demand for petroleum products will continue to rise
for the next few years.
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Figure 49. World liquid fuels consumption million barrels per day (LHS), Components of annual change million barrels per
day (RHS) (Source: EIA 2019) (Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Figure 50. Annual change in world liquids fuels consumption, million barrels a day (Source: EIA 2019)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
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Table 6. Net imports pf selected petroleum products, EU-28, years 1990-2017 (Source: Eurostat, online data code
nrg_bal_c)
Import dependency on oil is calculated as the ratio of net imports (imports minus exports) to gross
inland energy consumption (but including international maritime bunkers) of crude oil and petroleum
products. Positive values over 100 % indicate a stock build, while negative dependency rates indicate
a net exporter country.
To determine the industrial sectors that are dependent on petroleum product imports, Eurostat
developed the concept of Sectorial oil dependency rate. Sectoral oil dependency refers to the ratio of
oil consumption in a specific sector to the total fuel consumption of that sector. The dependence on
oil for transport and for fishing is the highest of all sectors, although both decreased in 2017 compared
with 1990 (see Table 7). However, the industry sector, residential and services have decreasing
dependency rates towards 11-10 % dependency on oil.
Table 7. Sectoral oil dependency, EU-28, years 1990-2017 (Source: Eurostat, online data code nrg_bal_c)
Imports of crude oil are by far the most important component of trade in oil statistics. The imports of
crude oil are complemented by imports of already manufactured petroleum products such as:
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The EU-28 also exports manufactured petroleum products to third countries. In 2017, EU-28 exported
57.9 million tonnes of motor gasoline and 15.7 million tonnes of fuel oil. Trade of other petroleum
products (lubricants, bitumen, other hydrocarbons, etc.) is of a smaller magnitude and in 2017 resulted
in net exports of 9.5 million tonnes (Source: Eurostat). Figures 51 to 59 show the petroleum product
import, use and consumption in Europe.
300 EU candidate
countries
Norway
250
Other EU-28
200
Italy
150
Romania
100
Denmark
50
United Kingdom
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Source: Eurostat (online data code: nrg_bal_c)
Figure 53. Primary production of crude oil, 1990-2017
(Source: Eurostat – online data code: nrg_bal_c) (Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Figure 54. EU-28 Oil import dependency in 2017 (% of net imports in gross available energy based on tonnes of oil
equivalent)
(Source: Eurostat – online data code: nrg_ind_id) (Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Crude oil imports by country of origin, EU-28, 2000-2017
(million tonnes)
700
Other countries
600 Azerbaijan
Libya
500
(million tonnes)
Iran
400 Nigeria
Saudi Arabia
300
Kazakhstan
200
Iraq
100 Norway
Russia
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
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Figures 56 shows how much energy from each source was used over time and the application the
energy sources were consumed. Note that crude oil was used for power generation (the red unit).
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Final energy consumption of petroleum products, EU-28, 1990-2017
(million tonnes of oil equivalent)
500
450
(million tonnes of oil equivalent)
250 Kerosene-type
jet fuel
200 Liquified
petroleum gas
150
Motor gasoline
100
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Use of fuels in transport, EU-28, 1990-2017
(million tonnes of oil equivalent)
250
200
(million tonnes oil equivalent)
150
100
50
0
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Gas oil and diesel oil Motor gasoline Renewables & biofuels
Kerosene-type jet fuel Liquefied petroleum gases Electricity
Natural gas
2,62%
Transportation
23,96% Industrial
Residential
Commercial
Electric power
70,56%
Figure 60. U.S. petroleum consumption by sector and share of total in 2017
(Source: EIA – Crude Oil and Petroleum products)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
22.12.2019
Figure 61. Petroleum product consumption by sector in the United States 1949 -2018
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration – monthly energy review July 2019)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Figure 60 shows the proportion of use for the petroleum products consumed by sector in 2017 in the
United States. Figure 61 shows the petroleum products consumed in the U.S. between 1949 and 2018,
by industrial sector. Figure 62 shows the proportion of use for the petroleum products consumed in
the United States, by product. Figure 63 use for the petroleum products consumed between 1949 and
2018 in the United States, by product.
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(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review, Table 3.5)
Petroleum Products Supplied by Type in United States
Figure 63. Petroleum products consumed in the United States. Data in Appendix B
25 000 000
Other Petroleum Products Supplied
1958
1949
1952
1955
1961
1964
1967
1970
1973
1976
1979
1982
1985
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
2009
2012
2015
2018
Asphalt and Road Oil Product Supplied
Geological Survey of Finland Oil from a CRM Perspective 65/497
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In 2018, of the approximately 7.5 billion barrels of total U.S. petroleum consumption, 46% was motor
gasoline (includes fuel ethanol), 20% was distillate fuel (heating oil and diesel fuel), and 8% was jet fuel
(Source: EIA- Petroleum products and their applications). These petroleum products accounted for
about 92% of the total U.S. transportation sector energy use. Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel,
contributed about 5%. Natural gas accounted for about 3%, most of which was used in natural gas
pipeline compressors. Electricity provided less than 1% of total transportation sector energy use and
nearly all of that in mass transit systems. Distillate fuels, mostly diesel, accounted for 23%, and jet fuel
for 12%. Where:
In 2018, gasoline was the dominant transportation fuel in the United States, followed by distillate fuels (mostly
diesel fuel) and jet fuel.
Gasoline includes aviation gasoline and motor gasoline.
Motor gasoline includes petroleum gasoline and fuel ethanol added to petroleum gasoline.
Fuel ethanol includes ethanol (a biofuel) and petroleum denaturants.
The petroleum component of gasoline (excluding ethanol) accounted for 54% of total U.S. transportation energy
use in 2018.
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4 OIL DEMAND
Most of energy generated is supported by a nonrenewable natural resource as a fuel. Currently we
are a petroleum dominated society (Martenson 2011, Ruppert 2007, Tainter 1988), with a heavily
dependency on other fossil fuels like gas and coal. Nuclear power is no different. It requires uranium
to be mined then refined. This is a finite resource like any other and has a limit (Zittel et al 2013).
Renewable power sources like photovoltaic solar require minerals to manufacture solar panels in vast
numbers. These minerals are also nonrenewable natural resources.
The different sources of energy are not equal in calorific content. Nor are they used in the same
applications. Transfer of energy source to power technology from one resource to another is often not
possible. With the exception of oil and to a lesser extent gas, once these energy resources are used to
generate power, those power stations have to run at a consistent supply to grid level or suffer
degradation in their infrastructure. Oil and gas are flexible in use, coal and nuclear are not.
The global resources consumed to produce energy is shown since the beginning the industrial
revolution (IR2 and IR3). The majority proportion of energy consumption has always been fossil fuels
and projected to be so in the future. Also note that the demand for the resources has been increasing
consistently in an exponential fashion (as opposed to our dependence decreasing).
Global energy consumption increased by 2.9% in 2018. Growth was the strongest since 2010 and
almost double the 10 year average. The demand for all fuels increased but growth was particularly
strong in the case of gas (168 mtoe, accounting for 43% of the global increase) and renewables (71
mtoe, 18% of the global increase) (BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019). Over the last decade,
world primary energy consumption grew at an average annual rate of 1.8 percent. It’s important to
note, that in per-capita terms the rate of energy growth has significantly slowed since the 1980s,
increasing at an average annual rate of 0.4% since that time, compared to 1.2% in the century prior
(Jancovici 2011).
Oil demand was reduced due to above ground influences. First there was the oil shocks of 1973 and
1979, which were geopolitically motivated, not geological constraints. Then, as a direct
consequence, alternative energy systems were developed, where a greater proportion of natural gas
and nuclear power derived energy were introduced into the energy system (substitution) and
efficiency gains was realized.
In 2005-2008, there was a third oil shock. This time, oil production did separate from oil supply
(conventional oil supply plateaued) and a speculative fueled price spike created a market crash,
resulting in demand destruction.
The situation for oil is particularly critical, especially given that it is by far the world’s major source of
liquid fuel, powering 95% of all transport. At this time, approximately 60–80% of conventional oil fields
are in terminal decline (Fustier et al. 2016).
If 80% of the 2018 global supply of crude oil (94 718 thousand bbls/day – Appendix D) declined at a
rate of 5% per year (Fustier et al 2016), by 2040, global crude oil supply would be 43 459 thousand
barrels per day. To maintain 2018 global production rates of 94 718 kbbls/day, an extra 51 258
kbbs/day of production would have to be delivered to the market. This is 4.17 times the 2018 Saudi
Arabian production rate (12 287 kbbls/day – Appendix D). Alternatively, if the Saudi Arabian elephant
field Ghawar continues to produce 3.8 million barrels a day, then an extra 13.5 new oil fields the same
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size of Ghawar would need to be discovered, then developed to operate by 2040, just to maintain 2018
rates of global supply.
If the projected global demand in 2040 is to be met (120 million barrels per day - EIA International
Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050), an extra 25 282 thousand barrels per day of consistent
production capacity would have to be found in addition to the 2018 production capacity. To put this
in perspective, this extra capacity would be a further 6.65 Ghawar fields.
In summary, to account for projected existing field decline (80% of existing reserves will decline at 5%
per year) and to account for predicted growth of global demand in 2040 (120 million barrels a day - EIA
International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050), a total of an additional 76 540 thousand
barrels per day (or another 20 new Ghawar fields) needs to be discovered and developed (stating with
exploiting existing reserves that are untapped).
Figure 64. Oil consumption demand in 2018. Consumption of biogasoline (such as ethanol), biodiesel and derivatives
of coal and natural gas are also included.
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
Figure 64 shows the market share for countries in 2018. The three main consumers are the United
States, European Union and China, accounting for 47.4% of the global market.
Figure 65 shows the oil consumption between 1965 and 2018. Figure 65 shows the 2018 market share
of consumption. Appendix C shows the oil consumption data between 1965 and 2018.
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Russian Federation
United Kingdom
Rest of World
United States
Saudi Arabia
Kazakhstan
Venezuela
Norway
Canada
Mexico
Kuwait
Japan
Qatar
China
Brazil
India
UAE
Iraq
Iran
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
China
Rest of World
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
U.S.
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
Oil Consumption
1997
European Union
1996
EU-28
1995
1994
Year
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
80 000
60 000
40 000
20 000
0
100 000
Figure 64 Oil consumption 1965 to 2018. Consumption of biogasoline (such as ethanol), biodiesel and derivatives of
coal and natural gas are also included.
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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To illustrate the point that oil consumption is linked to GDP, compare the proportions shown in Figure
66 (GDP of major economies) to Figure 65 (oil consumption of the major economies). Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced
in a specific time period, usually annually. GDP at purchaser's prices is the sum of gross value added by
all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in
the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated
assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in 2018 U.S. dollars. Note that 3
major GDP market values are the same countries as the 3 major oil consumers.
GDP in 2018
US
Rest of World
23,88%
31,11%
Russian
Federation
1,93% Brazil China
15,86%
2,18%
India
3,18% EU-28
21,86%
22.12.2019
Other forms of transport (trucks, aviation, marine and rail) consume in total more than LDVs, and although
substitution is happening, widespread disruption on the potential scale facing LDVs look far less achievable
(Michaux 2020). Demand growth prospects for both aviation and commercial trucks look extremely strong across
all the reference scenarios we assessed, driven mainly by non-OECD markets (Fustier et al 2016).
Petrochemicals demand currently accounts for around 13% of global oil demand and has been a key source of
growth; aggregate chemicals demand growth of ~50% (6mbd) by 2040 is probably feasible. All attempts to become
more efficient have not delivered a reduction in volume demand.
Figures 68 to 76 show the prediction for future demand for oil, liquids and petroleum products, as
published in the International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050 (EIA 2019 b). This is an
analysis of long-term world energy markets in sixteen regions through 2050.
Many of these figures show data for OECD countries separate to the non-OECD countries. The
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic
organization with 36 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world
trade.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook (IEO) Reference case
projections is not considered a predictions of what is most likely to happen, but rather they are
modeled projections under various alternative assumptions (EIA 2019 b). As stated in the EIA 2019
International Energy Outlook (IEO):
The Reference case reflects current trends and relationships among supply, demand, and
prices in the future. It is a reasonable baseline case to compare with cases that include
alternative assumptions about economic drivers, policy changes, or other determinants of
the energy system to estimate the potential impact of these assumptions.
Expected regional economic and demographic trends, based on the views of leading forecasters
Planned changes to infrastructure, both new construction and announced retirements
Assumed incremental cost and performance improvements in known technologies based on
historical trends
This case does not include some of the potential future changes:
22.12.2019
Changes to current policies as reflected in laws, regulations, and stated targets that indicate future
activity.
World primary energy consumption is projected (EIA 2019 reference case) to rise by approximately
50% between 2018 and 2050 (Figure 67).
1 000
history projections
non-OECD
800
600
400
200 OECD
0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 67. World primary energy consumption quadrillion British thermal units
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Figure 68 shows the predicted production of petroleum liquids by OPEC and non-OPEC group. Most of
the future production is predicted to be in non-OPEC countries, where non-OPEC countries produce
slightly more than half of crude oil output through the projection period, accounting for 55% of global
production in 2050 (EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050).
This predicted production of crude oil, lease condensate, natural gas plant liquids (NGPLs) and other
liquid fuels from 2018 to 2050, reaching 127 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2050, or about 30% more
than 2018 levels (EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050). This prediction has
global demand approximately 120 million barrels per day in 2040.
22.12.2019
Figure 68. World petroleum and other liquid fuels production million barrels per day
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Figure 69 shows predicted global energy demand by sector. As can be seen, the industrial sector is the
largest consumer of primary energy (accounting for more than half of demand).
Energy consumption by sector
quadrillion British thermal units
OECD non-OECD
450 450
history projections
400 400 residential
The industrial sector, which includes refining, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and construction,
accounts for the largest share of energy consumption of any end-use sector—more than 50% of end-
use energy consumption during the entire projection period. World industrial sector energy use
increases by more than 30% from 2018 to 2050, reaching about 315 quadrillion British thermal units
(Btu) by 2050.
22.12.2019
As shown in in Figure 69, most of the increase in industrial sector energy use occurs in non-OECD
nations. Industrial sector energy use in non-OECD countries grows by more than 1.0% per year in the
Reference case compared with an increase of 0.5% per year in OECD countries. The persistent pattern
of growth in energy demand being in non-OPEC countries, could be due to most industrial production
being in those countries. This implies that OPEC countries have largely become consumers, and are
now dependent on non-OPEC countries for supply of oil derived manufactured goods.
Transportation is the second largest sector of predicted primary energy demand. Liquid fuels, because
of energy density, cost, and chemical properties, continue to be the predominant transportation fuel
and an important industrial feedstock. The population growth in Africa, which nearly doubles from
2018 to 2050 in the Reference case, leads to an increase in travel demand and passenger vehicle travel.
10
history projections China
9 other non-OECD
8 Asia
India
7
6 United States
OECD Europe
5
4
3 Middle East
2 Africa
1
0
2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 2035 2040 2045 2050
Figure 70. Passenger vehicle travel (select regions) trillion vehicle miles traveled
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Figure 70 shows the predicted growth in passenger vehicles. Figure 71 shows the predicted growth in
light-duty vehicles.
22.12.2019
OECD non-OECD
1,8 1,8
Thousands
history projections history projections
1,6 1,6
electric
1,4 1,4
plug-in
1,2 1,2 hybrid
natural gas
1 1 diesel
0,8 0,8 motor
gasoline
0,6 0,6
0,4 0,4
liquefied
0,2 0,2 petroleum
0 0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
It is predicted that from 2018 to 2050, the light-duty vehicle fleet transitions from primarily gasoline
and diesel vehicles; by 2050, electricity and natural gas powers over one-third of the light-duty vehicle
fleet in the Reference case (EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050). Much of
the decline in diesel consumption in OECD countries comes as Europe gradually transitions from diesel
powered light-duty vehicles to electric vehicles. Because stocks reflect existing vehicles, the rate of
growth in vehicle stocks is lower than that of new vehicle sales. Many regions, including non-OECD
Europe and Eurasia, the Middle East, and Africa, maintain mostly petroleum-fueled light-duty fleets
throughout the projection period. These regions continue to operate largely gasoline and diesel vehicle
fleets because of many reasons, such as cost, infrastructure, climate, and geography.
The worldwide transportation sector is predicted to account for 59% of total end-use sector liquid fuels
(residual fuel oil, diesel, motor gasoline, and jet fuel) consumption in 2050 (EIA International Energy
Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050). This is about the same as in 2018. Within the transportation
sector, the use of refined petroleum and other liquid fuels is predicted to continue to increase through
2050, but its share decreases from 94% to about 82% as alternative fuel use slowly increases. Motor
gasoline, including biofuel additives such as ethanol, remains the primary fuel for transportation
purposes, accounting for 32% of the world’s transportation-related energy use in 2050. A continuing
global rise in air travel demand leads to jet fuel consumption more than doubling from 2018 to 2050.
The EIA predicts that global liquid fuels demand will increase by more than 20% between 2018 and
2050, with total consumption reaching more than 240 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) in 2050.
Finished petroleum products such as motor gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel are increasingly consumed in
the transportation sector. Other liquids are also consumed in large quantities, including natural gas
plant liquids (NGPL) as an industrial feedstock.
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OECD non-OECD
120 120
history projections history projections
electricity
100 100 natural gas
80 80 motor
gasoline
60 60
jet fuel
40 40
diesel
20 20
residual
0 0 fuel oil
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
250 250
history projections history projections
transportation
200 200
150 150
non-OECD
100 100
OECD industrial
50 50
residential
0 0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 73. Petroleum and other liquids consumption British thermal units
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Figures 74 and 75 show predicted global consumption of petroleum products. Non-OECD countries
account for nearly all growth in liquid fuels consumption between 2018 and 2050, as growing
populations and expanding economies increasingly consume energy. Non-OECD liquid fuels
consumption increases 45% during the projection period, growing from 108 quadrillion Btu in 2018 to
156 quadrillion Btu by 2050. Non-OECD Asia accounts for about three-quarters of the global increase
22.12.2019
in liquid fuels consumption. India, in particular, experiences rapid industrial growth and increased
demand for motorized transportation.
160 160
history projections China
history projections
140 140
100 100
other Asia
80 Asia 80
Europe 60 Middle East
60
40 Americas 40 Africa
Europe
20 20 and Eurasia
Americas
0 0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 74. World petroleum and other liquid fuels consumption British thermal units
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
OECD non-OECD
160 160
history projections history projections
140 transportation
140
120 120
100 100
80 transportation 80
60 60 industrial
40 industrial 40
20 buildings 20 buildings
electric electric
0 0
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Figure 75. Refined petroleum and other liquids consumption by sector British thermal units
(Source: EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Across the range of the demand scenarios studied (HSBC 2016), none of the “reference cases” (that
the banking finance sector use to manage capital investment) point to a peak in oil demand through
the forecasting period (to 2040), and even the most conservative of these studies points to 2040 global
demand more than 8mbd above that of 2015. The broad consensus amongst energy commentators
22.12.2019
and forecasters is that global oil demand is likely to continue growing for a period, driven by rising
prosperity in fast-growing developing economies.
Ideally, that pace of growth is likely to slow overtime and eventually plateau, as efficiency
improvements accelerate and a combination of technology advances, policy measures and changing
social preferences lead to an increasing penetration of other fuels in the transportation sector. Many
of these external influences are not certain in their capacity to deliver real change though. Some
projections show oil demand peaking during the period they consider, others beyond their forecast
horizons.
Figure 76 shows a series of demand scenarios from alternatives sources, based around declining
demand associated with the Electric Vehicle (EV) revolution. Only one scenario considers oil
production declining at 3% per annum (Fustier 2016).
(million barrels per day)
Figure 76. A range of forecast for oil demand over the next 25-30 years from a variety of public and private sector
organizations (Source: BP Energy Outlook 2018)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
Oil demand is still growing by ~1mbd every year, and no central scenarios that are publically accessible
see oil demand peaking before 2040. The global supply mix relies increasingly on small fields, where
the typical new oilfield size has fallen from 500-1,000mb 40 years ago to only 75mb in just this decade.
New discoveries are limited. In the year 2015, the exploration success rate hit a record low of 5%, and
the average discovery size was 24 million barrels. Improved production & drilling efficiency can reduce
declines, but only temporarily (Fustier et al. 2016). The volume of new discoveries reached an all-time
low in 2017, not accounting how much of that is economically viable.
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The point at which oil demand is likely to peak is very uncertain and depends on many assumptions,
and as such is very difficult to predict. Existing reserves in 2018 was reported as 1729 billion barrels
(BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, Appendix E). Some of these reserves are untapped, which
is how many new operations have been brought online while net reserve additions actually peaked in
1981 (see Figure 221 and Section 13).
Even once oil demand has peaked, consumption is unlikely to fall very sharply (Fustier et al 2016). This
implies the global demand is likely to consume significant amounts of oil for the foreseeable future
(EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050), with no real practical alternative
visible in planning (Michaux 2020).
-6000
-8000
-10000
-12000
-14000
-16000
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
Year
European Union United States China
Figure 77. The net dependency of EU, US and China on oil imports
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
The three economies shown in Figure 77 represent 65% of the global GDP in 2018 (Global GDP in 2018
was 85.8 trillion, where the European Union's GDP was estimated to be $18.8 trillion (nominal) in 2018,
22.12.2019
representing ~22% of global economy (Nominal global GDP), United States GDP: $21.4 trillion, or 25%
of global, China GDP: $15.5 trillion, or 18.1% of Nominal global GDP. Source: World Bank). This implies
that the stability of economies for 65% of world GDP is dependent on oil imports from other countries.
This shows how fragile the energy system is and how close to inelastic the global system could become.
Figures 78 to 82 show the production, consumption and net import requirements for the largest
consumers in the oil market. The countries shown in Figure 78 to 82 represent 55.6% of consumption
in the 2018 global oil market.
United States
United States
30000
30 000
20000
20 000
10000
10 000
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
00
-10000
-10 000
OilNet Import/Export
Production
-20000
-20 000 NetOilImport/Export
Consumption
OilOil Production
Consumption
-30000
-30 000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 78. United States oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
United
European States
Union EU-28
2030000
000
15 000
20000
10 000
510000
000
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
0
-5 000 0
-10 000
-10000
-15 000 Oil Production
Net Import/Export
-20-20000
000 Net Import/Export
Oil Consumption
-25 000 Oil ProductionOil Consumption
-30-30000
000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 79. European Union oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
United States
30000 China
15000
Oil Production
20000
10000 Net Exports
10000 Oil Consumption
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
5000
0
0
-10000
Net Import/Export
-5000
-20000 Oil Consumption
Oil Production
-30000
-10000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 80. Chinese oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
United States
30000
Brazil
3500
20000
3000 Oil Production
2500 Net Exports
10000
2000 Oil Consumption
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
15000
1000
500
-10000
0 Net Import/Export
-500
-20000 Oil Consumption
-1000 Oil Production
-30000
-1500
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 81. Brazilian oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
India
United States
30000
5 000
20000
3 000
10000
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
1 000
0
-1-10000
000
Oil Production
Net Import/Export
Net Import/Export
-3-20000
000 Oil Consumption
Oil Consumption
Oil Production
-5-30000
000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 82. Indian oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
Table 8. Projected oil consumption as all economies become as developed as the German Economy
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, Appendix DC & FC, World Bank data, United Nations, Department of
Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Rev)
If the BRIC economies are successful in becoming as industrially developed as Germany in 2018, an
extra 63460 thousand barrels of oil a day (63.5 million barrels a day) would have to be brought to the
market representing a 254% increase in oil consumption on the 2018 daily rate. To put this in
perspective, an extra 16.7 new oil fields, the size of the Saudi Arabia Ghawar elephant field (producing
3.8 million barrels a day, would need to be discovered, developed and extra refining capacity
commissioned.
If the entire global system was successful in developing industrially similar capacity to Germany in 2018,
extra 116 683 thousand barrels of oil a day (116.7 million barrels a day) would have to be brought to
the market. This would need an extra 30.1 new oil fields, the size of the Saudi Arabia Ghawar elephant
field. This represents a 117% expansion of oil consumption on top of global 2018 demand.
Due to the rate of oil deposit discovery falling since the mid 1960’s (see Section 13), and the record
low for discovery being in 2017 (Rystad 2018, Davis 2017), this is probably not possible.
22.12.2019
200 000
Brazil India
Consumption of oil (kbbls/day)
EU-28
100 000 254%
increase China
China
U.S. U.S.
Rest of
50 000 EU-28 EU-28 71% World
Increase
Rest of Rest of
World World
0
2018 Consumption 2018 consumption if BRIC 2018 consumption if ALL
(kbbls/day) economies were as economies were as
developed as German developed as German
economy economy
Figure 83. Projected oil consumption as all economies become as developed as the German Economy
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, Appendix C and D, World Bank data, United Nations,
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Rev)
22.12.2019
EU-28
1,62% Rest of World 2018 Oil
India 12,56% Production
0,92% United States
Norway 16,16%
1,95%
United Kingdom
1,15%
Libya
1,07%
Venezuela Saudi Arabia
1,60% 12,97%
Qatar
1,98%
Kazakhstan
2,03%
Mexico
2,18%
Nigeria
2,17% Brazil Kuwait
Russian
2,83% 3,22%
Federation
12,08%
UAE China Canada
Iraq Iran
4,16% 4,01% 5,50%
4,87% 4,98%
Table 9. Crude oil production in 2018. (Source: BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019)
Country Proven Reserves Production Consumption Net Export
(bllion barrels) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
United States 61,2 15 311 20 456 -5 145
Saudi Arabia 297,7 12 287 3 724 8 563
Russian Federation 106,2 11 438 3 228 8 210
Canada 167,8 5 208 2 447 2 761
Iran 155,6 4 715 1 879 2 836
Iraq 147,2 4 614 777 3 837
China 25,9 3 798 13 525 -9 727
United Arab Emirates 97,8 3 942 991 2 951
Kuwait 101,5 3 049 451 2 598
Brazil 13,4 2 683 3 081 -398
Nigeria 37,5 2 051
Mexico 7,7 2 068 1 812 256
Kazakhstan 30,0 1 927 357 1 570
Qatar 25,2 1 879 328 1 551
Venezuela 303,3 1 514 409 1 105
Libya 48,7 1 010
United Kingdom 2,5 1085 1618 -533
Norway 8,6 1 844 234 1 610
Rest of World 91,9 14 295 44 526
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Russian Federation
United Kingdom
Rest of World
United States
Saudi Arabia
Kazakhstan
Venezuela
Norway
Canada
Mexico
Nigeria
Kuwait
EU-28
Qatar
China
Brazil
Libya
India
UAE
Iraq
Iran
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
Oil Production
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
30 000
90 000
80 000
70 000
60 000
50 000
40 000
20 000
10 000
100 000
Figure 85. Global crude oil production in 2018. Includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates (both lease condensate
and gas plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha separated from the production of
natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and derivatives of coal and natural gas.
(Source: BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
Examining just oil production by ranking the producers is not appropriate. Each of the producing
countries (often with nationalized oil companies doing the producing) also have a consumption rate.
Foucer and Brown 2007, developed the Export Land Model, where the rising oil consumption of oil
producers were considered in an internal loop affecting oil export. The two basic conclusions of their
work were:
1. For oil exporting nations, the higher the level of their domestic oil consumption as a fraction of
their production, the more the changes in production volume will amplify the resulting change
in net exports.
2. The domestic oil consumption of oil exporting nations will, over long periods, tend to grow
faster than the domestic oil consumption of oil importers because of the windfall effect of oil
revenues, and will tend to continue to grow even past the production peak, especially whilst
net exports remain positive. Only a few oil producers like Saudi Arabia were able to net increase
oil production in this fashion.
In a country that is past its peak of oil production, the above dynamics operate together to cause the
net export decline rate to be much higher than the production decline rate. If this effect appears
simultaneously in many exporters, for instance due to global peak oil, the accelerated decline in net
exports will disproportionately strike nations which are heavily dependent on imported oil. Since 2007,
the shale oil revolution has stabilized the global oil markets. This highlights the dependency of the
global oil demand now has on the U.S. tight oil sector with its capacity to expand production. Table 10
shows the net change over 5 years, 10 years and 20 years for the major oil producers.
Table 10. (1 of 2). Change in net export over time for producers
(Source: BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical review of World Energy 2011)
1998 2008 2013 2018 20 year total 10 year total 5 year total
Action Country
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) change change change
Production United Kingdom 2807 1549 864 1085 -61,4 % -30,0 % 25,6 %
Consumption United Kingdom 1743 1738 1532 1618 -7,2 % -6,9 % 5,6 %
Net Export/Import United Kingdom 1064 -189 -668 -533 -150,1 % 182,0 % -20,2 %
22.12.2019
Table 10. (2 of 2). Change in net export over time for producers
(Source: BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical review of World Energy 2011)
1998 2008 2013 2018 20 year total 10 year total 5 year total
Action Country
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) change change change
Production United States 8011 6783 10073 15311 91,1 % 125,7 % 52,0 %
Consumption United States 18917 19490 18961 20456 8,1 % 5,0 % 7,9 %
Net Export/Import United States -10906 -12707 -8888 -5145 -52,8 % -59,5 % -42,1 %
Production Saudi Arabia 9502 10665 11393 12287 29,3 % 15,2 % 7,8 %
Consumption Saudi Arabia 1489 2622 3451 3724 150,0 % 42,0 % 7,9 %
Net Export/Import Saudi Arabia 8012 8043 7942 8563 6,9 % 6,5 % 7,8 %
Production Russian Federation 6169 9965 10807 11438 85,4 % 14,8 % 5,8 %
Consumption Russian Federation 2613 2861 3134 3228 23,5 % 12,8 % 3,0 %
Net Export/Import Russian Federation 3555 7104 7673 8210 130,9 % 15,6 % 7,0 %
Figures 86 to 106 show the oil production, consumption and net export/import of the major oil
producers in the international oil market.
The United States is the largest producer of crude oil in 2018, but it also is the largest consumer.
22.12.2019
United States
United States
30000
30 000
20000
20 000
10000
10 000
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
00
-10000
-10 000
OilNet Import/Export
Production
-20000
-20 000 NetOilImport/Export
Consumption
OilOil Production
Consumption
-30000
-30 000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 86. United States oil consumption, production and net import, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
10 000
(kbbl/day)
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
0
1983
1997
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Figure 87. United States oil production, conventional oil and tight oil
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
The increased productivity of the U.S. Tight Oil sector (see Section 7) has projected that in October
2019, the United States will become a net exporter of crude oil for the first time in decades (Princeton
Energy Advisors 2019 Oct 10th) (Figure 88). The importance of the U.S. oil production in context of
supporting increasing world demand is discussed in Section 7.
Figure 88. United States oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: Princeton Energy Advisors, www.prienga.com, Stephen Kopits)
The combination of oil sands production and tight oil production in the U.S. was able to stabilize global
demand between 2005 and 2014 (see Figure 147 and Section 7). This is significant as conventional oil
production plateaued in 2005, whole demand continued to increase.
Canada
6000
Oil Production
3000
2000
1000
0
1975
2013
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2015
2017
Year
Figure 89. Canadian oil consumption, production and net export, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
22.12.2019
3 000
2 000
1 000
0
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Figure 90. Canadian oil production, conventional oil and oil sands
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Comparing Figure 89 and 90, it can be observed that almost all Canadian oil export over and above
domestic consumption is dependent on oil sands production capacity.
Saudi Arabia was the foundation of the global oil market for decades and was the largest producer until
recently (the United States surpassed Saudi Arabia in 2014). The Saudi net export over time is shown
in Figure 91. In the early 1980’s Saudi Arabia cut production in response to the global oil glut in the
international market at the time.
The 1980s oil glut was a serious surplus of crude oil caused by falling demand following the 1970s
energy crisis. The world price of oil had peaked in 1980 at over US$35 per barrel (equivalent to $109
per barrel in 2019 $USD, when adjusted for inflation); it fell in 1986 from $27 to below $10 ($63 USD
to $23 USD in 2019 dollars) (using CPI Inflation Calculator). The glut began in the early 1980s as a result
of slowed economic activity in industrial countries due to the crises of the 1970s, especially in 1973
and 1979, and the energy conservation spurred by high fuel prices.
22.12.2019
Saudi Arabia
14000
Market oil glut,
12000 Production cut.
10000
(kbbl/day)
2000
0
1969
1989
2009
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Year
Figure 91. Saudi Arabian oil consumption, production and net export, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Russia
14000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
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2011
2013
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2017
Year
Figure 92. Russian Federation oil production 1985 to 2018 oil production, consumption and net export
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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Iran
7000
Net Exports
Iran/Iraq War
6000 Oil Consumption
1980-1988
5000 Oil Production
(kbbl/day)
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1969
2001
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2017
Year
Figure 93. Iranian oil consumption, production and net export, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Iraq
5000
4500 Iran/Iraq War Net Exports 1st Gulf War
4000 1980-1988 Oil Consumption 1990-19991
3500 Oil Production
3000
(kbbl/day)
2500
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0
2003
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2011
2013
2015
2017
Year
Figure 94. Iraqi oil consumption, production and net export, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Figure 95 shows the oil production and consumption of China, which was the second largest consumer
in 2018.
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United States
30000 China
15000
Oil Production
20000
10000 Net Imports
10000 Oil Consumption
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
5000
0
0
-10000
Net Import/Export
-5000
-20000 Oil Consumption
Oil Production
-30000
-10000
2001
2015
1965
1967
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1971
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1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 95. Chinese oil production, consumption, and net import, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1968
1988
2008
2014
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
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1984
1986
1990
1992
1994
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1998
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2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
Year
Figure 96. United Arab Emirates oil production, consumption, and net export, 1968 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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Kuwait
4000
Net Exports
3500 1st Gulf War Oil Consumption
1990-19991 Oil Production
3000
2500
(kbbl/day)
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1965
1977
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1979
1981
1983
1985
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1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
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2001
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2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Year
Figure 97. Kuwaiti oil consumption, production and net export, 1965 to 2018
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
United States
30000
Brazil
3500
20000
3000 Oil Production
2500 Net Exports
10000
2000 Oil Consumption
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
15000
1000
500
-10000
0 Net Import/Export
-500
-20000 Oil Consumption
-1000 Oil Production
-30000
-1500
2001
2015
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1967
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1985
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2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Year
Figure 98. Brazilian oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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Nigeria
3000
2500
2000
(kbbls/day)
1500
1000
500
0
1969
1976
1982
1988
1994
2000
1965
1967
1971
1974
1978
1980
1984
1986
1990
1992
1996
1998
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
Figure 99. Nigerian oil production 1965 to 2018 (consumption unavailable)
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Mexico
4500
Net Exports
4000
Oil Consumption
3500 Oil Production
3000
(kbbl/day)
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1969
1965
1967
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
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1997
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2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Year
Figure 100. Mexican oil consumption, production and net export
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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Kazakhstan
2500
Net Exports
Oil Production
1500
(kbbl/day)
1000
500
2011
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2013
2015
2017
Year
Figure 101. Kazakhstani oil production 1985 to 2018 consumption, production and net export
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Qatar
2 500
Oil Consumption
1 000
500
0
1991
2013
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1993
1995
1997
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2001
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2005
2007
2009
2011
2015
2017
Year
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Venezuela
4 000
Net Exports
3 500
Oil Consumption
2 500
(kbbl/day)
2 000
1 500
1 000
500
0
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
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2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
Year
Figure 103. Venezuelan oil consumption, production and net export
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Libya
4000,0
2500,0
(kbbls/day)
2000,0
1500,0
1000,0
500,0
0,0
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
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1981
1983
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1987
1989
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2015
2017
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UnitedKingdom
United States
30000
4000
20000
3000
2000
10000
(kbbl/day)
(kbbl/day)
1000
0
0
-10000
-1000 Oil Production
Net Import/Export
Net Imports/Exports
-20000
-2000 Oil Consumption
Oil Consumption
Oil Production
-3000
-30000
2001
2015
1965
1967
1969
1971
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1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
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2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2017
Year
Figure 105. United Kingdom oil consumption, production and net import
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Norway
4000
3500 Oil Production
3000 Oil Consumption
2500
(kbbl/day)
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1971
1973
1999
2001
1965
1967
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2015
2017
Year
Figure 106. Norwegian oil production and consumption, 1965 to 2018 oil consumption, production and net export
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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Nations
United States 61,2 7,3 15 311 669,4 20 456 919,7
China 25,9 3,5 3 798 189,1 13 525 641,2
European Union 4,8 0,6 1 533 72,7 13 302 646,8
Russian Federation 106,2 14,6 11 438 563,3 3 228 152,3
Since the comparatively modest beginnings of the oil industry in the mid-19th century, petroleum has
risen to global prominence. The first oil had actually been discovered by the Chinese in 600 B.C. and
22.12.2019
transported in pipelines made from bamboo (Clark 2016). The start of the industrial use of oil in
context of how it is used currently happened in 1859 with the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania (United
States) and the Spindletop discovery in Texas in 1901 (Tarbell 2015). Petroleum as an energy resource
soon proved much more adaptable and flexible than coal. Additionally, the kerosene that was refined
originally from crude provided a reliable and relatively inexpensive alternative to “coal-oils” and whale
oil for fueling lamps. Most of the other products were discarded.
In 2011, there were more than 65,000 oil and gas fields of all sizes in the world. However, 94% of
known oil is concentrated in fewer than 1500 giant and major fields (Li Guoyu 2011). Of these giant
and major fields, only 10 to 20 of them supply most of the global oil supply.
As much as 70% of our daily oil supply comes from oilfields that were discovered prior to 1970
(Simmons 2002). In 2002, nineteen of the world’s oilfield giants are located in the Middle East.
Collectively these fields still produce approximately 15 million barrels a day, over 22% of the world’s
total oil (Simmons 2002). The average age of these 19 largest oil fields is almost 70 years.
Of the top 10 modern producing fields the youngest was discovered in 1976 (Cantarell, Mexico – now
in decline). The youngest in age of the top 20 producing fields was discovered in 1985 (Marlim, Brazil
– now in decline).
In the 1990s over 400 individual oilfields were discovered. Only 2.5% of these fields (ten) produced
over 100,000 barrels per day by 2001, although it’s worth noting that development lead times can be
long. Table 12 and 13 was first published in 2002. Since then there have been no new large oil deposit
discoveries. Such that these numbers have maintained relevancy over 16 years is a flag that there may
be a problem in finding enough new oil deposits for the future.
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In 2006, just 10 oilfields accounted for 29.9% of the world’s estimated proven reserves and for 20.4%
of the world’s production. The world’s top 20 oilfields (in 2006) contained ~40% of estimated proved
reserves and accounted for 27.7% of the world’s production. The world’s top 100 oilfields contained
over 65% of the world’s reserves, and accounted for over 50% of the world’s production (Hirsch et al
2010).
In 2006 there were well over 4000 discovered and producing oil fields, but as has been shown, only a
few matter (Hirsch et al 2010). Just over 100 produce over 100,000 barrels a day, and account for over
50% of the world’s production (Figure 108).
Based to HSBC analysis of Wood Mackenzie data covering 15,500 fields, the average size of new field
start-ups has dropped significantly from over a billion barrels in the 1960’s to ~250mbbls in the 1980’s
to just 75mbbls this decade (HSBC 2016)(Figure 107).
Figure 107. Average size (URR) of global oil field start-ups, mboe
(Source: Fustier et al 2016, Wood Mackenzie)
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Average
Production THE OIL PYRAMID
(bbl/day)
000 bbls/day
(% of World Total)
36 200 4 000 +
9 000
(53%) Other Fields
Figure 108. The World Depends upon a Few Old Fields – 2002 numbers (Redrawn from Simmons 2005)
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Sweet
20 %
Heavy Sour
13 % Light/Medium
Sour
65 %
Two of the most important quality characteristics are density (API Gravity) and sulfur content. Density
ranges from light to heavy, while sulfur content is characterized as sweet or sour, where a high sulfur
content is termed as sour. The lowest quality of oil is termed heavy sour, meaning heavy density and
high in sulfur content.
American Petroleum Institute measure of specific gravity of crude oil or condensate in degrees, termed
API Gravity. An arbitrary scale expressing the gravity or density of liquid petroleum products. The
measuring scale is calibrated in terms of degrees API; it is calculated as follows:
Degrees API = (141.5 / specific gravity of oil product at 60 degrees F) - 131.5 (Equation 2)
Crude oil with low sulfur content is classified as “sweet;” crude oil with a higher sulfur content is
classified as “sour.” Sulfur content is considered an undesirable characteristic with respect to both
processing and end-product quality. Therefore, sweet crude is typically more desirable and valuable
than sour crude. Figure 110 shows the increase of sulfur content in oil produced in the United States
over time in a persistent trend.
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Figure 110. U.S. Sulfur Content (Weighted Average) of Crude Oil Input to Refineries (%)
(Source: Energy Information Administration EIA)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
The ‘sourness’ of crude oil technically refers to its hydrogen sulfide (H2S) content before processing.
Crude can naturally contain up to 14% sulfur content by weight, but this percentage is comprised of
myriad sulfur compounds; only a small ratio is H2S. Unfortunately, even very low levels of H2S in crude
can cause excessive corrosion and degrade catalysts in the refinery.
The reasons why one source of crude would be sour (e.g. Venezuelan crude) and another source would
be sweet (e.g. Libyan crude) are complex. The sulfurization of crude occurred during its initial
formation, when ancient kerogen (decomposed organic matter which has polymerized) was cooked
into oil by subterranean heat; the sulfur content of the living matter in that region was thus transferred
to the oil reserve.
Another sulfur enrichment factor is the presence of special hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria known as
OHCB which reduce the hydrocarbon/sulfur ratio. The concentration of H 2S in the crude rises with
overall sulfur content, and thermal reactions (both geologic and during refining) can produce H2S from
reactions with elemental sulfur and decomposition of unstable sulfur compounds.
The Figure 111 shows select crude types from around the world with their corresponding sulfur content
and density characteristics. There are some crude oils both below and above the API gravity range
shown in the chart.
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High value
Low value
Figure 111. Density and sulfur content showing quality of selected crude oils
(Source: US Energy Information Agency EIA)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Crude oils that are light (higher degrees of API gravity, or lower density) and sweet (low sulfur content)
are usually priced higher than heavy, sour crude oils. This is partly because gasoline and diesel fuel,
which typically sell at a significant premium to residual fuel oil and other "bottom of the barrel"
products, can usually be more easily and cheaply produced using light, sweet crude oil. The light sweet
grades are desirable because they can be processed with far less sophisticated and energy-intensive
processes/refineries.
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Conventional Oil
Onshore
60,27%
Figure 112. Oil production by extraction method in 2018. (Source: EIA monthly oil production statistics 2019, Canadian
Association of Petroleum Producers 2019, Shale Profile 2019)
Most of the new capacity to produce oil in the global markets has come from the U.S. Tight Oil (fracking)
and the Canadian Tar sands (also called oil sands) (Figure 113).
Convetional Oil
90 000 000
Total World Oil Production
85 000 000
80 000 000
75 000 000
70 000 000
Jul 2003
Jul 2010
Nov 2012
Jul 2017
May 2002
Apr 2005
Jun 2006
Nov 2005
Jan 2007
May 2009
Apr 2012
Jun 2013
May 2016
Apr 2019
Jan 2000
Mar 2001
Mar 2008
Aug 2000
Dec 2002
Feb 2004
Sep 2004
Aug 2007
Dec 2009
Feb 2011
Sep 2011
Jan 2014
Mar 2015
Aug 2014
Dec 2016
Feb 2018
Sep 2018
Oct 2001
Oct 2008
Oct 2015
Figure 113. Global oil production split between conventional and unconventional sources. (Source: EIA monthly oil
production statistics 2019, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers 2019, Shale Profile 2019)
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Figure 114. LHS - Schematic of an onshore oil and gas drilling platform (Image: Tania Michaux). RHS – An operating
onshore drill platform (Image by Anita starzycka from Pixabay)
Once the well is drilled and has shown to be productive, a pump jack assembly is constructed over the
well head. Figures 115 to 117 show the classic oil pumpjack and derrick tower for pumping out of the
drilled well.
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Figure 116. Oil fields and pumpjacks extracting oil in Texas USA
(LHS Image by John R Perry from Pixabay, RHS Image by skeeze from Pixabay)
Figure 117. Oil fields and pumpjacks extracting oil in Texas USA (Image by Johannes Plenio from Pixabay )
As drilling technology improved, the capability to drill for oil and gas into deposits under the ocean
became possible. Over time, demand for oil and gas required offshore drilling platforms to be
developed and operated. Approximately 29.2% of oil production in 2018 was extracted from under
the ocean (EIA International Energy Outlook 2019). Figure 118 shows a basic schematic cross section
of an offshore platform. As time has progressed, the scale of these structures has become ever more
impressive (Figure 119 to 121).
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Drilling
Crane
derrick
Helipad
Wellhead
Separation of
oil & gas
Sea Level streams
Figure 118. Offshore oil & gas drilling platform basic schematic
(Graphic: Simon Michaux, developed from Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)
Figure 119. Deep water oil & gas drilling platform (Source: Image by Kristina Kasputienė from Pixabay)
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Figure 120. Deep water oil & gas drilling platform in the (Image by Bruno Glätsch from Pixabay)
Figure 121. Manufacture and maintenance of deep water oil & gas drilling platforms off the Scottish coast
(Image by Elliott Day from Pixabay)
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Figure 122 shows the progression of offshore platform design as the ocean depths got deeper.
Currently the record ocean depth for drilling is held by offshore oil drilling group Transocean whom
had set a world record of deep water drilling at a depth of 3107m.
Figure 122. Types and depth capabilities of different offshore drilling platforms
(Image: Tania Michaux)
The record for the deepest drill hole into the earth’s crust is currently held by Rosneft (Rosneft 2017).
Russian drilling consortium Rosneft, as part of the Sakhalin-1 consortium, has finished drilling the
world’s longest well—production well O-14—at Chayvo field, offshore Sakhalin Island. Well O-14 was
drilled from the Orlan drilling platform towards the south-eastern point of Chayvo field, which lies to
the northeast of Russia's Sakhalin Island. The well has a record breaking measured depth of 13,500 m
and a horizontal reach of 12,033 m, as of 2015 (Rosneft 2017).
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Crushing
Retorting
Approximately 80% of the oil sands reserves are too deep to be mined in an economically viable
fashion. These deeper deposits would be recovered through in situ methods. Approximately 20% of
the oil sands reserves are close enough to the surface to be mined using open pit methods (to a depth
of 70m). Mining allows operators to recover more of the oil, while using less energy. Drilling is a more
energy-intensive process but allows for a smaller footprint and does not require tailings ponds
(Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers 2019 b).
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Figure 124. Difference in geological form between conventional oil & gas deposits to unconventional oil & gas deposits
(Source: U.S. EPA 2015)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
22.12.2019
Before 2008, a shale oil fracking well was vertical in anticline. Vertical wells can effectively drain rock
units that have a very high permeability. Fluids in those rock units can flow quickly and efficiently into
a well over long distances. However, where permeability is very low (like most oil shale’s), fluids move
very slowly through the rock and do not travel long distances to reach a well bore. Horizontal drilling
can increase the productivity in low-permeability rocks by bringing the well bore much closer to the
source of the fluid.
A new drilling technology allowed for the use of horizontal drilling, where part of the drill path cuts
along the dip and strike of the porous oil bearing unit. After drilling vertically a few thousand meters,
the drill operation can then steer a specialized horizontal directional drill bit a further few thousand
meters (Figure 126). This allows a larger section of the well to intersect the target unit, and facilitate
more efficient extraction. This technology was instrumental in greatly expanding the production
capacity of tight oil extraction operations, particularly in the United States.
The new innovations of horizontal drilling, multi well pads, increased use of proppant and
infrastructure efficiencies have all increased production, and lowered costs, but they have not
significantly increased the volume of the ultimate recoverable resource (URR) of most shale oil fields.
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There is a four stage life cycle that oil and gas extraction fracked wells all evolve through. These steps
are always the same, but can speed up in the down turns of the boom/bust cycles that the oil industry
is often subject too. The four stage list below was developed in a series of excellent studies done by
the Post Carbon Institute (Hughes 2011, Hughes 2018 and Hughes 2019)
1. Early Stage. Discovery with step out drilling sweet spots. As sweet spots are located and
focused upon, well productivity increases, sometimes dramatically. Well productivity gains are
primarily from moving from lower, to higher quality reservoir rock. This means that the
underground geology facilitates extra productivity, not technology. An example could be the
Utica basin tight oil play in the U.S.
2. Early Mature Stage. Geological sweet spots have been fully spatially mapped and are
methodically being drilled out. Increased well productivity is primarily due to technology gains.
This means more effective application of horizontal drilling, extra water injection and higher
volume use of proppant. Examples include parts of the Permian, Haynesville and Bakken basin
tight oil plays in the U.S.
3. Late Mature Stage. Geological sweet spots become saturated with wells and well interference
becomes evident. Well productivity declines from overcrowding wells. Maintenance drilling is
required to drill in lower quality reservoir rock. Examples include Eagle Ford, parts of the
Marcellus, and parts of the Permian, Woodford and Niobrara basin tight oil plays in the U.S.
4. Late Stage. Geological sweet spots are saturated with wells and drilling rates collapse.
Production falls, offset only by limited infill and peripheral drilling. Technology helps but cannot
make up for the exhaustion of high quality drilling locations. Examples include the Barnett and
Fayetteville basin tight oil plays in the U.S.
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Figures 127 to 129 show fracking operations in Australia in the Queensland CSG fields. The same
technology is used in the United States shale oil fields, but are often operating at deeper depths. The
Australian CSG fields are much smaller in size and capacity compared to the U.S. tight oil shale fields.
Figure 127. A hydraulic fracturing drill rig operating in a CSG deposit in Australia
(Source: Lock the Gate, https://www.lockthegate.org.au/)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Figure 128. A Coal Seam Gas (fracking) processing site operating in Queensland Australia
(Source: Lock the Gate, https://www.lockthegate.org.au/)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure 129. A Coal Seam Gas (CSG) fracking field in Queensland Australia
(Source: Lock the Gate, https://www.lockthegate.org.au/)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Fracking fields are different to conventional oil and gas fields. It takes tens of thousands of fracked
shale wells to equal a mere hundred conventional wells (Heinberg 2013).
What is causing this is the difference in well productivity. A fracked well, has approximately a 90%
drop in productivity after 36 months, where a conventional well can last 10 years or more (Hughes
2018).
As more capacity has been developed, more extra maintenance drilling has been required to keep
productivity consistent. To keep U.S. production stable and consistent at 2019 rates, 5 399 new wells
for tight oil need to be drilled each year (2 335 for gas) (Hughes 2019). In 2018, 70% of new drilling
was done to offset field production declines and only 30% was for increased production (Hughes 2019).
This is known in the industry as “the treadmill to hell” (Heinberg 2013). Another colloquial name that
has been used is “the Red Queen problem”, a metaphor from the famous C.S. Lewis book Alice in
Wonderland. The Red Queen (or Queen of Hearts) quote:
“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go
anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
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This is shown on a national scale, as is shown in Figure 130, which compares the tight oil in the US with
the conventional oil production in Saudi Arabia (which is conventional oil production and is mature in
development) and Russia (which is conventional oil production and developing quickly).
35 699 90,53
90,00
11,7 35000
12 11,4
10,9 80,00
30000
10 70,00
25000
60,00
8
20000 50,00
6
40,00
15000
4 30,00
25,30
10000 8 688
20,00
2
5000
10,00
399 0,9
0 0 0,00
Saudi Arabia Russian U.S. Saudi Russian U.S. Saudi Russian U.S.
Federation Arabia Federation Arabia Federation
Figure 131 shows the progression of the number of wells being drilled to extract all oil and gas possible
for a Louisiana tight oil field. The impact on communities and the impact on the environment can be
significant (Fox 2010, Fox 2013 & Lock the Gate 2014). What also can be an issue is that the local
community does not benefit at all for hosting fracking fields, as employment by operators is not enough
to outweigh the difficulties fracking often entails.
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Figure 131. These two satellite images of a Louisiana shale oil field from 1984 (LHS) and 2011 (RHS) show the high density
of wells where over 1000 UG well pads (small, white dots) were developed.
(Source: UNEP 2012) (Copyright License: https://www.unep-wcmc.org/terms-and-conditions)
Fox, J. (2010): GasLand Media documentary produced on fracking of shales and CSG in America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvz_m5uPV4s
Fox, J. (2013): Gasland Part II. Media documentary produced on fracking of shales and CSG in America
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGjWsU0Hd8
Lock the Gate Alliance (2014): Fractured Country - An Unconventional Invasion Media documentary on fracking
and CSG in Australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrE7LzZCn1E
22.12.2019
There is mounting evidence that CSG mining (the legal term in Australia) and oil shale fracking poses
substantial risks (Figure 132), including:
Threats of pollution to water systems and supplies
Leaking methane
Health impacts on local communities
Above ground footprint; and
Related seismic activity.
Gas industry operators have claimed that because shale and tight gas extraction involves deeper rock
layers, they are safer than gas extraction from shallower coal seams (CSG) (Appea 2010). According to
a European Commission Report (Broomfield 2012) there is an overall high risk of ground and surface
water contamination resulting from fracking.
U.S. studies have implicated shale gas in the contamination of groundwater with heavy metals, salts
and gas (Green Peace 2013). Contamination can occur from well casing failure due to corrosion, faulty
construction or repeated fracturing. Data from one US state shows that 6-7% of new shale gas wells
were faulty and leaking gas (Green Peace 2013). After 20 years this failure rate may increase to 50%,
as wells corrode and cement casings degrade.
Groundwater contamination can also occur if gas and toxic flowback fluids migrate from gas wells into
aquifers through natural underground faults or fractures created during fracking operations. Recent
research (Fontenot et al 2013) found higher levels of arsenic and other heavy metals, plus higher
salinity, in water bores which were less than 3km from shale gas wells. Other research (Osborn et al
2011) has found increased methane concentrations in water bores closer to shale gas wells, creating
an explosion hazard.
Surface water pollution can occur when there are accidental spills of fluids or solids at the surface,
when well blow outs occur, and through discharge of insufficiently treated waste water into
waterways. Work done by Duke University in the U.S. have found high levels of radioactivity in a creek
used for disposal of wastewater (Warner et al 2013).
Fracking for shale and tight gas is an extremely water-intensive practice. Each well may require up to
ten fracks over its production life (Usubiaga 2012). The Australian gas industry provides a figure of 11
million liters per shale or tight gas frack (Appea 2019). According to an alternative (outside industry),
a single frack operation on a shale gas well will use between 11 and 34 million liters of water, roughly
360 – 1100 truckloads (WA Government 2019). Drilling a shale or tight gas well also requires around 1
million liters per well (Kargbo et al 2010).
According to industry sources, around 30% of the fracking fluid flows back to the surface (Appea 2019).
However, other sources note that as little as 6 to 8% may actually be recovered (Kargbo et al 2010).
Underground water in the drilling area can also come to the surface during gas production. For a typical
shale gas well, daily 'produced' water volumes range from 300 – 4,500 liters (EPA 2016).
In the U.S., towns and pastoral properties that must compete with fracking operators for scarce water
supplies have been seriously affected (Taillant et al 2015). In Texas, extraction of water for fracking
has contributed to serious problems of ground and surface water depletion during drought conditions
(Hylton 2013).
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Most of the fracking fluid is water (99%). The gas industry reports that chemical additives make up
only a very small proportion of proppant fracking fluids- ‘approximately’ 0.5% (Appea 2019). In
alternative studies, the amounts measured range from 0.5 to 2% and while this is a small proportion
relative to the large volumes of water used, it translates to very large quantities of chemicals (Hazen &
Sawyer 2009). Approximately one pound of proppant is used for each one gallon of water (Hughes
2019).
The United States EIA reports that a typical 4 million gallon (15 million liter) fracking operation uses
between 80 tons and 330 tons of chemicals (EIA 2013). This is much higher than what operators have
claimed. In the United States, approximately 750 compounds have been listed as additives or
ingredients to manufacture the pressurized fracking fluid used in fracking. Appendix G (COMPOUNDS
HAVE BEEN LISTED AS ADDITIVES FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING IN THE UNITED STATES) shows a
referenced list of these chemicals.
The fracking Industry also reports that ‘most’ of these chemicals are found in household products
(Appea 2019). This statement may be factual but this does not mean that the chemicals used are
environmentally safe to have in the water table at such high levels of concentration (Hays & Shonkoff
2016). Fracking compounds used in Australia and the U.S. have also been shown to include many
hazardous substances, including carcinogens, neurotoxins, irritants/sensitizers, reproductive toxins
and endocrine disruptors. Many of the chemicals used in fracking have never been assessed for their
long-term impacts on the environment and human health (CHPNY & PSR 2019, Zucker and Shah 2014,
NTN Coalition 2012).
Sand or other proppants such as ceramic beads are vital to fracking. Sand (or a proppant) is a significant
part of the mix that's injected into a well to fracture the rocks. Once a formation has been fracked, the
sand props open the cracks in the rock allowing the gas to flow. To squeeze hydrocarbons out of shale,
fracking operations need to pump large quantities of sand and other materials into the ground. In the
US fracking for shale and tight gas was expected to consume more than 43 billion kg of sand just in
2014 (Taillant et al 2015).
Whilst the gas industry maintains that unconventional gas extraction is safe and ‘clean’, there is a
rapidly growing body of research from overseas that highlights the impacts of shale and tight gas
operations on land, water and human health (CHPNY & PSR 2019, Zucker & Shah 2014, Broomfield
2012, UNEP 2012, NTN Coalition 2012). Communities living near gasfields in the US have reported
serious health effects following the commencement of unconventional gas operations. Some of the
public health effects of unconventional gas development that US researchers have documented, as
outlined in The Compendium of Fracking Risks (CHPNY & PSR 2019) include:
Increased rates of hospitalization for cardiological complaints, cancer, skin conditions, and
urological problems.
Increase in infant deaths to six times the normal rate over three years.
Congenital heart defects, and possibly neural tube defects in newborns, associated with the
density and proximity of natural gas wells within a 10-mile radius of mothers’ residences.
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Reductions in average birthweight and length of pregnancy as well as increased risk for low
birthweight and premature birth associated with proximity to fracking operations.
Residents living adjacent to coal seam gas operations around Chinchilla Queensland also report
a range of health symptoms, including serious respiratory ailments, nose throat and eye
irritations and neurological illnesses.
A 2012 case study in the U.S. (NTN Coalition 2012) also found serious evidence of harm to
domestic stock from shale gas drilling waste contamination, including cattle deaths, stillbirths
and reproductive problems.
From a purely technical point of view, it is possible to do this method with a lower risk of environmental
pollution, however to do so would require a much higher cost of operation (which could make the
operation economically unviable). A critical problem is also that if an operator did not do best practice
methods and caused environmental pollution, it would be impossible to prove which operator
(different leases with different operators are often in the same environmental impact region). An
accusation of noncompliance could be defeated in court with a simple response: ‘prove it was the
defendant operator’. This opens the question for whether fracking should have been allowed to be
legislated in the first place.
It is the authors opinion that the hydraulic fracturing or ‘fracking’ is inappropriate to engage in to
extract oil and gas. The application of fracking has probably pushed total peak oil production back 10-
15 years. The resulting environmental devastation is most certainly not an acceptable outcome in
return for this extra time for operation of the exiting energy systems. What have we done with this
extra 10-15 years? Did our industrial and political leadership use this time to develop an appropriate
transition plan to phase out the use of oil and petroleum products? A great deal of discussion has been
had about the development of the Electric Vehicle revolution but its practical logistical applications
have not been understood (Michaux 2020). There certainly has been comparatively little infrastructure
development.
A case can be made that CSG and fracking might be a bubble in terms of investment viability. It is not
nearly as productive as conventional gas. It is also now clear that political leadership and corporate
leadership have knowingly mislead the public regarding the impact of fracking to the environment and
to the societies that are local to fracking wells (Mobbs 2017, Lowe 2014, Fox 2010, Fox 2013 and
Heinberg 2013). Without fracking, peak oil would have happened sometime between 2005 and 2009,
which would have led to the devastation of all monetary, industrial and corporate systems. In exchange
for the environmental devastation (destruction of arable land in an era of projected food shortages),
pollution of underground fossilized water reserves (in an era of projected drinking water shortages),
and devastated communities, the date of peak oil has been pushed back 10 years.
From a business model perspective, Shale oil is not economically viable in a challenging market
environment. Oil from fracked Shale deposits cannot even be processed without the addition of a lot
of conventional crude in support. It requires 3 to 5 barrels of conventional crude to refine 1 barrel of
Light Tight Oil (LTO). LTO cannot be put through a refinery by itself. It takes somewhere between 70-
80% of the inputs to be conventional for refineries to operate if they include shale (Fahim et al 2010).
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Figure 133. Raw oil sand from Syncrude's North Mine (Syncrude Canada Flickr)
(Copyright License: Authorized by Syncrude, https://www.flickr.com/help/terms)
The sand oil deposits can be found deep underground as well as on the surface. They are naturally
formed over years and reside in wells. The valued product is the heavy oil also known as bitumen
which contains the heavy hydrocarbons found in crude petroleum. The bitumen is coating each sand
particle (quartz) over a 10 nanometer layer of water. So the bitumen needs to be removed from the
surface of each particle.
Water
Bitumen Water
Layer Layer Quartz Bitumen
Quartz
Particle
Cross-Sectional View
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The amount of bitumen contained in a well, ranges from 1% to 20% (Fuel Chemistry, 2006). The heavy
oil can be described as a black to brown semi-solid at ambient temperature. The mixture is known to
soften upon heating; usually steam is injected underground to liquefy the sand oils so they can be
transported to the process plant.
Hydrogen
9,67%
Carbon
77,14%
Figure 135. Bitumen content in oil sands (Source: Fuel Chemistry, 2006)
The primary producer of oil from tar sands is Canada. Figure 136 shows the production from tar sands
from the 1998 to 2018. The oil sands accounted for 64% of Canada’s oil production in 2018 or 2.9
million barrels per day (Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers CAPP 2019). The oil sands have
an estimated $313 billion of capital investment to date, including $10.4 billion in 2018. Canadian
reserves at the end of 2018 was 166.7 billion barrels of crude oil, of which 162.5 billion barrels (96% of
Canadian total) was in oil sands, and 4.2 billion barrels were in conventional oil deposits (Canadian
Association of Petroleum Producers CAPP 2019). Of the oil sands reserves in Canada, 31.8 billion
barrels are to be extracted with the mining method, and 131.7 billion barrels are to be extracted insitu.
2 500 000
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The oil sands underlie 140,800km2, or 21% of the province of Alberta in Canada. Data from the Alberta
government’s Department of Energy show that the mining portion of this land base will be
approximately 4,750km2, and that 99% of the mineable area has already been leased (Mech 2011).
The insitu operation makes use of steam that is pumped underground to heat the bitumen liquefying
it, so it can be pumped to the surface. The disadvantage of drilling is that the process is energy intensive
however this process has a smaller footprint on the environment. The insitu method of extraction
accounts for 53% of 2018 Canadian production and 81% of Canadian resources (Natural Resources
Canada 2019). More than 20 projects are insitu extraction in Alberta – the largest in 2018 were:
Most of the oil sands in available reserves are to be recovered using the in-situ drilling technique
(approximately 80%). The insitu technique is more complex and requires drilling into the ground. The
amalgam of the in-situ oil sand is still the same as the oil sand which is obtained through surface-
mining. The difference is most insitu deposits are buried more than 350-600 meters below the ground.
Steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) begins with a pair of horizontal wells that are drilled into the
formation in order for the bitumen to be extracted from the ground (Figure 137). Typically these wells
are situated at least 5m apart and 300 to 600m in depth. The horizontal length of the wells stems about
1000 to 1500m. The minimum stem temperature is 2000C with a pressure greater than 3000kPa.
Once heated to a temperature of approximately 2000C, the bitumen has a viscosity similar to water
and can therefore be pumped easily.
Within these horizontal wells are 2 parallel horizontal pipes with one of them located 4-6
meters above the other. The upper pipe is referred to as a steam injection well whereas the bottom
pipe is referred to as the production well. The water is converted into steam at a nearby boiler plant
and is transferred (in a pipe) to the place where the drilling is taking place. Steam is passed through
the upper well and into the reservoir which consists of the oil sand. The steam then leaves the upper
well whilst extend outwards into the formation in all directions. The heat from the steam is then
conveyed to the bitumen.
Warming of bitumen results in the reduction of its viscosity to allow it to flow more easily. Since the
viscosity was decreased significantly, it is now able to flow freely downward under the force of gravity
into the production well. This process of draining of the bitumen is referred to as gravity drainage.
From the production well, the fluid bitumen is pumped to the surface. The steps consisting of steam
injection and bitumen production happen simultaneously and continuously. The final bitumen product
and condensed steam emulsion is transferred via pipelines to the plant where it is distilled and treated.
The excess water from this process is recycled for generating more steam.
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Pipelined to refinery or
Injection and
to an upgrader plant
production wells
5-7 m apart
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Figure 138 shows Suncor's in-situ project is located on leases known as "Firebag".
Figure 138. Insitu oil sands operation Firebag well pad using Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) technology SAGD
(Image: Suncor Media Release)
Oil sands that are at a depth of 70m or less are mined in open pit fashion and then process extraction
is used to produce oil (Figure 139). The sand ‘ore’ is mined, transported, and then crushed. Then the
crushed fragments are fed into rotary drum unit to fragment apart the feed into separate sand grains.
This makes accessible the surface of each particle to separate the bitumen.
Hot Water
Rotary Drum
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Figure 140. Truck and shovel in Oil Sands open pit mining (Image: Suncor media release)
The oil sands mining method accounts for 47% of 2018 Canadian production and 19% of Canadian oil
sands reserves (Natural Resources Canada 2019). In 2018, seven mining projects in Alberta produced
approximately 1.47 million barrels a day:
Syncrude Mining Project (302 Mb/d)
Suncor Base Mine (259 Mb/d)
CNRL Horizon Mine (264 Mb/d)
Athabasca Oil Sands Project – Muskeg River (163 Mb/d) and Jackpine Mine (132 Mb/d)
Imperial’s Kearl Mine (223 Mb/d)
Fort Hills (125 Mb/d)
The processing of oil sands can be divided into 3 parts. The first part is extraction which involves the
removal of sand, water and fine clay from the bitumen, the second part is improving the quality
of the bitumen and the final step is refining of the crude oil to products.
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2. Separation - Mixing hot water and the water-oil sand mix (from the open pit) into a vessel
where the three components separated (oil, sand and water). Within this vessel, there is a
diluting chemical which is present to assist this process. Bitumen is considered to be
hydrophobic (surface chemistry repels water), this property allows for the bitumen to attach
itself to air bubbles that are liberated to the surface. The clay, free bitumen and other particles
are suspended in the middle with the larger density sand particles sinking to the bottom as
tailings. Three layers form with bitumen froth that floats on top, sand sinking to the
bottom and an amalgamation of bitumen, sand, clay, and water in the middle. This process
takes about 20 minutes and removes the thick bitumen from the sand. The component that
does not consist of bitumen which remains is composed of sand, water, fine clays, and minerals.
This remaining component is referred to as tailings and is thereafter sent to tailings ponds which
allows the sand to settle out. This mixture is then sent to tailings ponds.
3. Froth treatment where the solids and water are removed from the bitumen froth. The bitumen
is then diluted with naphtha and sent to a series of settlers and centrifuges to allow particles to
settle and be removed completely. This material is sent to tailings ponds. At this point in time,
the bitumen has a low water content and consists of few solids and the extraction is complete.
The bitumen can now be upgraded and reduced in sulfur content.
The refining of oil sands derived oil to a lighter hydrocarbon and more desired products, make use of
bifunctional catalyst in hydrocracking units and metal catalysts in catalytic cracking units. Each plant
maybe set up differently due to different compositions of bitumen extracted. In total, 2 tonnes of oil
sand must be received and processed with 2-4 barrels of water (as an estimate) to produce one barrel
of crude oil in its synthetic form (Alberta Government Services, 2019).
The bitumen is heavy and can therefore not flow or be pumped without being heated or diluted.
Bitumen is comprised of mainly different hydrocarbons. Bitumen can be broken down into four main
components:
asphaltenes,
resinous components (polar aromatics)
naphtene aromatics (non-polar aromatics)
saturates
At ambient temperatures bitumen exists as a thermoplastic solid or semi-solid, upon heating the
viscosity of the bitumen reduces. The lighter fractions of bitumen can be refined into liquid petroleum
gas, petrol and diesel from heavy crude oil. Majority bitumen is used in construction as a binder for
roads and paving. The various products from refined bitumen make sand oil process valuable.
Figure 141 shows the Syncrude bitumen upgrading plant. Upgrading transforms bitumen into a high
quality light, sweet synthetic crude oil. Syncrude uses three fluid cokers and a hydrocracker to
thermally crack the long carbon molecule chains into hydrocarbon gases, naphtha and gas oils.
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Bitumen as produced from an oil sands upgrade plant is not mobile and is not pipeline transportable
due to its viscosity. The frequent method that is used for the transportation of bitumen is to add
diluents so that its viscosity is reduced and so that it becomes mobile. A pipeline specification has to
be adhered to before the industry will accept the bitumen and its blend (Banerjee, 2012). This is
often achieved through blending (Figure 142). In the country of Canada, this specification is established
by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) (Banerjee, 2012).
It is absolutely necessary to change the bitumen into a substance of higher API gravity and lower
viscosity in order to meet the pipeline requirements. The American Petroleum Institute gravity, or API
gravity, is a measure of how heavy or light a petroleum liquid is compared to water: if its API gravity is
greater than 10, it is lighter and floats on water; if less than 10, it is heavier and sinks.
The commonly used technique is the addition of condensate derived from natural gas. Condensates
consists of lighter hydrocarbons (in the range of C5–C12), and above 55°API (Banerjee 2012). A
substantial amount of condensate is needed in order to meet the pipeline specification.
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Because of the rising production of bitumen in Canada, the demand for condensate is increasing
significantly resulting in the industry facing many serious challenges (Banerjee, 2012):
The cost of condensate is dependent on the market price of natural gas.
The cost of condensate is more than 25% higher than the cost of light crude oil.
With the increasing demand for condensate, there will be a shortage of availability of the diluent, and that drives
the cost high.
Condensates are not acceptable by refineries.
A return pipeline is needed to recycle the condensate.
Diluent
55-650 API
Syncrude
30-350 API Syncrude 30-350 API
The tailings of the process (consisting of water, sand, clay and residual oil) are stored in a tailing dam
where settling occurs and water near the top is reused for future mining recovery (CAPP 2019 b).
Figure 143 shows Syncrude’s $1.9 billion centrifuge plant, currently under construction, which will spin
water out of tailings to allow for accelerated land reclamation. Suncor is the first Alberta oil sands
company to convert a tailings pond to a stable surface solid enough to be re-vegetated (Figure 144).
Mine land rehabilitation is conducted after water has been settled out of the tailing dams. The
rehabilitation process involves reestablishing the natural flora, fauna and land drainage of the site prior
to industrial activity. Syncrude for example, is attempting to restore old tailing dams by planting a
variety of trees and shrubs indigenous to the region and climate, as part of its reclamation process
(Figure 145).
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Figure 143. Water reclamation and recycling plant, (Syncrude Canada Flickr)
(Copyright License: Authorized by Syncrude, https://www.flickr.com/help/terms)
Figure 144. Wapisiw reclamation site in the oil sands (Image: Suncor)
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Figure 145. Land rehabilitation with indigenous flora and fauna. Suncrude
(Source: Flickr, Photographer: Roth & Ramberg Photography)
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Woodford (OK)
7,0
Austin Chalk (LA & TX)
(million barrels per day)
Jan 2018
Jan 2000
Jul 2000
Jan 2001
Jan 2002
Jul 2002
Jan 2003
Jan 2004
Jan 2005
Jan 2006
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Figure 146. Oil production of the United States tight oil sector by Basin
(Source: EIA Tight Oil estimates, Shaleprofile.com)
In the 1970s, Americans faced long lines at gasoline pumps and the country depended heavily on oil
imports from the Middle East. In 2019, the United States is the world’s largest crude oil producer,
surpassing Russia and Saudi Arabia in 2018 (EIA 2019).
The combination of new technology (horizontal drilling techniques applied with hydraulic fracturing)
and rising oil prices have made the exploration and exploitation of large volumes of shale oil possible.
More generally, from a global perspective, the fast-rising shale oil production has been a major factor
supporting non-OPEC supply growth which, together with moderating global oil demand, explains the
relative stability of Brent oil prices until mid-2014 (European Central Bank 2015).
There has been great enthusiasm and investment of hope recently for the renaissance in the
production of oil and natural gas in the United States. Starting with calls in the 2008 Obama
presidential election to “drill, baby, drill!,” politicians and industry leaders alike now hail “one hundred
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years of gas” and anticipate the U.S. regaining its crown as the world's foremost oil producer (Hughes
2011). Much of this optimism is based on the application of technologies like hydraulic fracturing
(“fracking”) and horizontal drilling to previously inaccessible shale reservoirs, and the development of
unconventional sources such as tar sands and oil shale (Hughes 2018).
The significance of this is that this extra oil production capacity stabilized global demand for crude oil,
as conventional oil production plateaued in 2005 (see Section 14.3 and Figure 147). U.S. shale (tight
oil, fracking with horizontal drilling) contributed 71.4% of new oil supply since 2005. By contrast, OPEC
has added 20% of total supply, barely enough to cover losses from countries whose production has
been declining (Figure 147).
Brazil
15 Russia 75%
Canada
US - Permian
10 US - Ex-Permian 50%
mbpd
OPEC
All Others
5 25%
- 0%
(5) -25%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
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Figure 148. A productivity heat map of oil production in the Tight Oil Sector in the United States
(Source: Enno Peter, Shale Profile Analytics, https://shaleprofile.com/)
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These oil producing volumes are separated into individual operations, each managed in separate
counties and states. The fracking operations are administered by tight oil play. Figure 149 shows a
map of the major tight oil plays in the United States. 85% of production in 2018 came from just three
plays:
Permian Basin
Eagle Ford Basin
Bakken Basin (also called Williston)
Bakken
(Williston)
Basin
DJ-Niobara Basin
Marcellus Basin
Cana Woodford Basin
Utica Basin
Granite Wash Basin
Mississippian Basin
Barnett Basin
Fayetteville Basin
Arkoma Woodford
Permian Basin Basin
Ardmore Woodford
Haynesville Basin
Basin
Figure 149. The geography of tight oil basins in the Tight Oil Sector in the United States
(Source: Enno Peter, Shale Profile Analytics, https://shaleprofile.com/)
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decrease in 2012. This is the cumulative effect of all other wells depleting, where there is more wells
depleting in 2017 than there was in 2012.
Figure 150. Daily oil production [bo/d], shown by ‘Year of first flow’ for the total US shale oil market 2010 to 2018
(Source: Enno Peter, Shale Profile Analytics, https://shaleprofile.com/)
Figure 151 shows the number of new wells being drilled by tight oil basin play between 2011 and July
2018.
Figure 151. Number of producing wells by play drilled since 2010. Data have been smoothed with a 12 month trailing
average. As of July 2018, there was 104 150 producing wells, of which 73% targeted oil prone plays
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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Figure 152 shows similar data to Figure 151 but with the drill rate in January 2016 set to 100. So for
each tight oil play basin play, the relative increase over a 30 month time frame can be seen. Also in
Figure 152 is the life cycle classification developed in Hughes 2019 (described in Section 6.6). This
shows that the majority of tight oil production by volume is in the mature stage or late stage.
Figure 152. Change in number of post-2009 producing wells by play since the beginning of 2016
(Source: Hughes 2019)
Late stage plays have very low or negative rates of producing by well additions (Barnett, Fayette and
Niobrara), whereas early stage plays have very high rates (Utica). Mature stage plays have strong
growth rates to offset field decline and increase production. Oil-prone plays are shown with solid lines
and gas plays are shown with dashed lines (Hughes 2019).
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Figure 153. U.S. tight oil and shale gas production and well counts
(Source: EIA, https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=39752)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Figure 153, 154 and 155 show the increase in horizontal drilling. Percentage increases by play are also
indicated. The overall average and the average for gas-prone and oil-prone plays are weighted by the
number of wells each play. Gas-prone plays are shown with dashed lines and oil-prone plays are shown
by solid lines (Hughes 2019).
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Figure 155 shows similar data to Figure 154 but with the drill rate in January 2012 set to 100. This
shows the relative increase in this technology. The implication is that costs of production have
increased per well.
Figure 155. Rate of increase in average horizontal lateral length by play, 2012 to 2018
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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such as western United States, where water supplies are limited (Scanlon et al 2014, Scanlon et al
2017).
Figure 156 shows the increase in horizontal drilling, water injection volume and injection volume per
lateral foot. Figures 157 to 160 shows the water use by tight oil basin.
Figure 156. Increase in water use in horizontal drilling wells, comparing 2012 to 2018
(Source: Hughes 2019)
Figure 157. Overall water consumption by play, 2011 through 2018, 2018 estimated assuming drilling rates will be
maintained through yearend. (Source: Hughes 2019)
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Figure 158. Total volume of water injected by play, 2012 to 2018. Percentage increases by play are also indicated.
(Source: Hughes 2019)
Figure 159. Rate of increase in average injection per well by play, 2012 to 2018.
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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Figure 160. Rate of change in the total volume of water injected per horizontal lateral foot by play, 2012 to 2018.
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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To illustrate how this is a valid concept, the example of a standard oil well is used. A standard well
which costs $10 million to drill and produces initially 200 barrels per day. The costs of $10 million tell
very little as the most important fact is how much this well can produce over its lifetime. Assuming a
10 year life span and implying a 5-10% yearly decline rate (which is the standard for a conventional
well), the well produces roughly 500,000 barrels during its life cycle (Figure 161).
Figure 161. Conceptual decline curve of a standard well, showing the points of initial production/first and peak production
and the decline phase. (Source: Lund 2014)
This gives then the drilling cost of $20 per produced barrel. Maintenance, taxes, license to operate,
and transportation (etc.) have to be added and divided by the amount of produced barrels. This gives
then a production cost of roughly $40 per barrel. This is the standard model of a conventional oil well.
In theory, the true cost can only be determined when a well is shut down and the actual amount of
produced barrels is known. Therefore, all of the studies for production cost are guesstimates as they
are based on an estimate about future oil production of the wells.
If now the life span of a well is much shorter than the above standard well. For the sake of simplicity,
a life span of just five years is selected, implying a yearly decline rate of 10-20 %, the amount of
produced barrels sinks to 250,000 barrels and the drilling cost increases to $40 per barrel and the total
cost surges towards $80 per barrel. This comes despite the drilling cost as well as the maintenance,
overhead, are the same as in the above example.
As a conclusion, the true costs are strongly dependent on the life span (or the yearly decline rate –
referred to very often as ‘legacy’ rate) of the well. So, if a company reports it has decreased its drilling
costs from $10 million per well to $8 million per well, it is just part of the true cost as the well may
decline much faster and thus produce less oil over its life span and the drilling cost per barrel could be
actually much higher, despite the reduction in costs per well.
This concept is highly relevant to examining the productivity of oil shale extraction. The average shale
oil (fracked) well declines in productivity much faster than a conventional oil well (Hughes 2018). This
means that to maintain production (or grow production rate) in a shale oil field, new holes have to be
drilled a much faster rate.
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Figure 162 shows the rate of change in production per foot and water injection (for the 10 largest tight
oil basin plays, accounting for 93% of the U.S. Tight Oil frontier). Figure 162 shows that average
production increased between 2010 and 2018 by 28%, but also water injection (and therefore chemical
and proppant use) increased by 118% (Hughes 2019). The 118% increase is an average across the
whole U.S. tight oil frontier. There was comparatively much less water, chemical and proppant use in
the gas prone wells compared to the oil prone wells in the same time period (Hughes 2019). Examining
just the oil prone plays, there was a 230% increase in water injection between 2010 and 2018.
Figure 162. Rate of change in production per foot and water injection for the ten largest plays, 2010 to 2018. 2010=1
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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few companies are performing well, but most are not. The 29 companies examined consumed a
combined $184 billion more capital than they generated between 2010 and 2019. The phrase used in
the report: “hemorrhaging cash every single year.”
Rystad studied 40 U.S. shale companies and found that only four had positive cash flow in the first
quarter (Rystad Energy 2019). In fact, the numbers were particularly bad in the first three months of
2019, with the companies posting a combined $4.7 billion in negative cash flow.
How this state of affairs came to be has been the subject of analysis. One possible cause is that some
of the oil producing companies have so called Negative Operating Losses (NOL) which can be carried
forward (indefinitely), and this is quite normal in many economies. Also, booked proven reserves (SEC
rules) and estimates based on actual data suggests PDP (Proven Developed Producing) are overstated
perhaps as much as 30% - 70%. This may cause balance sheets to be inflated and may have allowed
those companies to take on more debt than what would normally be considered appropriate (Likvern
2019). Primarily it is the investors’ money (equity, owners’ capital) that are at risk for shale companies
then follows creditors money (bonds, bank credit). Unsecured credit and light covenant bond/credit is
first at risk after investors equity. This suggests a market sharp downturn for investors if fracking oil is
really just a bubble that is likely to burst without higher oil prices.
That 9 out of 10 fracking companies in the U.S. tight oil sector are losing money is most unfortunate,
as global production for oil is now dependent on this sector for growth (Rapier 2019 and BP 2019
Statistical Review Energy of World Energy).
The BP 2019 Statistical Review Energy of World Energy reported a new global oil production record in
2018 of 94.7 million barrels per day, an increase of 2.22 million barrels per day over the previous year.
The U.S. extended its lead as the world's top oil producer to a record 15.3 million barrels per day. In
addition, the U.S. led all countries in increasing production over the previous year, with a gain of 2.18
million BPD (equal to 98% of the total of global additions).
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Figure 163. Three scenarios of crude oil production the United States
(Source: EIA 2019 Jan) (Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Figure 164. Energy Information Administration (EIA) ‘producing per rig’ metric by region, 2012 to 2018. Appalachia
includes the Utica and Marcellus plays and Anadarko includes the Woodford Play.
(Source: Hughes 2019)
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This assessment is highly optimistic. It does not account for observable decreases in real productivity.
Yes well productivity has increased, but it has come at a cost of increased lateral drilling per hole and
the increase of water, chemical and proppant. Figure 164 shows an EIA assessment of rig productivity
shown by tight oil basin play. The gradients of each line between January 2015 and September 2016,
are much steeper than the gradients of the same lines between June 2017 to August 2019. This in
conjunction with the increased drilling lateral lengths and increased water injection per meter,
suggests that productivity these tight oil basins are nearing their collective peak.
Well productivity is a function of technology and geological potential. There is an above ground
influence that is proving to be also relevant. Due to well depletion rates being much higher in a fracked
well compared to a conventional oil and gas well requires new wells to be drilled constantly. To
illustrate this point, Figure 165 shows the crude oil production in the U.S. Tight Oil frontier (this is the
same data and presentation as Figure 150), but any production after December 2017 was excluded.
This shows what the collective production of the U.S. Tight Oil frontier would be if drill had stopped at
the end of 2017.
Figure 165. All drilling in the U.S. Tight Oil sector, up to December 2017.
(Source: Enno Peter, Shale Profile Analytics, https://shaleprofile.com/)
Figure 165 also shows the cumulative well decline in the whole U.S. Tight Oil sector. With each passing
year, the decline of previous years continues to happen. This produces increasingly steep declines of
wells drilled in the first 12 months of production (as shown the red dotted lines in Figure 165). This
suggests that soon well depletion will be almost vertical.
It requires capital to conduct this drilling. Section 10 shows that the tight oil sector is struggling to
produce positive cash flows. This in turn would make it more difficult to justify capital investment to
sustain drilling to support production.
Table 14 shows the results of a study (Hughes 2019) across the oil and gas production of the largest
basins. The average well production decline of 86.8%, and an average field decline was 26.3% (with
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the application of maintenance drilling) and a required 5399 wells needed to be drilled to offset field
decline. This shows the rate of decline that needs to be offset if production is to remain consistent.
Table 14. Decline rates, wells needed, drilling costs, play stage and play production prognosis
(Source: Hughes 2019)
The question then becomes at what point does the negative cash flows impact the funding of new
drilling, which in turn impacts oil production? Figure 166 shows a decline in the rate increase of oil
production in the U.S. in the first half of 2019. It could be argued that the combination of the negative
cash flow and the reduction of drilling has already had an effect on the volume of oil produced here.
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2
Million Barrels a Day (mbbls/day)
1,5
0,5
-0,5
-1
-1,5
4.1.2010
4.7.2016
4.1.2008
4.7.2008
4.1.2009
4.7.2009
4.7.2010
4.1.2011
4.7.2011
4.1.2012
4.7.2012
4.1.2013
4.7.2013
4.1.2014
4.7.2014
4.1.2015
4.7.2015
4.1.2016
4.1.2017
4.7.2017
4.1.2018
4.7.2018
4.1.2019
4.7.2019
Figure 166. Year over Year change in U.S. oil production
(Source: Energy Information Agency and Rapier July 28 2019)
This suggests that the tight oil frontier is struggling to maintain consistent production, let alone
continued growth. This is probably due to a lack of capital investment required to mainatin drilling
rather than geological limits.
The recent boom in US tight oil (considered to be a market bubble by many analysts, is fuelled by low
interest rates and record oil industry debt) has been responsible for most additional supply since the
peak in conventional oil in 2005.
The date of peak oil production in the tight oil sector is very difficult to estimate due to the nature of
modelling life cycles of shale oil deposits, it is likely to be in terminal decline within the next 5 to 10
years, with the possibility that it has already peaked due to contraction of upstream capital investment.
This means that Tight Oil while a short term investment bonanza, is not a long term solution to
maintaining oil supply to meet global demand. Underneath Tight Oil supply, conventional oil still
declines. Tight Oil does not invalidate peak oil, it merely postpones it for a few years.
Shale oil companies may be having difficulties with cash flow (many are in negative cash flows), but
the economic reality is this: The global economy cannot continue to expand at a normal pace without
a commensurate increase in the oil supply. The only sector that is expanding at all, is shale oil fields,
where conventional field volumes are declining. Regardless of the environmental problems with
fracking, it is the lifeblood of the global economy and absolutely essential to the world's prosperity.
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8 OIL REFINING
After crude oil is removed from the ground, it is sent to a refinery where different parts of the crude
oil are separated into useable petroleum products (Figure 167). These petroleum products include
gasoline, distillates such as diesel fuel and heating oil, jet fuel, petrochemical feedstocks, waxes,
lubricating oils, and asphalt. On average, 44.4% of petroleum becomes gasoline (Source: EIA 2006).
There really are no waste products from petroleum. The lighter chemicals are natural gas, liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG), jet fuel, and kerosene. The heavier products are used for the manufacture of
lubricants, plastics, and asphalt. In addition, many less valuable products can be chemically converted
into more saleable compounds.
Petroleum
consumption
45.2% (19 gallons)
Diesel
A 42 gallon
consumption
barrel of Oil
26.2% (11 gallons)
Jet fuel
consumption 9.5%
(4 gallons)
Figure 167. Refining oil into industrially useful products (Source: data from EIA 2006 –Refining of crude oil)
Light, sweet crudes have a higher proportion of the light molecules used to make premium fuels like
gasoline, naphtha, and – to some extent – diesel. Heavy crudes have a higher proportion of molecules
that can only be used to make diesel fuel or residual fuels oils that are sold at a discount to ships or
power producers. Heavy crudes are also more difficult to refine, requiring intensive processing using
catalytic cracking and coking units.
Heavy crude oils (and bitumen) are cheaper for the refiner to buy, but they require more processing to
yield lower-value products. Modern complex refineries, however, can convert and upgrade the heavy
residuals left over from distillation into lighter and more valuable molecules by processes called
cracking and coking. The end products are premium products such as gasoline, naphtha, jet fuel, and
road diesel.
The quality of crude oils are highly variable, not only differing from one source to the next but even
within individual sources. Shale oils for example can be high in solids, including high-melting point
waxes, which can accumulate and cause equipment blockages. Other issues that can affect shale oil
processing include the presence of hydrogen sulfide (which produces that “rotten egg” smell) and the
potential for corrosive salt build-up. For example, oil supplied from the U.S. Tight Oil Bakken and Eagle
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Ford plays are too light: while they yield liquid petroleum gas (LPG), gasoline, and diesel, they don’t
have enough “gas oil” and residue to keep the gasoline-making heart of refineries running properly
(EIA 2018).
Table 15, Figures 168 to 171 show the refinery throughput on a global scale. As can be observed, the
United States and China dominate the global market, where between them, they account for 34% of
refining capacity and 35% of refinery throughput.
Global refining capability has approximately 11% extra capacity, should crude oil supply should
increase. This means that as of 2018, the global oil market is not refinery limited.
Table 15. Global refinery capacity, throughput and spare capacity (Source: BP Statistical review of World Energy 2019)
Refinery Refinery Capacity Refinery Refinery Throughput Extra Refining Spare Refining
Country
Capacity Global Rank Throughput Global Rank Capacity Capacity
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (%)
United States 18 762 1 16 962 1 1 800 9,59 %
China 15 655 2 12 441 2 3 214 20,53 %
Russian Federation 6 596 3 5 833 3 763 11,57 %
India 4 972 4 5 154 4
South Korea 3 346 5 3 030 6 316 9,44 %
Japan 3 343 6 3 059 5 284 8,50 %
Saudi Arabia 2 835 7 2 770 7 65 2,29 %
Brazil 2 285 8 1 733 10 552 24,16 %
Iran 2 225 9 2 026 8 199 8,94 %
Germany 2 085 10 1 775 9 310 14,87 %
Canada 2 025 11 1 656 11 369 18,22 %
Italy 1 900 12 1 346 13 554 29,16 %
Spain 1 564 13 1 365 12 199 12,72 %
Mexico 1 546 14
Singapore 1 514 15 1 047 17 467 30,85 %
Venezuela 1 303 16
Netherlands 1 294 17
France 1 245 18 1 086 15 159 12,77 %
Thailand 1 235 19 1 131 14 104 8,42 %
UAE 1 229 20 1 044 18 185 15,05 %
United Kingdom 1 227 21 1 054 16 173 14,10 %
Indonesia 1 116 22
Taiwan 1 083 23
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Canada
Refinery Throughput 2018 2,00% Brazil
2,09%
France
Thailand 1,31%
1,36% Rest of World United States Germany
22,23% 20,45% 2,14%
Spain
Singapore 1,65%
1,26%
United Kingdom
China 1,27%
15,00% Iran Russian Federation
Japan 2,44% 7,03%
3,69%
India UAE Saudi Arabia
6,21% 1,26% 3,34%
Canada
Brazil
60 000
Germany
Iran
Saudi Arabia
40 000 South Korea
Japan
India
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Refinery Capacity
Thailand
Taiwan
Indonesia
100 000 UAE
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Thousands of Barrels per day (kbbls/day)
France
80 000 Singapore
Venezuela
Spain
Mexico
60 000 Italy
Iran
Canada
Germany
40 000 Brazil
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Japan
20 000 India
Russian Federation
China
US
0 Rest of World
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
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Petroleum refining begins with the distillation, or fractionation, of crude oils into separate hydrocarbon
groups. The resultant products are directly related to the characteristics of the crude oil being
processed. Most of these products of distillation are further converted into more useable products by
changing their physical and molecular structures through cracking, reforming and other conversion
processes. These products are subsequently subjected to various treatment and separation processes,
such as extraction, hydrotreating and sweetening, in order to produce finished products. Whereas the
simplest refineries are usually limited to atmospheric and vacuum distillation, integrated refineries
incorporate fractionation, conversion, treatment and blending with lubricant, heavy fuels and asphalt
manufacturing; they may also include petrochemical processing. Most refineries, regardless of
complexity, perform a few basic steps in the refining process (Fahim et al 2010 and Jones 2008):
Distillation
Cracking
Treating
Reforming
These processes are often grouped into the following main operating areas (using example of the
Chevron operation Pascagoula Refinery – Jones 2008).
Crude/Aromatics
Cracking I
RDS/Coker
Cracking II
Sulfur Recovery Unit
8.1 Distillation
Modern distillation involves pumping oil through pipes in hot furnaces and separating light
hydrocarbon molecules from heavy ones in downstream distillation towers – the tall, narrow columns
that give refineries their distinctive skylines. Using a generic example, refining process begins when
crude oil is distilled in two large Crude Units that each have three distillation columns, one that
operates at near atmospheric pressure, and two others that operate at less than atmospheric pressure,
(for example a low vacuum) (Fahim et al 2010 and Jones 2008).
During this process, the lightest materials, like propane and butane, vaporize and rise to the top of the
first atmospheric column. Medium weight materials, including gasoline, jet and diesel fuels, condense
in the middle. Heavy materials (usually termed gas oils) condense in the lower portion of the
atmospheric column. The heaviest tar-like material, called residuum, is referred to as the “bottom of
the barrel” because it never really rises.
In some cases, distillation columns are operated at less than atmospheric pressure (low vacuum) to
lower the temperature at which a hydrocarbon mixture boils. This “vacuum distillation” (VDU) reduces
the chance of thermal decomposition (cracking) due to overheating the mixture. Using the process
control systems, refinery operators control the temperatures in the distillation columns which are
designed with pipes to withdraw the various types of products where they condense. Products from
the top, middle and bottom of the column travel through these pipes to different plants for further
refining.
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This distillation process is repeated in multiple other plants in a series step process as the oil is further
refined to make various products.
8.3 Combining
While the cracking processes break most of the gas oil into gasoline and jet fuel, they also break off
some pieces that are lighter than product termed gasoline. The most cost efficient by volume group
of saleable products is transportation fuels. So the process used to valorize these really short chain
hydrocarbons (that would normally be a waste product) is to recombine all of the lighter components
(collected all over the refinery) in an Alkylation Unit(s). This process takes the small molecules and
recombines them in the presence of sulfuric acid catalyst to convert them into high octane gasoline.
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Nitrogen is transformed into ammonia which is removed from the process by water-washing. Later,
the water is treated to recover the ammonia as a pure product for use in the production of fertilizer.
Low sulfur vacuum gas oil, is then fed to the FCC (fluid catalytic cracker) Unit which then cracks it into
high value products such as gasoline and diesel.
8.5 Reforming
Octane rating is a key measurement of how well a gasoline performs in an ICE automobile engine.
Much of the gasoline that comes from the Crude Units or from the Cracking Units does not have enough
octane to burn well in cars (Fahim et al 2010 and Jones 2008). The reforming process actually removes
hydrogen from low-octane gasoline. The hydrogen is used as a feed blending stream throughout the
refinery in various cracking (hydrocracking) and treating (hydrotreating) units.
The gasoline process streams in the refinery that have a fairly low octane rating are sent to a Reforming
Unit where their octane levels are boosted. These reforming units employ precious-metal catalysts –
platinum and rhenium (which have the industry name “rheniformers). In the reforming process,
hydrocarbon molecules are “reformed” into high octane gasoline components. For example, methyl
cyclohexane is reformed into toluene.
8.6 Blending
A final and critical step is the blending of products. Gasoline, for example, is blended from treated
components made in several processing units, which are then stored (Figure 172). In many refineries
this task is performed in the Blending and Shipping Area, where operators precisely combine the
process stream products to ensure that the final product blend has the right octane level, vapor
pressure rating and other important specifications. All products are blended in a similar fashion to
produce a saleable product that can be consistently pass a QA/QC characterization step.
Figure 172. Refined petroleum products stored for transport to the market
(Image by LEEROY Agency from Pixabay)
Figure 173 shows a picture of a petroleum refinery in the United States. Figure 174 shows a generic
process flowsheet that describes the basic steps an oil refinery.
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Figure 173. Oil refinery in Indiana USA (Source: Image by jpenrose from Pixabay)
Jet Fuel
Motor Gasoline
Hydrotreating
Diesel
Aviation Gasoline
Hydrotreating
Distillation Column
Gas Oil
95% Jet
Hydrocracking
Alkylation
Catalytic
Cracking Diesel
Crude
Oil
Refined
Gas Oil
Hydrotreating
Petroleum Products
Bunker Fuel
(Maritime Shipping)
Residual
Processing Petroleum Coke
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The United States the world’s largest capacity for oil refining. It imports a lot of crude oil from all over
the world. Figure 175 and 176 shows the quality of oil refined in the United States in context of imports
and domestic supply. The light crude that is produced in the United States is often better quality than
the imported crude oils. In 2018, 7.5 million barrels a day (97%) of imported crude oil had an API gravity
of 40 or lower, compared with 4.7 million (45%) barrels a day of U.S. domestic production.
Figure 175. U.S. imported and domestic crude oil by API gravity category, 2015 to 2018
(Source: Monthly Crude Oil and Natural gas Production and Monthly Imports Report, EIA 2019 Oct a)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
Figure 176. Quality of the crude oil produced in the United States, 2015 to 2019
(Source: Monthly Crude Oil and Natural gas Production, EIA 2019 Oct a)
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
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Table 16 shows the calorific properties of the refined products that are refined in the oil & gas industry.
Table 16. Higher and Lower Calorific Values of fuels
(Source: The Engineering Toolbox https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/fuels-higher-calorific-values-d_169.html )
Density Higher Heating Value (HHV) Lower Heating Value (LHV)
Fuel (Gross Calorific Value - GCV) (Net Calorific Value - NCV)
@0°C/32°F, 1 bar
Gaseous fuels [kg/m3] [g/ft3] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/m3] [Btu/ft3] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/m3] [Btu/ft3]
@15°C/60°F, 1
bar
Liquid fuels [kg/l] [g/gal] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/l] [Btu/gal] [kWh/kg] [MJ/kg] [Btu/lb] [MJ/l] [Btu/gal]
Acetone 0,79 2,98 8,83 31,80 13671,00 25,00 89792,00 8,22 29,60 12726,00 23,30 83580,00
Butane 0,60 3,07 13,64 49,10 21109,00 29,50 105875,00 12,58 45,30 19475,00 27,20 97681,00
Butanol 0,80 10,36 37,30 16036,00 30,20 108359,00 9,56 34,40 14789,00 27,90 99934,00
Diesel fuel* 0,85 3,20 12,67 45,60 19604,00 38,60 138412,00 11,83 42,60 18315,00 36,00 129306,00
Dimethyl ether (DME) 0,67 2,52 8,81 31,70 13629,00 21,10 75655,00 8,03 28,90 12425,00 19,20 68973,00
Ethane 0,57 2,17 14,42 51,90 22313,00 29,70 106513,00 13,28 47,80 20550,00 27,30 98098,00
Ethanol (100%) 0,79 2,99 8,25 29,70 12769,00 23,40 84076,00 7,42 26,70 11479,00 21,10 75583,00
Diethyl ether (ether) 0,72 2,71 11,94 43,00 18487,00 30,80 110464,00
Gasoline (petrol)* 0,74 2,79 12,89 46,40 19948,00 34,20 122694,00 12,06 43,40 18659,00 32,00 114761,00
Gas oil (heating oil)* 0,84 3,18 11,95 43,00 18495,00 36,10 129654,00 11,89 42,80 18401,00 36,00 128991,00
Glycerin 1,26 4,78 5,28 19,00 8169,00 24,00 86098,00
Heavy fuel oil* 0,98 3,71 11,61 41,80 17971,00 41,00 146974,00 10,83 39,00 16767,00 38,20 137129,00
Kerosene* 0,82 3,11 12,83 46,20 19862,00 37,90 126663,00 11,94 43,00 18487,00 35,30 126663,00
Light fuel oil* 0,96 3,63 12,22 44,00 18917,00 42,20 151552,00 11,28 40,60 17455,00 39,00 139841,00
LNG* 0,43 1,62 15,33 55,20 23732,00 23,60 84810,00 13,50 48,60 20894,00 20,80 74670,00
LPG* 0,54 2,03 13,69 49,30 21195,00 26,50 94986,00 12,64 45,50 19561,00 24,40 87664,00
Marine gas oil* 0,86 3,24 12,75 445,90 19733,00 39,20 140804,00 11,89 42,80 18401,00 36,60 131295,00
Methanol 0,79 2,99 6,39 23,00 9888,00 18,20 65274,00 5,54 19,90 8568,00 15,80 56562,00
Methyl ester (biodiesel) 0,89 3,36 11,17 40,20 17283,00 35,70 128062,00 10,42 37,50 16122,00 33,30 119460,00
MTBE 0,74 2,81 10,56 38,00 16337,00 28,20 101244,00 9,75 35,10 15090,00 26,10 93517,00
* Fuels which consist of a mixture of several different compounds may vary in quality between seasons
and markets. The given values are for fuels with the given density. The variation in quality may give
heating values within a range 5 -10% higher and lower than the given value. Also the solid fuels will have
a similar quality variation for the different classes of fuel.
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Technology has been developing in complexity as well as cost. This is how oil has been able to be
extracted reliably in such extreme circumstances (compared to the beginning of the oil industry in the
late 1800’s).
Currently society requires a stable oil market and does not cope well with price spikes. There is a high
risk that peak oil production will happen when the cost of oil production sharply increases. Figure
177 shows conceptually this concept.
Figure 177. Reaching limits eventually leads to sharp cost of production increases
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followed by a reduction. In 2008, the Global Finacial Crisis (GFC) had the rippled effect of all activity
that did not directly generate revenue was discontinued. After the GFC, investment in epxloration was
able to be justified again. In spite of the extra capital spent in exploration, the rates of discovery for
new oil deposits continued to fall (see Section 13).
Figure 178. Cost of oil and gas exploration is increasing (IOC majors)
(Source: Evaluateenergy.com)
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Figure 179. International Oil Companies (IOC) crude oil upstream Capital Investment CAPEX
(Source: EIA (crude production), IEA WEO 2003, 2010 and 2016 (CAPEX))
(Copyright License: https://www.eia.gov/about/copyrights_reuse.php)
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Figure 180. Global liquid supply curve, the break even production price for different oil producing regions
(Source: Rystad Energy UCube Research & Analysis 2019)
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"Over 70% of global energy investments will be government-driven and as such the message
is clear – the world’s energy destiny lies with decisions and policies made by governments."
- Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA WEO 2018
To date, oil industry analysts have used a traditional demand constrained prediction model, where the
only limits to oil supply are available CAPEX capital to start new projects (Figure 182).
Figure 182. The traditional fossil fuel supply and demand forecasting model (demand constrained)
(Source: Kopits 2014 b)
Virtually all forecasters (investment banks, oil companies, and industry analysts, the US and other
nation state governments) use demand-constrained models like in Figure 182 (Kopits 2014 a & b).
Supply growth is a function of non-OPEC supply and OPEC supply. One of the purposes of OPEC is to
stabilize prices with increased production or production cuts. Figure 183 shows the difficulties demand
constraint models have had over the last 10-15 years.
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Figure 183. International Oil Companies (IOC) crude oil upstream Capital Investment CAPEX and oil production
(Source: Douglas Westwood Analyst – Stephen Kopits)
Figure 183 shows a very important temporal marker. CAPEX investment in constructing new projects
steadily increased from 2000 to 2014. Between 2000 and 2012, $USD 212 billion was invested, yet
only 1.4% increase in oil production was returned (this includes US tight oil plays). CAPEX productivity
has fallen by a factor of five since 2000, with an observed decline trend now approaching 5% per year.
Costs in CAPEX and OPEX for the oil industry are now rising quickly in an unprecedented fashion. In
the year 2000, there was a change in CAGR (compound annual growth rate) for oil production costs
(upstream + downstream) (Figure 184).
Figure 184. Oil exploration and production (E&P) CAPEX per barrel
(Source: IEA, Barclays Research and Kopits 2014b)
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This change suggests an evolution from a demand constrained system to a supply constrained system.
Profits have stagnated because production costs have risen (and still do so) faster than revenues
returned. Exploration and production CAPEX has been rising by a consistent 11% per year since 2000.
As a direct consequence, a number of projects have consequently been deferred, cancelled or returned
for re-evaluation. This implies that the business model supporting the oil industry is about to evolve
from a demand constrained profile (Figure 182) to a supply constrained profile (Figure 185) (Kopits
2014 a & b).
Figure 185. The unconventional fossil fuel supply and demand forecasting model (supply constrained)
(Source: Kopits 2014 b)
So a supply constrained global system for the oil is not constrained by the volume of oil deposits in the
ground, but by the number of economically viable projects available to be developed at a low enough
production cost. The supply constrained forecasting model applies a “binding constraint” paradigm of
economic growth. When oil supply growth is insufficient, reducing GDP growth. This has yet to be
accepted by the oil industry, as Figure 184 shows, the oil industry may have been operating like this
since the year 2000.
Another school of thought for the data shown in Figure 184, is that the true breakout point was actually
2004 (Åarsnes 2020). The explanation for the increase in the investment cost was due to a "payback"
period where the supply industry to the oil and gas industry broke out from the old pricing model of
keeping production costs down as much as possible and adding a restrained margin, and started to
price their products based on a mark-to-market planning.
This effectively linked the pricing of the supply industry products and services, to the oil price curve.
As the oil price increased, the supply industry were able to increase their support prices accordingly,
and the oil and gas operators continued to buy because they got their gain back from the increase in
the oil price, thus the business was still viable (Åarsnes 2020).
The implications of this is that the logistical support and supply companies, not the oil and gas operator
companies, are the forces of change that are driving up the oil price.
What is clear though that as time has gone on, exploration and extraction has had to have happened
in increasingly more difficult to access sites. Oil deposits have been at an increasingly deep depth,
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often under deep water in the ocean. Exploration holes are more expensive in this circumstance.
Multiple holes are often drilled, where most do not produce oil, before a producing well is established
(cost of exploration increases). Once the deposits have been found, the cost of extraction is often
higher (cost of off shore platform, etc.). Once the oil is stored on the surface, the cost of refining is
often more expensive as the quality of the oil is ‘heavier’ and more ‘sour’. All of this has been driving
the costs of production up and is highly unlikely to decrease.
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Shallow water
DECLINING ERoEI
offshore
Figure 186. The pyramid of oil and gas resource volume versus resource quality
In addition to this, the effort and complexity in extracting useful energy out of each of these resources
has been degrading over time. The golden era of the last century when much of our industrialization
technology was developed and constructed, energy resources had a much higher return. A method of
analysis that describes this deterioration is the Energy Returned on Energy Invested (ERoEI). The ratio
of energy extracted to the energy expended in the process is often referred to as the Energy Return on
Energy Investment (ERoEI or EROI). Should the ERoEI drops to one, or equivalently the Net energy gain
falls to zero, the oil production is no longer a net energy source. The basic ERoEI ratio is defined in
Equation 3.
There are a number of excellent references that examine ERoEI analysis more completely than shown
in this report (Mearns 2016, Hall et al. 2012, Hall et al. 2014, Hu et al. 2011, Ferroni & Hopkirk 2016,
Fizaine & Court 2016, and Murphy et al. 2011). In doing so, an attempt is made to directly compare all
22.12.2019
energy sources into the same analysis, where the effort expended to operate at different time periods
is also compared. This is not to be confused with the Economic Cost of Energy (Equation 4) (Hall and
Klitgaard, 2012). Much of the modern economic development has been assumed that Equation 4
matches reality.
Actually conducting these studies is not straight forward. It is not clear what should and should not be
included. The straight energy consumption from the relevant resource to power equipment in
extraction is just the beginning. The energy consumed in extracting the raw materials to make the
equipment also needs to be considered. As does refining and transportation from source to point of
application, in all forms. Where matters get unclear is how to include human labor, efficiency of
extraction at different geographies and climates, the development and application of new
technologies, maintenance and replacement cycles, depreciation and deterioration of assets and how
to include all of this in the same analysis where the outcome makes logical sense. It is for this reason
that many ERoEI studies differ in their conclusions.
There is much disagreement on how to approach this topic. There are many methodological
discrepancies related with the functional units used in analysis. For example joules of heat energy
versus joules of grid electricity. For a difference in boundaries used where the analysis starts and stops.
For example, the well head versus the end use or energy technology versus energy system. Boundaries
used in the literature for ERoEI analysis can be summarized as:
Standard ERoEI calculation is applied to fuel at the point where it leaves the extraction or production facility
(well head for oil & gas, or Run of Mine for coal, farm gate for biofuels). Standard ERoEI includes the on-site
and offsite (energy needed to make the products used on site) energy requirements to get energy. For
example to build, operate and maintain a power plant.
Point of use ERoEI includes the energy costs to get and deliver the fuel to the point of use for society. For
example refinement and transportation.
Extended ERoEI includes the energy required to get, deliver and use a unit of energy. For example the energy
required to produce the machinery and devices used to build, operate and maintain a power plant or a
transport facility as well as the energy required for exploration, investment, communication, labor, etc. in the
energy system.
Calculating these terms can get complex and impractical. If they are done appropriately though, they
relate as follows:
Standard ERoEI > Point of use ERoEI > Extended ERoEI (Equation 5)
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To produce a useful results, dynamic ERoEI analysis should be used where possible, where the net
energy sued by society is examined, accounting for operating consumption of a given energy system,
where Equation 6 is applied to each box in Figure 187, then summed together.
1
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 = 𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑 × (1 − 𝐸𝑅𝑜𝐸𝐼) (Equation 6)
Energy delivered
to society
A graphical method to describe the relevance of ERoEI has been developed by a number of analysts on
the internet blog The Oil Drum (http://www.theoildrum.com/ ) (Mearns 2016) called the Net Energy
Cliff (Figure 188). The dark grey section is the net energy available for society to use. The pale grey
section is proportion of energy consumed in collecting that energy to make it useable. Declining ERoEI
will exacerbate the problem of peak fossil fuels.
There are two ERoEI thresholds below which the modern western society will struggle to function at
(Hall et al 2014):
ERoEI 11:1 The minimum to maintain complex technology and information based structures like the
internet, credit banking finance transfer system, just in time supply grid, integrated electronics
manufacture, regional continuous grid supplied smooth sinusoidal wave quality electrical power supply,
tertiary level hospitals, etc.
ERoEI 7:1 The minimum to maintain the bare necessities of public utility services like potable drinking
water supply, sewerage sanitation, localized intermittent supply poor quality rough wave electrical
power supply, intermittent goods supply grid with 6 month lag times, etc.
Capellán-Pérez et al 2019 calculates that the thresholds are lower again, but this may be appropriate
as society transitions out of fossil fuels.
Current Western society is comparatively fragile compared to historical societies. Once current society
falls below one of these thresholds for a relatively short time (estimated 3 - 6 months), and/or does
not receive aid from an external source, transformation and evolution of that society will be
desired/required/forced (Smil 2008).
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(ERoEI)
Net energy for society Energy consumed to gather energy
Conventional oil and gas are considered together as they are often extracted together and processed
in the same refinery. There is great variation on the ERoEI of different fields and operations. Does the
study include:
Is the operation on land or offshore?
If it’s offshore, in how deep water out in the ocean?
How deep is the drill depth?
What is the quality of the oil? (For example sulphur content)
What steps in refining are required to make a saleable product?
When oil extraction first started and ‘oil gushers’ were observed, ERoEI for oil was an extraordinary
500:1. In the 1900-1930 era, ERoEI for oil was still 100:1. In 1970, ERoEI for oil was approximately
30:1.
What a decline in ERoEI means in context of an oil resource is a decline in quality. The deposit is harder
to get to (deeper in drilling depth) or under the ocean floor (more expensive in terms of CAPEX and
OPEX). Once the oil has been extracted, the quality of the oil itself is heavier and sourer in sulfur
content. This requires more refining steps, which decreases the net value of the oil.
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Figure 189. The Lucas gusher at Spindletop 1902 (LHS) and Gusher in Port Arthur, Texas Oil Well in 1901 (RHS)
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Figure 190. The Pennsylvania oil rush in northwestern Pennsylvania from 1859 to the early 1870s (LHS)
The Tulsa gusher at Oaklahoma and (RHS)
Very quickly the oil boom took hold and oil became the foundation master resource for the industrial
economy (Burrough 2010). In this era of oil extraction, ERoEI was approximately 100:1 with examples
of even higher values. What is interesting to note that investment culture at the time also saw oil in
terms of 100:1 for return on investment (with some examples up to 500:1 in 1880). As in, for every
dollar you invest, you would get a return of 100 dollars. So in 1900, the difference between Equation
1 and Equation 2 would be very little compared to the same comparison in 2019. Coal and steam
power was made obsolete by the internal combustion engine. Extensive infrastructure was
constructed to exploit vast oil fields in the United States as quickly as possible (Figure 191 and 192).
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Figure 191. A forest of oil derricks sprouts up on the Signal Hill oil field, Long Beach, California, in 1934
Figure 192. A forest of oil derricks sprouts up on the Signal Hill oil field, Long Beach, California, in 1937
In 2017 however, much more effort is required to get the same unit of oil compared to 1900 in Texas.
Processing and refining steps are now much more complex. The startup CAPEX capital expenditure
costs of commissioning an oil extraction well have been steadily increasing.
In terms of oil extraction infrastructure, offshore drill platforms are now accounting for 1/3 of global
oil production. These structure are quite large in size and scale (Figure 193). In addition to this, these
large scale industrial structures are required to operate in increasingly deep areas of ocean and drill to
increasingly deep drill depths starting from the ocean floor (Figure 122).
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Also, as most oil extracted now is classified as sour crude, the stages of oil refining have become more
complex. The size and scope of an oil refinery have become much more complex than oil refining in
1900 (Figure 194 and 195). The energy cost of refining is also getting more difficult.
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Figure 196 shows the global energy-return-on-investment (EROI) of oil, from the beginning of reported
production in 1860 (Court and Fizaine 2017). The EROI is the ratio of the quantity of energy delivered
by a given process to the quantity of energy consumed in this same process. Hence, the EROI is a
measure of the accessibility of a resource, meaning that the higher the EROI, the greater the amount
of net energy delivered to society in order to support economic growth (Hall et al. 2014).
As can be observed in Figure 196, the EROI of global oil production reached its maximum values in the
1930s–40s, around 50:1, and have declined subsequently. This means that the best industrially useful
returns from oil as an energy source is decades in the past. Figure 197 shows the same analysis for all
fossil fuel energy (oil, gas and coal). This figure shows that the usefulness of fossil fuels is also in the
past, with a collective peak at around 1960.
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EROI (dmnl)
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Figure 189 to 197 show how more physical work and infrastructure has gone into producing a given
unit volume of oil saleable oil in 2013 compared to 1900. More energy has been invested than ever
before for the same return. Thus the ERoEI and EROI for oil in has degraded and reduced.
Table 17. Energy Returned on Energy Invested for fossil fuel sources (References taken from several sources, as quoted)
Energy Source Year Country ERoEI Reference
Conventional Oil & Gas production 1999 Global 35:1 Gagnon 2009
Conventional Oil & Gas production 2006 Global 18:1 Gagnon 2009
Conventional Oil & Gas (Domestic) 1970 United States 30:1 Cleveland et al 1984, Hall et al 1986
Discoveries 1970 United States 8:1 Cleveland et al 1984, Hall et al 1986
Production 1970 United States 20:1 Cleveland et al 1984, Hall et al 1986
Conventional Oil & Gas (Domestic) 2007 United States 11:1 Guilford et al 2011
Conventional Oil & Gas (Imported) 2007 United States 12:1 Guilford et al 2011
Conventional Oil & Gas production 1970 Canada 65:1 Freise 2011
Oil & Gas production 2010 Canada 15:1 Freise 2011
Conventional Oil & Gas production 2008 Norway 40:1 Grandell 2011
Conventional Oil production 2008 Norway 21:1 Grandell 2011
Conventional Oil & Gas production 2009 Mexico 45:1 Ramirez 2013
Conventional Oil & Gas production 2010 China 10:1 Hu et al 2011
Hydraulic Fracking Natural Gas 2005 United States 67:1 Sell et al 2011
Natural Gas 1993 Canada 38:1 Freise 2011
Natural Gas 2000 Canada 26:1 Freise 2011
Natural Gas 2009 Canada 20:1 Freise 2011
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Table 18 shows a summary of the ERoEI calculations for the non-fossil fuel energy systems. These
systems are used to generate electricity. Table 19 shows the calorific density energy content of the
fossil fuel products and the relative efficiency of energy conversion in the Internal Combustion Engine
(ICE) technologies. In comparison, Table 20 shows the calorific density energy content of the non-fossil
fuel systems and their relative efficiencies in electrical power generation.
Table 18. Energy Returned on Energy Invested for non-fossil fuel sources
Energy Source ERoEI Reference
Nuclear 15:1 Hall et al 2011
Nuclear (incuding U mining & enrichment) 5:1 Lenzen 2008
Table 19. Refined Petroleum Products (Source: OECD Data Statistics Database and Table 16)
Energy Content of Energy Efficiency of
Fuel ICE Technology Reference
Fuel ICE Technology
Crude Oil 41.87 MJ/kg N/A
Diesel Fuel Oil 45.6 MJ/kg Diesel Engine 35-42% Kiameh 2013
Heavy Fuel Oil 41.8 MJ/kg Diesel Engine 35-42% Kiameh 2013
Petrol (Gasoline) 46.4 MJ/kg Petrol Engine 25-50% Kiameh 2013
Jet Fuel 43.0 MJ/kg Jet Turbine 36-48% Griggs et al 2014
Table 20. Efficiency of electric power generation by fuel source (Referenced from Table 16)
Energy Content of Efficiency of Power
Power Generation System Fuel Reference
Fuel Generation from Fuel
Coal Coal 8.06 MJ/kg 32-42% Kiameh 2013
Gas Gas 40.6 MJ/m3 32-38% Kiameh 2013
Nuclear Enriched Uranium 2000 MJ/Kg 0.27% Kiameh 2013
Hydroelectric Moving water - 85-90% Abu-Rub et al 2014
Wind Moving air - 35-45% Abu-Rub et al 2014
Solar PV Sunlight - 15-20% Abu-Rub et al 2014
Solar Thermal Sunlight - 20 % Abu-Rub et al 2014
Geothermal Geological heat - 10-35% Abu-Rub et al 2014
Biowaste to energy Biowaste 12-35 MJ/kg 13 % Biswas 2009
Fuel Oil Diesel Crude Oil 46.6 MJ/kg 38 % Kiameh 2013
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Nuclear
Wave
Biomass
(ERoEI)
Net energy for society Energy consumed to gather energy
Figure 198. The net energy cliff with published numbers of ERoEI from Tables 17 and 18
To appropriately compare Table 17 and Table 18 together a consistent and comprehensive dynamic
ERoEI needs to be applied to the same macro scale industrial ecosystem, where each of these sources
supply energy in some form. Each one of these studies have been done to a separate paradigm, using
different input assumptions and boundaries and often have inconsistent material units. Most of these
studies may have been done with a static or standard ERoEI paradigm using just Equation 3. This means
that the results shown in Figure 198 should be treated as rough guide, not a precise calculation. As
such comparing sources in this context is not that useful beyond a few very blunt statements:
The fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) being extracted now are much lower in ERoEI than what was
extracted 80 to 100 years ago.
The non-fossil fuel systems being examined to replace fossil fuels, are generally lower in ERoEI.
This trend of decline in ERoEI is likely to continue as most non-fossil fuel systems depend on
fossil fuels in some form to function.
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Iran
1990 Rest of World 8,8 %
25,7 % Iraq
9,4 %
Kuwait
Russian Federation 9,2 %
(Est.)
5,2 %
Venezuela
Saudi Arabia
5,7 %
24,6 %
Nigeria Libya US
1,6 % 2,2 % 3,2 %
Canada China Norway United
1,1 % 1,5 % 0,8 % Kingdom
0,4 %
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Table 21 shows the total global proved reserves of oil at the end of 2018 in thousand million barrels.
Table 21. Proved oil reserves (Source: BP Statistical World Energy Review 2019)
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Table 22 shows the only 6 nations still expanding production (Also Figure 201). The U.S. relies on Tight
Oil fracking and Canada relies on oil sands to expand production. This represents 46.3% of reserves
and 45.7% of 2018 global production.
Table 22. Oil producing countries still growing capacity
(Source: BP Statistical World Energy Review 2019)
Country Reserves Peak Year Production in 2010 Production in 2018
(billion barrels) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
United States 61,2 still growing 7 552 15 311
Saudi Arabia 297,7 still growing 9 865 12 287
Canada 167,8 still growing 3 332 5 208
Iraq 147,2 still growing 2 469 4 614
UAE 97,8 still growing 2 937 3 942
Kazakhstan 30,0 still growing 1 676 1 927
Reserves of countries still with 801,7 Production of countries still growing 43 289
growing production capacity (Including U.S. Conventional Oil)
Table 23. Table #. Oil producing countries that have peaked production
(Source: BP Statistical World Energy Review 2019)
Country Reserves Peak Year Production At Peak Production in 2018
(billion barrels) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
Russian Federation 106,2 1987 11 484 11 438
Iran 155,6 1974 6 060 4 715
China 25,9 2015 4 309 3 798
Kuwait 101,5 1972 3 339 3 049
Brazil 13,4 2017 2 721 2 683
Nigeria 37,5 2005 2 499 2 051
Mexico 7,7 2004 3 824 2 068
Qatar 25,2 2013 1 991 1 879
Venezuela 303,3 1970 3 754 1 514
Libya 48,7 1970 3 357 1 010
United Kingdom 2,5 1999 2 909 1 085
Norway 8,6 2001 3 418 1 844
Rest of World 91,90 2008 16 647 14 295
Table 23 and Figure 202 show the countries that have now peaked crude oil production. This
represents 53.7% of global reserves and 54.3% of global production in 2018. This means that more
than half of all reserves and production is now declining in capacity. Just so, prognosis to grow the oil
sector for the future while human population is actually increasing is grim.
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Oil)
30 000 Kazakhstan
UAE
20 000
Iraq
Saudi Arabia
0
1991
2001
2011
1985
1987
1989
1993
1995
1997
1999
2003
2005
2007
2009
2013
2015
2017
Figure 201. Oil producing countries still growing capacity
(Source: BP Statistical World Energy Review 2019)
40 000 Libya
35 000 Venezuela
Qatar
30 000
Mexico
(kbbls/day)
25 000
Nigeria
20 000
Brazil
15 000 Kuwait
10 000 China
Iran
5 000
Rest of World
0
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
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Of the 193 countries in the United Nations assembly (all of which consume oil as a critical necessity),
only 7 of them have the capacity to grow oil production capacity while all other producing nations are
declining. These countries are: Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, UAE, Kazakhstan, Canada and the United
States.
However, this statistic is by nation state. If one was to consider each crude oil producing operation, it
is estimated that 81% of world liquids production is already in decline (excluding future
redevelopments) (Ahmed 2017). The HSBC study (Fustier et al 2016) quoted a projected probable
range for average decline rate on post-peak production is 5-7%, equivalent to around 3-4.5mb/d of lost
production every year from 2016 forward. Small oilfields typically decline twice as fast as large fields.
Figure 204. Annual decline rates for various filed types and sizes (Source: Fustier et al 2016, IEA data)
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Figure 205. Compound-average underlying decline rate by country, last 20 years. Excludes NGLs and unconventional shale
production in the US and Canada.
(Source: Fustier et al 2016, Wood Mackenzie)
Figure 206. Annual decline rates for various filed types and sizes (Source: Fustier et al 2016, IEA data)
The global oil reserves are concentrated in one region of the planet. The primarily geographical
concentration of the oil deposits and transport infrastructures can be described as the "Strategic
Ellipse" (shown in Figure 207). Inside the red ellipse in Figure 207, is approximately 74% of the global
conventional oil reserves and approximately 70% of the global gas reserves. As oil is so important to
our current industrial society, this makes this region the focus of a lot of geopolitical tension of all kinds.
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Figure 207 The strategic ellipse (Source: Redrawn from BTC 2010, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural
Resources BGR, Map Image by Mapswire from Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/)
For some time now Saudi Arabia has dominated the oil market. They were able to supply more high
quality oil than any other producer for decades. So much so that when the US dollar was coupled with
oil production, by pricing all oil contracts in $USD (forming the Petrodollar), Saudi Arabia became the
global dominant oil producer. Since then, Saudi Arabia has aggressively protected its true capacities
as a state secret by using its global dominance in the market (Emerson 1985).
For years now, peak oil analysts have believed that when Saudi Arabia peaks in oil production, the rest
of the world will also peak in production. In doing so, peak oil has been linked to the Saudi net position.
Saudi oil capacity has been tied to the production of their largest producing deposit, the Ghawar field
(Simmons 2002), which accounts for about half of the Saudi production.
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"Ghawar is the greatest oil-bearing structure the world has ever known. Its superlative
qualities cannot be overstated. It is unlikely that any new oilfield will ever rival the
bounteous production Ghawar has delivered to Saudi Arabia and the international
petroleum markets"
- Matthew Simmons, Oil investment banker (Simmons 2005)
Figure 208. Geographical location of the Ghawar field (Source: Earth Magazine)
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Figure 209. The geologic structure of the Ghawar and Abqaiq oil fields
(Source: R. Sorkhabi, GEO ExPro, Vol. 7, no 4, pp. 24-29,
https://www.geoexpro.com/articles/2010/04/the-king-of-giant-fields)
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The true size of the Ghawar field was a state secret and the source of a Saudi kingdom’s riches. It was
so important that U.S. military planners once debated how to seize it by force. For oil traders, it was a
source of endless speculation.
The actual size and production capacity is a jealously guarded state secret by the government of Saudi
Arabia. What is known is that water pumping is now used in this reserve to maintain oil pressure (a
signature of age of deposit).
Saudi Aramco published its first ever profit figures since its nationalization nearly 40 years ago, it also
lifted the confidentiality around its mega oil fields (Blas April 4th 2019, and Blas et al April 1st 2019).
The company’s bond prospectus revealed that Ghawar is able to pump a maximum of 3.8 million
barrels a day. This is approximately 1.2 million below the more than 5 million that had become
conventional wisdom in the market (Figure 210). Prior to the Armco IPO, the true status of depletion
for Ghawar is a Saudi Arabian state secret and is not public knowledge. Many analysts believe that this
field has peak production as water is being used to pressurize it to increase extraction efficiency.
The nation state of Saudi Arabia has a serious cash flow shortfall, where a case can be made that the
Kingdom only has 3-5 years of cash reserves left (Mauldin 2016).
Aramco is the world’s most valuable company. It’s also one of the most important sources of
geopolitical power for Saudi Arabia. Selling of such a high cash revenue asset would be strategically
shortsighted, if it truly was so profitable in future revenue production. It could be speculated that the
‘alpha’ of the true value of the Aramco asset has been exhausted and it is considered good business
sense to sell to the public. This could be done for example because the revenue produced is projected
to be less lucrative in the future.
Alpha is used in the finance sector as a measure of performance, indicating when a strategy, trader, or
portfolio manager has managed to beat the market return over some period. Alpha, often considered
the active return on an investment, gauges the performance of an investment against a market index
or benchmark that is considered to represent the market’s movement as a whole. The excess return of
an investment relative to the return of a benchmark index is the investment’s alpha.
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As the primary revenue producing field for Aramco is the Ghawar field and most others have reached
maturity and are now declining in production), this suggests that the Ghawar field is past its peak
production. This also could mean that Saudi Arabia is past its peak production capacity. Today, the
giant field produces about 5 million barrels per day — about 6.25% of the world's total oil production.
This field is only one of four able to produce over a million barrels per day. (Cantarell in Mexico,
produces nearly 2 million barrels per day, Burgan in Kuwait produces 1.7 million barrels per day and
Da Qing in China which produces 1 million barrels per day.) Ghawar is, therefore, extremely important
to the world's economy.
Figure 211 shows the number of Baker Hughes drill rigs brought on line and oil production in Saudi
Arabia from January 1997 to August 2019. During the years 2004 to 2008, the price of oil spiked from
$USD50/bbl to $USD147/bbl.
Saudi Arabia expanded its rig count from 31.35 (average from October 2000 to October 2004) to 76.52
(average from September 2006 to September 2008), or a 144% increase. In the same time frames,
Saudi Arabian oil production went from 8.41 million barrels a day to 8.99 barrels a day (or a 6.5%
increase). In that time when profit presumably was at an all-time high, Saudi Arabia brought on line
144% extra capacity of operating drill rigs to produce oil, yet oil production in that time increased
comparatively little.
120
10,0
80
Rig Count
4,0
40
Offshore oil Rig
0 0,0
Jul 1998
Jul 2001
Jul 2004
Jul 2007
Jul 2010
Jul 2013
Jul 2016
Jul 2019
Jan 1997
Jan 2000
Jan 2003
Jan 2006
Jan 2009
Jan 2012
Jan 2015
Jan 2018
Oct 2009
Apr 1999
Apr 2002
Apr 2005
Apr 2008
Apr 2011
Apr 2014
Apr 2017
Oct 1997
Oct 2000
Oct 2003
Oct 2006
Oct 2012
Oct 2015
Oct 2018
Figure 211. Saudi Arabian rig count and crude oil production, January 1997 to August 2019
(Source. Baker Hughes Rig Count data, EIA monthly production data)
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A second sharp expansion of Saudi Arabian oil production capacity from April 2014 to January 2015.
Saudi Arabia expanded its rig count from a 76.5 (average from September 2006 to September 2008),
to 124.3 (average from January 2015 to September 2016). This is a 62% expansion between years 2006
to 2016. In the same time frames, Saudi Arabian oil production went from 8.99 million barrels a day
to 10.22 barrels a day (or a 13.7% increase). This second expansion happened while the U.S. Tight Oil
sector was meeting extra global oil demand (see Section 7). As such this did not correlate with a global
scale signature. In late 2013, conventional oil did start to increase production and break out of its
rough plateau that started in January 2005 (Figure 113 in Section 6).
The Saudi Arabian increases in operating drilling rigs with a disproportionally low corresponding
increase in oil production is another example of the Red Queen problem. The Red Queen (or Queen of
Hearts) quote:
“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go
anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
Figure 212 shows the Saudi Arabian oil productivity in context of the monthly oil production (EIA
monthly production) divided by the monthly rig count (onshore + offshore). This shows a permanent
decrease in productivity starting in January 2005.
0,35
0,30
0,25
0,20
0,15
0,10
0,05
0,00
Dec 1997
Dec 2008
Sep 2000
Feb 2007
Sep 2011
Feb 2018
Aug 2001
Jul 2002
Aug 2012
Jul 2013
Jan 1997
Jun 2003
Jan 2008
Jun 2014
Jan 2019
Nov 1998
Apr 2005
Nov 2009
Apr 2016
Oct 1999
May 2004
Mar 2006
Oct 2010
May 2015
Mar 2017
Figure 212. Saudi Arabia oil production productivity, oil production/rig count
(Source. Baker Hughes Rig Count data, EIA monthly production data)
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Between the year 2000 and the year 2016, Saudi rig count expanded 296% to achieve a 21% increase
in production. This implies that extra effort was needed just to maintain oil production. Which in turn
suggests that the Saudi Arabian supply of oil is becoming less effective in oil extraction and is
approaching peak oil production.
The above few paragraphs and figures suggest that Saudi Arabia may well be close its peak oil
production rate and certainly has passed its peak ERoEI. Historically, Saudi Arabia has supported the
global oil industry post WWII, in the same way the United States did prior to WWII. This means that
the global oil production now is supported by the unconventional Tight Oil sector in the United States.
So Figure 212 shows the transition point between Saudi Arabia to the United States as the global ‘swing’
producer. The oil production plateau in January 2005, was resolved in September 2009, as the U.S.
Tight Oil sector rolled out its Shale Oil revolution.
Figure 213 shows the oil deposits, oil infrastructure of the Saudi Arabian oil industrial ecosystem, with
the geographical position of the different ethnical groups in the region. What is curious is that the oil
deposits themselves are in areas controlled by the Shia ethic group, while the Saudi Arabian
administration and oil processing infrastructure is centralized around the Wahhabi ethic group. The
Ghawar oil field is also partly controlled by the Shia ethnic group.
Figure 213 also puts the Iran/Saudi Arabian diplomatic conflict into perspective. Iran is mostly a Shia
ethnic group, while Saudi Arabian political leadership is dominated mostly by the Wahhabi ethic group
and the Saudi Arabian population is mostly dominated by the Sunni ethnic group. That being stated,
most of the oil reserves are controlled by the Shia ethic group. Just so, the diplomatic conflict between
Iran and Saudi Arabia, may not be driven by a religious difference as commonly suggested (Marcus
2019) but by who controls the oil reserves and infrastructure.
As it also can be shown in Figure 213, that the oil processing infrastructure is centralized round the
Ghawar field. In particular, there is only one oil processing plant (Abqaiq), at the northern region of
the Ghawar field.
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Figure 213. The ethnic groups in the Middle East, and location of oil deposits and oil infrastructure
(Source: Dr. Michael Izady http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Saudi_Oil_Ethnicity_lg.png)
(Copyright license granted)
22.12.2019
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Russian Federation
United Kingdom
Saudi Arabia
Venezuela
Norway
Canada
Kuwait
China
Libya
Iran
Iraq
US
2010
2005
Oil: Proved reserves
2000
Years
1995
1990
1985
1980
50
0
250
300
200
150
100
Billion barrels
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Figure 215. The four kind’s geology formations that oil and gas are trapped in
(Image: Tania Michaux)
22.12.2019
The following definitions apply to the major subdivisions within the resources classification (shown in
Figures 216 and 217):
Total Petroleum Initially-In-Place (PIIP) is all quantities of petroleum that are estimated to exist originally in
naturally occurring accumulations, discovered and undiscovered, before production.
Discovered PIIP is the quantity of petroleum that is estimated, as of a given date, to be contained in known
accumulations before production.
Production is the cumulative quantities of petroleum that have been recovered at a given date. While all
recoverable resources are estimated, and production is measured in terms of the sales product specifications, raw
production (sales plus non-sales) quantities are also measured and required to support engineering analyses
based on reservoir voidage.
The outcome would be a forecast to for a project to recover an estimated portion of the initially-in-
place quantities. The projects are to be subdivided into commercial, sub-commercial, and
undiscovered. A further sub-classification is the estimated recoverable quantities being classified as
Reserves, Contingent Resources, or Prospective Resources respectively (SPE 2018).
Production
Reserves
Commercial
1P 2P 3P
Total Petroleum Initially-In-Place (PIIP)
Contingent Resources
1C 2C 3C
C1 C2 C3
Unrecoverable
Prospective Resources
Undiscovered
1U 2U 3U
PIIP
Unrecoverable
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Commercial
Approved for
Reserves Development
Total Petroleum Initially-In-Place (PIIP)
Development On Hold
Contingent
Resources Development Unclarified
Development
Not Viable
Unrecoverable
Prospect
Undiscovered
Prospective
Lead
PIIP
Resources
Play
Unrecoverable
(Not to scale)
Range of Uncertainty
13.1.1 Reserves
Reserves are those quantities of petroleum anticipated to be commercially recoverable by application
of development projects to known accumulations from a given date forward under defined conditions.
Reserves must satisfy four criteria (SPE 2018):
discovered
recoverable
commercial, and
remaining (as of the evaluation’s effective date) based on the development project(s) applied.
Reserves are recommended as sales quantities as metered at the reference point. Where the project
development also recognizes quantities consumed in operations (CiO), as Reserves these quantities
must be recorded separately. Non-hydrocarbon quantities are recognized as reserves only when sold
together with hydrocarbons or CiO associated with petroleum production. If the non-hydrocarbon is
separated before sales, it is excluded from reserves. Figure 218 shows a graphical comparison in
volume of the global oil reserves.
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Reserves are further categorized in accordance with the range of uncertainty and should be sub-
classified based on project maturity and/or characterized by development and production status.
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Ghawar
(Saudi Arabia)
Samotlor
(Siberia)
Burgan Field
(Kuwait) Prudhoe
(Alaska)
Cantarell
(Mexico)
Figure 220
Kashagan
North Sea
(Kazakhstan)
(Scotland)
$23.18 USD/bbl, Jun 1966 $109.71 USD/bbl, Oct 1981 $164.50 USD/bbl, Jun 2008
West Texas Intermediate West Texas Intermediate West Texas Intermediate
(Inflation adjusted) (Inflation adjusted) (Inflation adjusted)
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Figure 220. Global resource discoveries for conventional oil and gas in 2019 (Source: Rsytad Energy ECube Oct 2019)
It is to be remembered that this is new volumes discovered. This does not mean that these deposits
are extractable with current technology, or economically viable to be exploited commercially. Many
of these are small and the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) gives likelihood for developments
of each of these discoveries on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS). No this cannot be extrapolated
to the whole world but suggests that commercial discoveries are somewhat less than total discoveries
(Likvern 2019).
The Hirsch report (Hirsch 2005 & 2010) showed, new oil discoveries have been in long term decline —
lately reaching record lows notwithstanding record investments between 2001–2014. New discoveries
are invariably smaller fields with more rapid peak and decline rates (Fustier et al 2016).
If the 2018 stated global reserves of oil is 1730 billion barrels (Appendix E), and the 2018 global
consumption of oil was 36.4 billion barrels (99 843 kbbls/day) (Appendix C), then current reserve will
last 47.5 years before depletion.
This number assumes that all of that oil is extractable. Also the rate of global oil production will peak
and decline well before 47 years, creating a demand to supply gap (see Section 17 and Section 11)
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$23.18 USD/bbl, Jun 1966 $109.71 USD/bbl, Oct 1981 $164.50 USD/bbl, Jun 2008
West Texas Intermediate West Texas Intermediate West Texas Intermediate
(Inflation adjusted) (Inflation adjusted) (Inflation adjusted)
Figure 221. Cumulative global oil resource discoveries and global oil production, and net difference
(Source: Analyst – John Peach, data from ASPO 2019, Wood and Mackenzie, Oil Price 2017, Rsytad Energy 2018, Our
World in Data 2019, BP Energy Statistics 2019 CNBC 2017)
Figure 221 shows the cumulative global oil discovery and global oil production, and the difference
between the two. The midpoint of production occurred in 1994, meaning the global industrial system
has consumed 50% of all oil produced in the last 25 years (Peach 2019). The peak of net contribution
of oil discovery was in 1981. That is, since 1981, production outpaced discovery additions to the global
oil deposit inventory. Figure 222 shows the net contribution to annual world oil reserves. Again, since
1981, net contribution has declined. The oil price did rise between 1981 and 2008, but reserves
continued to decline. Oil price does not correlate with oil deposit discovery.
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1966
1981
Figure 222. Net difference between annual world oil reserves additions and annual consumption
(Source: Hirsch et al. 2005 report commissioned by US DOE)
Figures 219 to 222 show an interesting signature in context of oil price. Conventional thinking often
uses the following logic to debunk the concept of peak oil:
Oil reserves decrease through production of oil
The supply of oil based products becomes inelastic
The oil price increases, making it more worthwhile to explore for and exploit lower grade
resources.
Lower grade resources are declared reserves and overall reserves increase. Thus the previously
perceived peak production from finite depleting reserves is deferred into the future.
This logic chain has been used in the past to discredit the concept that not only oil might one day peak
production, but the net addition to reserves may well be years in the past. Figure 221 show the net oil
reserve addition peaking in 1981, with half of all oil ever extracted, has been produced since 1994.
Discovery volumes have been falling consistently since the mid 1960’s.
Yet the West Texas Intermediate oil spot price in August 2000 was $49.28 USD a barrel (inflation
adjusted), and eight years later, in June 2008, it was $164.50 USD a barrel (an increase of 333%). Yet
in that time, when the rate of production is considered, net addition to reserves continued to decline
(Figure 221).
This means that conventional thinking out of step with the reality of the net addition to conventional
oil reserves.
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There were three major past attempts to establish an American oil shale industry: the 1850s; in the
years during and after World War I; and in the 1970s and early 1980s. Each time, the oil shale industry
failed because of competition from cheaper petroleum.
Shale oil became viable in small scale operations with the application of vertical well fracking
technology (first applied in 1948 (EIA 2013). In 2008, the innovation of precision horizontal well drilling
(in conjunction with higher oil price) made viable fracking operations on a much larger scale of
operation (See Section 6).
Since then a number of unconventional oil resource discoveries have been made (US EPA 2015). The
volume of some of these discoveries were impressive. A new study released in 2018 (USGS 2018)
presents a possible extension of the Permian play. The USGS estimates that over 46 billion barrels of
oil, 280 trillion cubic feet of gas, and 20 billion barrels of natural gas liquids are trapped in these low-
permeability shale formations. To put this in perspective, at the end of 2017, total U.S. proven reserves
of crude oil was approximately 40 billion barrels. The new upward revision of Permian resources
represents a more than 100% increase (or more) in U.S. oil reserves, if they can be extracted
economically. The key take away from this report however was while this discovery was indeed
impressive, it is not known if it is viable.
Many unconventional deposit discoveries were not economically viable. Many of these new deposits
were reported with incomplete or inappropriate feasibility studies. Much of the oil discovered was not
able to be extracted with the technology available at the time, thus was not viable.
An example of this is the Monterey Shale play. In 2011, the EIA published a report that stated the
Monterey Shale in California had 15.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil, or two-thirds of the then
estimated recoverable tight oil in the US. The EIA subsequently downgraded its estimate to 13.7 billion
barrels in 2013. Further analytical work done by the Post Carbon Institute resulted in a further EIA
downgrade of the Monterey shale deposit to 600 million barrels (Hughes 2013). This represents a 96%
reduction in resource size. A further study done by the US Geological Survey revised, the most oil-rich
portion of the giant shale formation holds just 21 million barrels of oil that can be recovered by
intensive methods, such as hydraulic fracturing (Associated Press 2015). This was a further serious
reduction in recoverable oil for the play.
The Canadian oil sands deposit in Alberta were discovered by Europeans first in 1717, and their
economic significance was first understood in 1908 (CAPP 2019). The first commercial development of
the oil sands didn’t happen until 1967 with the opening of the Great Canadian Oil Sands project – now
Suncor (CAPP 2019).
Just so, the volumes discovered in unconventional deposits need to be considered to different metrics
to conventional oil and gas plays. Required CAPEX and OPEX in addition to ERoEI ratios tend to change
the outcome classification.
Both conventional and unconventional reserves are often quoted together (BP Statistical Review of
World Energy 2019), which can make it difficult to quantify. How they are judged to be viable can also
be unclear.
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21500 2018
US Oil Consumption Thousand barrels daily
1979 2005
20500 2nd Oil Shock 3rd Oil Shock
1973
19500 1st Oil Shock
18500
17500
2010
16500 Minor Stall
(4th Oil Shock)
15500
14500
90000 110000 130000 150000 170000 190000 210000 230000 250000 270000
Figure 223. Index of U.S. vehicle miles driven and U.S. oil consumption (1970-2018)
(Source: US Department of Transportation, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019,
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
These are clear signatures that something fundamental has changed at each of these points. Previously
in this report, the correlation of oil consumption and many other physical measures of human society.
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Also in this report (and supporting appendices) is presented data showing that the capacity and
capability to supply energy to society is deteriorating.
It is to be remembered that each economic shock is often subject to a speculative fuelled bubble. The
concept of oil being a market indicator to economic downturns is complex and mostly due to ‘above
ground’ influences. The commodities market is subject to speculation, where the perception of a
supply shortage can drive up the market price. The price can often exceed the level justified by the
market fundamentals. For example the rise of the oil price between 2005 and 2008, where the price
of oil reached $147/barrel.
“The boom and bust dynamic in finance is a big 'above ground factor' when it comes to oil
prices. Prices rarely reflect the fundamentals accurately for this reason. When supply and
demand get tight, the result in the financial world is price volatility - an exaggerated boom
and bust cycle - rather than a straight moonshot. This is very destabilizing for the industry.”
Nicole Foss – Industrial Ecologist
The four examples of oil shocks shown here all had elements of the above present in the market place,
which has the net effect of masking the difference between causality of the different events.
14.1 The 1st oil shock. Case study – 1973 Oil Embargo
An example of how vulnerable our industrially complex society is to a supply shortfall of oil is the 1973
oil embargo, when the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil cartel decided to
stop exporting oil to the United States. On October 19, 1973, the twelve OPEC members agreed to the
embargo. Over the following six months, oil prices quadrupled (Amadeo 2018, Oil & Gas Journal 2005).
This price increase had a dramatic effect on oil exporting nations, for the countries of the Middle East
who had long been dominated by the industrial powers seen to have taken control of a vital
commodity. The oil-exporting nations began to accumulate vast wealth.
Some of the income was dispensed in the form of aid to other underdeveloped nations whose
economies had been caught between higher oil prices and lower prices for their own export
commodities, amid shrinking Western demand.
The embargo had a negative influence on the US economy by causing immediate demands to address
the threats to U.S. energy security. On an international level, the price increases changed competitive
positions in many industries, such as automobiles. Macroeconomic problems consisted of both
inflationary and deflationary impacts.
Figure 224. Petrol shortages in the United States during the 1973 oil embargo
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The oil embargo aggravated inflation, already at 10% for some commodities, by raising oil prices. It
came at a vulnerable time for the U.S. economy. Domestic oil producers were running at full capacity.
They were unable to produce more oil to make up the supply gap. Furthermore, U.S. oil production
had declined as a percentage of world output.
It also worsened the US economic recession that was in progress in the early 1970’s. First, higher gas
prices meant consumers had less money to spend on other goods and services. This lowered demand.
It also weakened consumer confidence. Supply of petroleum products became scarce and subject to
rationing (Figure 224 and 225). This had a ripple effect through the whole global economy.
Figure 225. Petrol shortages in the United States during the 1973 oil embargo
For example, drivers were forced to wait in lines that often extended around the block. Paying
customers woke up before dawn or waited until dusk to avoid the lines. Gas stations posted color-
coded signs: green when gas was available, yellow when it was rationed, and red when it was gone.
States introduced odd-even rationing: drivers with license plates ending with odd numbers could get
gas on odd-numbered days.
A few months later, the crisis eased. The embargo was lifted in March 1974 after negotiations at the
Washington Oil Summit, but the effects lingered throughout the 1970s. The dollar price of energy
increased again the following year, amid the weakening competitive position of the dollar in world
markets. Control of oil became known as the "oil weapon." It came in the form of an embargo and
production cutbacks from the Arabian states.
Figure 226 shows the U.S. oil consumption and Vehicle Miles Travelled in the U.S. between 1970 and
1976. A clear peak can be seen in 1973. By 1974, the oil shock was resolved and recovery was in
progress. Figure 227 shows global oil production between 1965 and 1977. A peak can be seen in this
figure but it is not as sharp as seen in Figure 226.
This peak was clearly created by above ground influences where OPEC oil producers reduced supply to
the United States.
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17500
1973 1976
17000
1974
16500
1972
1975
16000
15500
1971
15000
1970
14500
95000 100000 105000 110000 115000 120000
Brazil
Kuwait
UAE
30000
China
Iraq
20000 Iran
Canada
Russian Federation
10000 Saudi Arabia
United States
Rest of World
0
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
Figure 227. Global oil production 1965 to 1977. (Includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates (both lease condensate
and gas plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha separated from the production of
natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and derivatives of coal and natural gas.)
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
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14.2 The 2nd oil shock. Case study – 1979 Iranian Revolution
The 1979 (or second) oil crisis or oil shock occurred in the world due to decreased oil output in the
wake of the Iranian Revolution. Despite the fact that global oil supply decreased by only about 4%,
widespread panic resulted, driving the price far higher. The price of crude oil more than doubled to
$39.50 USD per barrel over the next 12 months, and long lines once again appeared at gas stations, as
they had in the 1973 oil crisis.
In 1980, following the outbreak of the Iran–Iraq War, oil production in Iran nearly stopped, and Iraq's
oil production was severely cut as well (see Figures 93 and 94). Iran oil production was already
declining in 1978. Economic recessions were triggered in the United States and other countries. Oil
prices did not subside to pre-crisis levels until the mid-1980s.
After 1980, oil prices began a 20-year decline, except for a brief rebound during the Gulf War,
eventually reaching a 60 percent fall-off during the 1990s. As with the 1973 crisis, global politics and
power balance were impacted. Oil exporters such as Mexico, Nigeria, and Venezuela expanded
production; the Soviet Union became the top world producer; North Sea and Alaskan oil flooded the
market. It seemed that the United States of America and Norway had much more oil reserves than
forecasted in the 1970s. OPEC lost influence as consequence of these actions.
Figure 228 shows the U.S. oil consumption and Vehicle Miles Travelled in the U.S. between 1975 and
1982. A clear peak can be seen in 1978, with the shock unfolding from 1979 to 1982. Figure 229 shows
global oil production between 1975 and 1985, showing a clear peak in 1979.
19000
1977 1978
18500
1979
18000
17500
1976
1980
17000
16500
1975 1981
16000
15500
1982
15000
110000 115000 120000 125000 130000 135000
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Brazil
Kuwait
UAE
30000
China
Iraq
20000 Iran
Canada
Saudi Arabia
10000 United States
Russian Federation
Rest of World
0
1977
1984
1975
1976
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1985
Figure 229. Global oil production 1975 to 1985. (Includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates
(both lease condensate and gas plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha
separated from the production of natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and
derivatives of coal and natural gas.)
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
This peak was clearly created by above ground influences where first the Iranian Revolution created
volatility in the oil market, followed by a step reduction in crude oil production in Iran and Iraq. This
was caused by the Iran/Iraq war, which was triggered by perceived weakens in Iran and Iraqi desire to
replace Iran as a dominant nation in the Arabian Peninsula. At the same time, global economic
stagnation and reduction in oil demand (driven by energy conservation inspired by the 1973 oil
embargo) created a glut in the global oil market. In response to this oil supply glut, oil price crashed.
To address this situation, Saudi Arabia cut production in 1981, which further reduced global oil
production.
This peak was not limited by geological restraints or financial industry instability.
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79 000 000
77 000 000
75 000 000
73 000 000
71 000 000
69 000 000
Dec 2002
May 2003
May 2008
Dec 2007
Jun 2000
Jul 2002
Jun 2005
Jul 2007
Oct 2003
Nov 2000
Sep 2001
Feb 2002
Nov 2005
Sep 2006
Feb 2007
Apr 2001
Aug 2004
Apr 2006
Oct 2008
Jan 2000
Mar 2004
Jan 2005
Mar 2009
Aug 2009
Figure 230. Global oil production 2000 to 2009. (Includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates
(both lease condensate and gas plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha
separated from the production of natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and
derivatives of coal and natural gas.)
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Figure 231 shows the U.S. oil consumption and Vehicle Miles Travelled in the U.S. between 1994 and
2010. A plateau can be seen from 2005 to 2007, with an actual peak in 2005. So the market responded
holding a plateau for 34 months, before clear oil shock unfolding from October 2007 until the decent
was arrested in 2009 and a recovery started.
The 3rd Oil Shock (correlating with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC)) started with the 2007 decent in oil
price in Figure 231. The arrest of the crashing economy correlates with the start of quantitative easing
program QE1 in November 2008.
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21000
2005
Oil production plateaus 2007
20500 Jan 2005
20000
19500 2008
2010
19000
Start QE1
18500 Nov 2008 2009
18000
17500
195000 205000 215000 225000 235000 245000 255000
80
10,0
70
Jan 2005
Rig Count
50
Global Oil production plateaus
6,0
40
30 4,0
0 0,0
Sep 2002
Jan 2008
Jan 2000
Sep 2000
Jan 2001
Sep 2001
Jan 2002
Jan 2003
Sep 2003
Jan 2004
Sep 2004
Jan 2005
Sep 2005
Jan 2006
Sep 2006
Jan 2007
Sep 2007
Sep 2008
Jan 2009
Sep 2009
May 2000
May 2001
May 2002
May 2003
May 2004
May 2005
May 2006
May 2007
May 2008
May 2009
Figure 232. Saudi Arabian rig count and crude oil production, January 2000 to December 2009
(Source. Baker Hughes Rig Count data, EIA monthly production data)
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Figure 232 shows the number of Baker Hughes drill rigs brought on line and oil production in Saudi
Arabia from January 2000 to December 2009. During the years 2004 to 2008, the price of oil spiked
from $USD50/bbl to $USD147/bbl. In that time when profit presumably was at an all-time high, Saudi
Arabia brought on line more than twice the number of operating drill rigs to produce oil, yet oil
production in that time remained stable. This implies that extra effort was needed just to maintain oil
production. Which in turn suggests that the Saudi Arabian supply of oil is becoming less effective in oil
extraction and is approaching peak oil production.
For decades, Saudi Arabia was the major oil supplier to the global industrial ecosystem. It was able to
raise and lower crude oil production at will, and was often referred to as the ‘Swing Producer of oil’.
While it probably did this to secure its own long term profit margins, it had the effect of stabilizing the
global demand for oil.
Figure 232 shows at a time when global oil production plateaued (Figure 230), the market stabilizing
force was not able to raise production. Saudi Arabia expanded its rig count from 31.35 (average from
October 2000 to October 2004) to 76.52 (average from September 2006 to September 2008), or a 144%
increase. In that time, Saudi Arabian oil production decreased slightly. The logistics of the task of
increasing such a large number of operating rigs would have taken time. The increase happened
between January 2005 and September 2006. In this 19 month window, the oil market was inelastic
and it put pressure on the rest of the system.
This created the conditions for a speculative bubble in oil price. Figure 233 shows the oil price from
the month January 2000 to August 2009. There is no clear signature in the oil price chart that correlates
with the start of the plateau in January 2005. The start of the speculative bubble was approximately
February 2007, which was six months after Saudi Arabia had brought on line extra production capacity
(which supports the concept of a speculative bubble). The price peak in July 2008 lags behind the start
of the oil shock in October 2007 in Figure 231.
The sharp rise in oil price, put the entire global industrial ecosystem under unprecedented stress. It
has been shown that oil is critically important for all other industrial (ergo economic) activities
somewhere in their respective value chains. Oil was (and still is) the non-negotiable requirement for
most physical work done. This persistent strain on the ecosystem of unprecedented high prices, after
a short period of an inelastic supply market, pushed the whole system to breaking point. The weakest
link to break under stain was the financial systems. Thus, the Global Financial Crisis was first seen in
the sub-prime mortgage markets, and the New York Stock Exchange. The start of QE1 correlates with
the arrest in decent of oil price in November 2008.
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Oil Price
140,00
Speculative fuelledbubble
Speculative fuelled bubble
120,00 Feb2007
Feb 2005to toJuly
Jul 2008
2008
Oil production plateaus
100,00
Jan 2005
$USD/barrel
80,00
60,00
40,00
Start QE1
20,00
Nov 2008
0,00
Jun 2000
Jun 2005
Jul 2002
Jul 2007
Nov 2005
Apr 2001
May 2008
Nov 2000
May 2003
Apr 2006
Aug 2004
Aug 2009
Jan 2000
Jan 2005
Mar 2009
Sep 2001
Feb 2002
Dec 2002
Mar 2004
Sep 2006
Feb 2007
Dec 2007
Oct 2003
Oct 2008
Figure 233. Oil price, Jan 2000 to Aug 2009
(Source: Brent Exchange, Europe Brent Spot Price FOB (Dollars per Barrel))
This peak was created geological restraints in context of the conventional oil market was not able to
bring on more production. That this situation persisted for 34 months suggests this was not simply oil
producers were not able to fully develop the resources they had available. This peak was not created
limited by financial industry instability, but it did create conditions for a destructive speculative bubble
between months February 2007 to July 2008.
This time period is critical to understand as events happened here set off a chain reaction that will
define what is possible in the industrial ecosystem for the next few decades. What is vital to
understand is what happened in the oil industry supply between the years 2005 and 2008, and what
happened in the financial industry with the initiation of quantitative easing in November 2008. These
actions in conjunction with the outcomes of strategic decisions made decades previously has placed
the global industrial ecosystem in a very difficult net position.
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14.4 The minor stall, the 4th oil shock. Case study – 2010
In 2010 there was a comparatively small peak and crash in the Vehicle Miles Travelled vs Oil
Consumption chart (Figure 234). This peak in 2010 is much smaller when compared to the previous
three oil shocks.
End QE1
19500 2008 Jun 2010
Start QE2 2015
19300 Nov 2010
2010
19100
2014
2011 2013
18900
2009
18700
End QE2
18500 Start QE3
Jun 2011
2012 Sept 2012
18300
245000 247000 249000 251000 253000 255000 257000 259000
Figure 234. The 4th oil shock – 2010, the minor stall
(Source: U.S. Federal Reserve Economic Data, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
Two events of note correlate with this peak. The Arab Spring uprisings across the Middle East in 2010
to 2011, and the end of quantitative easing program QE1 on one side of the peak and the stat of QE2
on the other side of the peak.
The Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread
across North Africa and the Middle East in the early 2010s. It began in response to oppressive regimes
and a low standard of living, starting with protests in Tunisia (Skinner, 2011; Maleki, 2011).
The effects of the Tunisian Revolution spread to five other countries: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and
Bahrain, where either the regime was toppled or major uprisings or social violence occurred, including
riots, civil wars or insurgencies. Sustained street demonstrations took place in Morocco, Iraq, Algeria,
Iranian Khuzestan, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman and Sudan. Minor protests occurred in Djibouti,
Mauritania, the Palestinian National Authority, Saudi Arabia, and the Moroccan-occupied Western
Sahara.
Quantitative easing (QE) is an unconventional monetary policy in which a central bank purchases
government securities or other securities from the market in order to increase the money supply and
encourage lending and investment. There were several QE programs (See Section 16).
The peak seen in Figure 234 is seen in oil production (Figure 235) but as a very minor dip that is difficult
to distinguish from normal data variability. The drop in production is mainly associated with a decline
in conventional oil production. The peak does not correlate with oil price at all (Figure 236).
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production stall
87 000 000
85 000 000
83 000 000
81 000 000
79 000 000
77 000 000
75 000 000
Jul 2014
Jul 2009
Jul 2010
Jul 2011
Jul 2012
Jul 2013
Jul 2015
Oct 2014
Apr 2009
Apr 2010
Apr 2011
Apr 2012
Apr 2013
Apr 2014
Apr 2015
Oct 2009
Oct 2010
Oct 2011
Oct 2012
Oct 2013
Oct 2015
Jan 2009
Jan 2010
Jan 2011
Jan 2012
Jan 2013
Jan 2014
Jan 2015
Figure 235. Global oil production Jan 2009 to Dec 2015. (Includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates (both lease
condensate and gas plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha separated from the
production of natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and derivatives of coal and natural
gas.) (Source: data from EIA monthly global crude oil production statistics)
Oil Price
140,00
120,00
100,00
$USD/barrel
80,00
60,00
40,00
20,00
0,00
May 2010
May 2013
May 2009
May 2011
May 2012
May 2014
May 2015
Sep 2015
Jan 2009
Sep 2009
Jan 2010
Sep 2010
Jan 2011
Sep 2011
Jan 2012
Sep 2012
Jan 2013
Sep 2013
Jan 2014
Sep 2014
Jan 2015
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So what created the peak in Figure 234? The 3rd oil shock (peak in 2005, actual shock in 2007) triggered
the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). The GFC crash was stopped in 2009 with the start of QE1 in November
2008. The oil consumption vs vehicle miles travelled signature starts to recover, but peaks in 2010.
The QE1 program stopped in June 2010. Soon after the oil consumption vs vehicle miles travelled
signature starts to crash again. QE2 starts in November 2010 but ends in June 2011. This did not stop
the decline. It would appear that the GFC that was arrested with the application of QE1 was about to
progress once more, as QE2 was not enough. The crash bottomed out on 2012, with the start of QE3
in September 2012. From that point the oil consumption vs. vehicle miles travelled signature recovers
and has continued to increase consistently until present (October 2019).
So this peak was created by an economic crash that was resolved with the application of Quantitative
Easing. The success of QE1 and the failure of QE2, followed by the success of QE3, suggests that the
economic crash had systemic influence on a fragile system. This time frame also correlates with the
Arab Spring (Skinner, 2011; Maleki, 2011). It is possible that the Arab Spring did influence the creation
and severity of the peak shown in Figure 234, but the corresponding drop in global oil production does
not seem large enough to support the thesis that the Arab Spring was the driving cause. The theory
that QE1, while successful, was not sustainable. QE2 was successful and the decline kept happening.
Once QE3 was started, the results of QE1 became a bit more sustainable.
Of the four oil shocks, two were a consequence of above ground geopolitical maneuvering by oil
suppliers. The third oil shock was created by a geological limit in the conventional oil production, which
was addressed by the application of tight oil and oil sands production. The fourth oil shock was created
by a systemic economic correction.
22.12.2019
“oil and coal will continue to drive the energy train” until 2030, though it warns that in order to do
so, “the world would need to add roughly the equivalent of Saudi Arabia’s current production every
seven years”.
“By 2012, surplus oil production capacity could entirely disappear, and as early as 2015, the shortfall
in output could reach nearly 10 MBD” (p. 29).
This warning is consistent with others which have been issued (eg. the repeated verbal statements
made by IEA chief economist Fatih Birol, the 2008 WEO, Paul Stevens of Chatham House, ITPOES, etc.).
The Shale Revolution in the U.S. tight oil sector prevented this prediction from coming true.
The US Joint Forces Command does not exist anymore. It was dismantled many years ago and folded
into a new command structure. As directed by the U.S. President to identify opportunities to cut costs
and rebalance priorities, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended that USJFCOM be
disestablished and its essential functions reassigned to other unified combatant commands. Formal
disestablishment occurred on August 4, 2011.
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22.12.2019
It implies a fundamental misreading/misunderstanding of the biophysical economics of oil, particularly of the shale
oil and gas revolution.
It is clear that public understanding of the concept of supply risk for oil and gas products has been suppressed,
suggesting a deeply unpopular and unpalatable set of mitigation strategies.
It can be noted how frequently these nation states (United Kingdom, United States, Germany, France, European
Union) have been in a geopolitical event, regime change support (official or unofficial) or diplomatic sanction
against or in a foreign country with large oil reserves in the last 20 years alone. The second Iraq war in 2003 in
particular, which has since been admitted to be initiated on fragile intelligence.
Prognosis for a sustainable solution that supports the long term security of the Western nations (U.S. Europe and
the U.K.) remains unresolved and a practical path forward remains unclear.
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The European Security Strategy (ESS) of 2003 considers the EU’s foreseeable dependence on energy
imports, which is expected to rise from 50% (2010 figure) to 70% by 2030, to be an issue of concern.
The debate in the US, too, clarifies the growing importance of national energy supply. In 2001, the then
US Vice President stated in the document that became known as the "Cheney Report" that the daily
import of crude oil into the United States would have to increase by 60% between 2001 and 2010 and
declared that the Gulf Region was vital to American interests. Since then, the fracking tight oil industry
in the United States has developed (National Security Strategy - White House 2010).
In its White Paper entitled "China’s National Defense in 2008", the People’s Republic of China also
states that the global energy issue, amongst others, is gaining more importance worldwide and that
deep-seated contradictions exist with regard to interests in this context (China's National Defense in
2008).
Russia, too, sees the increasing global shortage of fossil raw materials as a potential risk for the
country’s national security (National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2020, Decree No.
537). Against this background, the country’s new security strategy explicitly emphasizes, amongst
other things, the need to build up strategic fuel reserves.
India has been the world’s third biggest energy consumer since 2015 (BP Statistical Review of the World
Energy 2019). This explains the significance of energy supply to this important threshold country and
why, for several years now, India has intensified its external relations with energy-rich regions such as
Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia and, last but not least, the Middle East, one of the aims being
to diversify its oil imports.
Consider the data shown in Figure 237, global oil reserves in 1990 (LHS) and in 2018 (RHS).
Iran
1990 Rest of
8,8 %
2018 Iran Iraq
World Iraq 8,5 % 8,0 %
Rest of World
25,7 % 9,4 % 20,3 % Kuwait
Kuwait 5,5 %
Russian
Federation 9,2 % Russian
Saudi
(Est.) Federation
Arabia
5,2 % 5,8 %
16,2 %
Venezuela Venezuela
Saudi United
5,7 % 16,5 %
Arabia Kingdom
Nigeria Libya Norway
US 24,6 % Nigeria 0,1 %
1,6 % 2,2 % US 0,5 %
3,2 % 2,0 % Libya Canada
Canada United 3,3 % China
China Norway Kingdom 2,7 % 9,1 %
1,1 % 1,4 %
1,5 % 0,8 % 0,4 %
Figure 237. Stated oil reserves in 1990 (LHS), Stated oil reserves in 2018 (RHS)
(Source: BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2011, BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2018)
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Consider the data shown in Figure 238, global oil consumption in 1990 (LHS) and in 2018 (RHS).
1990 2018
Iraq Saudi
Consumption Iraq
Kuwait
Consumption Arabia
Iran Iran 0,8 %
0,3 % Kuwait 3,7 %
0,2 % 1,9 %
1,4 % Saudi Arabia 0,5 %
Russian 1,8 %
Federation
Rest of United EU United
(Est.) Russian Rest of
World EU Kingdom 13,3 % Kingdom
7,6 % Federation World
21,3 % 20,8 % 2,6 % 1,6 %
(Est.) 26,0 %
Venezuela 3,2 %
0,6 % Brazil Brazil
Venezuela
Japan 2,2 % 3,1 %
China 0,4 % Japan
7,9 % 3,5 % US
3,9 %
20,5 % China
India
Canada US India Canada 13,5 %
1,8 %
2,6 % 25,5 % 5,2 % 2,5 %
Figure 238. Oil consumption in 1990 (LHS), Stated oil reserves in 2018 (RHS)
(Includes consumption of biogasoline (such as ethanol), biodiesel and derivatives of coal and natural gas)
(Source: BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2011, BP Statistical Review of the World Energy 2018)
Now consider the following geopolitical events (also shown in Figure 239).
In 1980, Iraq (9.4% of 1990 global oil reserves) invaded Iran (8.8% of 1990 global oil reserves). The United States,
Britain, the Soviet Union, France, and most Arab countries provided political and logistic support for Iraq.
In 1991, Iraq (9.4% of 1990 global oil reserves) invaded Kuwait (9.2% of 1990 global oil reserves). The U.S., U.K.,
Canada, Australia, France, Argentina, Kuwait then invaded Iraq (with logistical support from Saudi Arabia, Egypt,
Bangladesh) in the Gulf war (1990-1991).
In 2003, U.S., U.K., Australia, Poland, and Peshmerga invaded Iraq (9.6% of 2003 global oil reserves) with logistical
support from Canada, Netherlands, Italy in the Iraq War (2003-present).
In 2011, NATO (led by France and U.S.) invaded Libya (only 2.2% of 2011 global oil reserves, but had the largest
deposits of light sweet crude) with logistical support from U.S., Egypt, France, Qatar, Switzerland, Moldova.
Since 2001, the U.S., U.K., and the E.U. has threatened Iran (8.8% of 2001 global oil reserves) with military action,
surrounded Iran with military bases and has applied economic sanctions (Clark 2007).
Since 2001, the U.S. has threatened Venezuela with military action and applied economic sanctions. In 2018,
Venezuela has 16.5% of global oil reserves (Clark 2007).
Since 2014, the U.S., U.K., and the E.U. has applied economic sanctions against the Russian Federation (In 2018,
Russia has 5.8% of global oil reserves). While those sanctions are described as being for a gas pipeline in the Baltic
Sea, Russia as an economy has been subject to a number of economic diplomatic actions.
Compare the list of reports examining peak oil carried out by governments in Sections 15.1 to 15.6,
with the countries that have been involved in military action and/economic sanctions (see the list
above) against countries that have internationally significant oil reserves (see Figure 237).
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Global Reserve
Currency $USD
Battlefield subject to United States
military strikes and 3.3% Reserves
troops on the ground 16.16% Production
20.5% Consumption
Iran Peak oil literate
Arms trade
8.5% Reserves
until 1991
Iran/Iraq War
1980-1988 4.98% Production 1973 Petrodollar
1.9% Consumption agreement
Iraq
Iraq War 8.0% Reserves Iraq
2003-Present 4.87% Production 8.0% Reserves
0.8% Consumption 4.87% Production
0.8% Consumption
Subject to Canada
Economic Sanctions 9.1% Reserves
5.5% Production
Sanctions 1979, Iran 2.5% Consumption
1987, 1995, 2006 8.5% Reserves Peak oil literate
to 2016 4.98% Production
2018 to Present 1.9% Consumption
European Union
Venezuela 0.28% Reserves
Sanctions 2017 1.62% Production
16.5% Reserves
and 2019 to 13.3% Consumption
1.6% Production
Present Peak oil literate
0.4% Consumption
Figure 239. Countries with significant oil reserves, oil consumption and production that have been engaged in military
action and the imposition of economic sanctions in the last 39 years
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There are 193 countries that are members of the international United Nations Assembly, all of which
use and depend on oil. The 10 countries shown in Figure 239 represent:
77.9% of global oil reserves
64.1% of global oil production
48.4% of global oil consumption
A case can be made that the conflicts (military and economic) shown in Figure 239 can be seen as a
contest in who controls the oil market as that market approaches peak crude oil production. It is
beyond the scope of this report to untangle the complexities of each of the conflicts shown in Figure
239. Needless to say, those conflicts did happen and those sanctions were applied by those nation
states. There is a credible school of thought that suggests oil as a critical resource has been used as a
weapon in the application of hegemonic power.
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Table 24. Insights on the causes of key oil-economy events from different research communities (Source: Kallis et al 2016)
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End of
QE3
downgrade of
Monterey
Tight Oil
EIA 96%
2010
(Jan 2016)
2000
2008
Start of
QE1
2nd Gulf
War
Dotcom
Bubble
1990
1st Gulf
War
1980
Oil Shock
1979
1970
1 Oil Shock
2nd
1973
st
1960
1950
$80
$60
$180
$160
$140
$120
$100
$20
$40
Figure 240. Crude Oil Prices - 70 Year Historical Chart 1946 - 2017
(Source: Data from Interactive charts of West Texas Intermediate (WTI or NYMEX) crude oil prices per barrel back to
1946. The price of oil shown is adjusted for inflation using the headline CPI and is shown by default on a logarithmic scale.
The price of WTI crude oil as of August 03, 2017 was $49.20 per barrel.)
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2014
2011
2008
Petrodollar agreement,
2005
1973 to Present
2002
1999
1996
1993
1990
1987
1984
1981
1978
1975
1972
1969
1966
1963
1960
1957
1954
1951
1948
1945
1942
1939
1936
1933
1930
1927
1924
1921
1918
1915
1912
1909
1906
1903
1900
1897
1894
1891
1888
1885
1882
1879
1876
1873
1870
1867
1864
Figure 241. Oil market price (West Texas Intermediate WTI or NYMEX) in context geopolitical events, 1863 to 2014
(Source: data from Business Insider, BP Statistics, Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research, Money Morning Staff
Research)
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$143.68
$140,00
11th July 2008 $115.19
19th June 2014
$120,00
$100,00
($USD)
$80,00
$60,00
$40,00
4.1.2001
4.1.2002
4.1.2003
4.1.2004
4.1.2005
4.1.2006
4.1.2007
4.1.2008
4.1.2009
4.1.2011
4.1.2012
4.1.2013
4.1.2014
4.1.2015
4.1.2016
4.1.2017
4.1.2018
4.1.2019
Figure 242. Brent Spot day price for oil
(Source: Brent Exchange, Europe Brent Spot Price FOB (Dollars per Barrel))
Figure 243. The price of oil as a leading indicator and as a lagging indicator
It is postulated that the oil price is the heartbeat of our global industrial society, as our current society
is a fossil fuel petroleum supported ecosystem (oil in particular is more influential than other energy
resources). The supply demand dynamic is inelastic and highly susceptible to influence. Oil is so
important that it has a distinct and measurable geopolitical interaction. It is for these reasons, not
only should oil be part of the European Commission CRM list, it should be the primary CRM.
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16.1 Oil price - the link between oil and finance markets
A case can be made that the interaction between oil price and economy has changed. The 1973 and
1979 oil shocks did have a very inelastic impact on the economy on a global scale. Spending was
affected. Demand to purchase real estate property and the sales for automobile cars were impacted.
A popular argument among macro-economists was that the U.S. recessions that followed the big oil
shocks in the 1970s were not caused by the increase in oil prices per se, but by the U.S. Federal
Reserve's contractionary response to them. In this view what pushed the economy into recession was
the ill-founded decision by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank to raise interest rates in order to control the
supposed oil-induced inflation (Bernanke et al 1997). This argument was mobilized in the early 2000s
to explain why high oil prices had no negative effect in the economy. The reason supposedly was that
inflation policy had changed and the mistakes of the past were no longer repeated, defusing the main
pathway through which oil prices affected the economy.
Oil prices, however, had increased inexorably from 2002 to 2007. Why did they not impact consumer
spending earlier? Indeed, up until 2008 it was this paradox (not the means by which high prices affect
the economy) that concerned economists. Why did the sharp and durable rise in oil prices between
2002 and 2007 not have the dramatic effects of the 1970s shocks (Blinder and Rudd, 2008)? The
general consensus (Kallis et al 2016) was that the link between oil prices and the economy had been
broken. Four propositions were put forward to explain this:
1. The increase in prices in the 2000s was gradual and not abrupt as in the 1970s. This was thought
to have given the economy time to adjust and reallocate resources.
2. The US economy was much less dependent on energy than before and hence a rise in energy
costs had much less of an impact (Nordhaus, 2007).
3. The labour markets were now more flexible, and higher costs as a result of oil prices were
absorbed by lower wages (Nordhaus, 2007).
4. The structure of the car industry had changed, American companies producing fuel-efficient
domestic cars, the sales of which increased as oil prices went up (Kilian, 2008).
Yet the spike in oil price can be linked to a change in supply and demand, where the price almost tripled
in a 3 to 4 year period in a bubble like structure. Then in late 2008, the bubble burst and the most
serious economic correction since the 1929 Great Depression was initiated (later called the GFC or the
Great Recession). Since then, industrial stagnation has persisted on a global scale.
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Using the ecological economic approach, it can be shown that the oil market still is at the heart of the
current industrial system, but since the addition of financial instruments (like Quantitative Easing and
CDS Derivatives) the interaction is not as direct. It can now be seen as a consequence of a bubble
blowout.
Another perspective on why the increase in oil price did not directly impact consumer spending is how
many parts of the system interact. Oil price is directly connected to the finance world. An action in
the finance sector can relieve pressure in another part of the system (finance for example).
“During a financial expansion (i.e. credit hyper-expansion), consumers can always borrow
at low interest rates in order to offset higher costs. Real interest rates were negative, so
people were being paid to borrow. The wealth effect from the housing boom made them
overconfident and complacent about borrowing. They could always refinance their home
if they needed money. The result has been a massive debt trap. The downside is going to
be brutal once the negative wealth effect of the next housing bust sets in.”
As oil is a vital part of our industrial society (see Section 1), a sustained rise in oil price over a few years
(2004-2008) will put pressure on the entire system. As such, there will come a point where that system
will be under such strain that something would blow out. The oil price spike in 2004 to 2008 preceded
the largest global economic correction seen since the 1929 Great Depression. This has been labeled
the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 (GFC). Just one of the outcomes was a large correction in the U.S.
housing market. The stock exchange crashed and trading was stopped on several occasions. The whole
finance system was with a few hours from complete paralysis (Mathiason 2008).
As a direct consequence of the GFC, quantitative easing (QE1, QE2 and QE3 programs) were deployed
by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Yellen 2017). Since then central banks around the world have been
engaging in Quantitative Easing (colloquially referred to as the printing of money). This is dangerous
as it deteriorates the integrity of the monetary system. The volumes of money being created through
QE is historically unprecedented.
So the question becomes, where did this money go? Figure 243 shows the Federal Reserve total assets
chart.
So it can be shown that the US Federal Reserve has been printing money through the Quantitative
Easing program, then retaining the bulk of it ($2.5 trillion USD) as excess reserves, thus muting the
hyperinflation outcomes (for now). With the remaining 1.75 trillion dollars, the Federal Reserve has
been buying blue chip stocks and foreclosed mortgages resulting from defaulted loans. The largest
landlord in the United States is the Federal Reserve Bank (Yellen 2017).
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QE2 finish
Jun 2011 QE3 finish
Oct 2014
QE1 finish
Jun 2010
QE3 start
Sept 2012
QE2 start
GFC Nov 2010
QE1 start
Nov 2008
Figure 244. Total Assets (less elimination from consolidation) in the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank
(Source: 2019 FRED research Excess reserves in the U.S. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WALCL)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
As can be observed, what was started in 2008 has been continued, dwarfing all historical precedents.
Prior to 2008, the Federal Reserve balance sheet had $880 billon USD ($ 0.88 trillion USD). In 2017, it
is a little under $4.5 trillion dollars USD. To be clear, that extra $3.62 trillion dollars debt was literally
mouse clicked into existence, 97% of which only exists as numbers in an electronic ledger. This money
is not associated with any large asset or physical outcome.
Figure 242 shows the price of oil crashed approximately 76% between 11th of July 2008 and 26th
December 2008 (Brent Exchange, Europe Brent Spot Price FOB). The GFC was recognized as a fully-
fledged financial crisis developed into a full-blown international banking crisis with the collapse of the
U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers on September 15 th, 2008. To arrest the progress of the GFC
induced Wall Street stock market crash, the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank QE1 program was started in
November 2008 (Figure 244). At the same time, the price of oil rose approximately 212% across the
QE1 time period. When QE3 finished on October 2014, the oil price crashed approximately 37% over
the next 10 months.
To put these Quantitative Easing volumes in historical context, Figure 245 shows the volume of money
printed in the United States, compared to what was the cost of major historical projects in the previous
century (excludes US Civil war, WWI, and WWII).
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Figure 245. Scale and scope of U.S. Quantitative Easing compared to historical actions
(Inflation adjusted from the dated event to $USD in 2018)
(Source: QE data from 2019 FRED research Excess reserves in the U.S. https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/WALCL)
(Image: Tania Michaux)
22.12.2019
The United States is not the only nation to engage in printing money to keep economic growth positive.
The European Union, Japan, China and the United Kingdom all have engaged in unprecedented
quantitative easing to prop up growth in the global economy (Nelson 2018 and Guardian 2015). Since
the year 2001, approximately 13 trillion dollars ($USD) has been inserted into the economy where most
or all of that currency would have had to be printed (money creation from nothing). Table 25 shows a
summary of Quantitative Easing since it was started in Japan in 2001.
Country Quantitative Easing Central Bank Date Added money supply to global economy
United States QE1 US Fed U.S. Federal Reserve (US Fed) Nov 2008 to Jun 2010 1.7 Trillion $USD (Dollars)
United States QE2 US Fed U.S. Federal Reserve (US Fed) Nov 2010 to Jun 2011 600 Billion $USD (Dollars)
United States QE3 US Fed U.S. Federal Reserve (US Fed) Sept 2012 to Oct 2014 1.3 Trillion $USD (Dollars)
Chinese economic stimulus 2008 to 2019 (debt
China People Bank’s of China (PBoC) 5.5 Trillion $USD (Dollars)
plan (擴大內需十項措施) controls started in 2014)
Japan QE1 BOJ Bank of Japan (BOJ) Mar 2001 to Mar 2006 36 Trillion Yen ¥ (330 Billion $USD dollars)
Japan QE2 BOJ Bank of Japan (BOJ) Apr 2013 to present 145 Trillion Yen ¥ (1.4 Trillion $USD Dollars)
Europe Government bond purchase European Central Bank (ECB) Mar 2015 to Dec 2018 2.6 Trillion € Euros (1.7 Trillion $USD dollars)
United Kingdom QE1 BOE Bank of England (BOE) Mar 2009 to Jan 2010 200 Billion £ British Pounds (320 Billion $USD dollars)
United Kingdom QE2 BOE Bank of England (BOE) Oct 2011 75 Billion £ British Pounds (119 Billion $USD dollars)
United Kingdom QE3 BOE Bank of England (BOE) 2013 to 2014 100 Billion £ British Pounds (170 Billion $USD dollars)
The effects are remarkable however. The severe economic downturn that started in 2008 (the GFC),
had the capacity to fundamentally destroy the entire monetary system and came within a few hours
of permanently paralyzing the banking credit system (Mathiason 2008 and Kingsley 2012).
It was possible that if the QE program was to be stopped or even tapered, the stock markets in the US
and around the world would be devastated. QE3 was stopped in October 2014. The years 2015 and
2016 were marked with economic and industrial volatility. At the time of the writing of this report, the
U.S. Federal Reserve intervened in the banking sector in the Repo market (and taking great lengths to
reassure the public that this is NOT quantitative Easing) (Marte 2019 October 10th). Approximately 70
billion $USD was applied to the overnight lending markets each night since September 17 th 2019, and
has continued in early November 2019.
This has been a remarkable deal for those favored institutions in the US (and Europe). Economic
activity and industrial activity was indeed impacted with the discontinuation of QE3.
“It can be argued that we are living through the greatest financial experiment in history”
Chris Martenson – CEO and Co-founder of Peak Prosperity
The relationship between energy (oil in particular) and debt is illustrated in Figure 246. The spiral
shown in Figure 246 was made possible due to all currencies being fiat, that Quantitative easing was
allowed, and that all oil had to be priced in $USD (the global reserve currency). When it becomes
apparent that the financial debt is far greater than the physical real assets, a systematic correction is
probably unstoppable and possibly disruptive.
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Oil consumption as an energy raw material supply input correlates with GDP (see Figure 16 and Figure
250, looking at the time period prior to 1971). Oil has been shown as a direct proxy to the functionality
of the real economy. Economic activity while supported by energy inputs (oil) is also defined by
economic affordability. How much money is available for consumers to engage in economic activity?
Prior to 1971 (see Figure 250), the two above concepts were overlaid and correlated strongly. After
1971, currency supply decoupled from real economy.
Affordability for costlier oil was accommodated with growing credit/debt. This model is now subject to
some strong headwinds. And the central banks have little room left on their balance sheets to address
this situation but applying more quantitative easing. As the consequences from too much credit/debt
starts to unwind (this may have already started), oil demand/consumption would have to drop
accordingly (may have already happened) and the oil price to remain subdued (resulting in lower global
economic activity in the real economy).
Changes to economic
More debt considered to
activity. Activity
generate capital to stimulate
happens that was
economic growth.
previously not possible.
Perception
Changes to energy
that the
Justification for consumption, where more
taking on more debt
future global energy can now be
economy will consumed.
always grow
Figure 246. The debt to energy price to GDP to QE spiral (concept developed from Likvern 2019)
22.12.2019
This will result in lower capital investment for new operations (expanding capacity as older operations
are decommissioned after depletion). The reduction in consumer affordability of oil products will be
due to economic recessionary drags. This means that investment in infrastructure and exploration will
not happen, leading to reduced capacity in the future.
What the spiral shown in Figure 246 has achieved during the past 45 to 50 years has been to use growth
in credit to pull demand forward in time. This has established a difficult paradox. The perceived value
of the accrued debt far exceeds the physical assets it is based on. As oil will soon deplete in reserves
and decline in production, the future of oil energy will be smaller than the past. This makes it very
difficult to pay off a debt (plus interest) when the real economy would actually be contracting.
1. Global oil production plateaued in January 2005 (see Figure 230) for 58 months until October 2009. The market
becomes inelastic in oil supply (Section 16.3). Global oil consumption continues to expand at the same rate.
2. The oil price rises 20% between January 2005 and January 2007 ($44.51 USD to $53.68 USD). It then spikes 147%
in the time period January 2007 to July 2008 ($53.68USD to $132.72 USD). Speculation on oil price clearly had a
role in pushing the price up to $147USD/barrel. There is also a supply gap between supply and demand.
3. In 2008, the largest economic correction since the 1929 Great Depression started (The Global Financial Crisis). The
GFC began in 2007 with a crisis in the subprime mortgage market in the United States, and developed into a full-
blown international banking crisis with the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers on September 15,
2008.
4. The United States Federal Reserve Bank intervenes into the finance markets with the first program of Quantitative
Easing (QE1) in November 2008. A historically unprecedented volume of debt is taken on. A new kind of economics
now underpins the global economy.
5. A new technology in oil extraction (horizontal drilling of fracking wells) was developed in the United States,
opening up the tight oil field plays (Rapier 2018). This allows global oil production to expand again at the same
rate as consumption demand. The oil supply gap is resolved, but the underlying issues are merely postponed.
22.12.2019
100
Dotcom bubble
80
recession
60
QE2 start
Nov 2010
40
20 QE1 start
Nov 2008
0
Jan 1996
Jan 1994
Sep 1994
Sep 1996
Jan 1998
Sep 1998
Jan 2000
Sep 2000
Jan 2002
Sep 2002
Jan 2004
Sep 2004
Jan 2006
Sep 2006
Jan 2008
Sep 2008
Jan 2010
Sep 2010
Jan 2012
Sep 2012
Jan 2014
Sep 2014
May 1995
May 1997
May 1999
May 2001
May 2003
May 2005
May 2007
May 2009
May 2011
May 2013
May 2015
Figure 247. Oil consumption demand, oil production and Brent oil price sequence of events. Differences between these
world consumption figures and world production statistics are accounted for by stock changes, consumption of
non-petroleum additives and substitute fuels, and unavoidable disparities in the definition, measurement or
conversion of oil supply and demand data.
(Source: Yardeni Research 2016, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011,
Europe Brent Spot Price FOB, EIA, https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RBRTED.htm)
(Copyright for top chart: Yardeni Research and Oil Market Intelligence granted)
22.12.2019
The difference between oil production and oil consumption in the BP Statistical Review of World Energy
2019 is explained by a difference of what is included in each category. World oil consumption, as
collected by BP, includes consumption of products not derived from crude oil like biogasoline (such
as ethanol), biodiesel and derivatives of coal and natural gas. World oil production, as collected
by BP, includes crude oil, shale oil, oil sands, condensates (both lease condensate and gas
plant condensate) and NGLs (natural gas liquids – ethane, LPG and naphtha separated from
the production of natural gas). Excludes liquid fuels from other sources such as biomass and
derivatives of coal and natural gas. This consumption is shown as larger than production. For a
short time, crude oil consumption did outpace crude oil production between 2006 and late 2008
(Saxena 2009, and Yardeni Research 2016). Since the year 2006 (to at least 2016), demand has
outpaced supply (Yardeni Research 2016) as shown in Figure 247.
Figure 247 shows that modelling oil, energy, finance and actions of political administrations as a single
system, is appropriate. It also shows that if political and financial decision makers underestimated the
influence of oil price before the year 2008, they certainly do after 2008 (See Sections 14 and 15).
Comparing Figure 242 and Figure 244 shows the relationship between the price of oil and financial
quantitative easing support. This suggests the whole global economy is propped up by Quantitative
Easing.
In a macro scale steep financial correction (often referred to as a financial crunch), price speculation
to the downside and a sharp fall in demand go hand in hand, as demand isn't what consumers want,
but what they can pay for. This is especially so for a product that is critical for the functioning of society
(less so for a product considered a luxury).
Prices can fall a very long way, but as it does, product affordability gets worse, since purchasing power
of the consumer falls faster than product price, when the system is saturated with debt.
A price fall would be temporary, since an essential product (like petroleum) will receive relative price
support in a deflationary spiral (i.e. a much larger percentage of a much smaller money supply would
be attempting to demand the same volume of supply).
The result would be pricing most of the market (most of average everyday consumers) out of access to
oil derived products almost entirely, because the lack of purchasing power would last much longer than
the temporary fall in price. This is exactly what was seen in the post GFC United States.
Demand will increase again, but the real economy (the market exchange of real physical goods as
opposed to the fiat economy, with financial products like derivatives) will have contracted and will take
time to recover. In the GFC case study, most of the global markets at all scales (National governments,
corporations and individual citizens) are now heavily loaded with debt of all kinds. This means that the
real economy cannot really recover until that debt level is reduced. Economic growth is now very
difficult, and in some cases not really possible.
All Critical Raw Materials (CRM) as defined by the European Union (European Commission 2017), could
be modelled in this fashion as it goes through a scarcity vs. relevance cycle and be examined in this
context.
22.12.2019
120
Yearly Average Europe Brent Spot Price FOB
100
80
($USD per Barrel)
60
40
20
0
64 000 69 000 74 000 79 000 84 000 89 000 94 000
Total World Oil Production (kbbls/day)
Figure 248 Total world production (yearly average) vs. Brent oil spot price (yearly average)
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011, Europe Brent Spot Price
FOB, EIA, https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RBRTED.htm)
A case can be made that shown in Figure 249 are four separate time periods, each operating to a
different set of economic constraints. As it has been shown that oil price is correlated to many aspects
of our industrial ecological system, it could be argued that in such a short time, the structural
underpinning foundations changed three times from conditions seen prior to 2004.
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120
Data 1990-2004
Yearly Average Europe Brent Spot Price FOB
80 Data 2015-2018
($USD per Barrel)
60
40
20
0
64 000 69 000 74 000 79 000 84 000 89 000 94 000
Total World Oil Production (kbbls/day)
QE2 finish
Oil Price Jun 2011
140
Average Monthly Brent Oil Spot Price
QE3 finish
120 QE1 start Nov 2008 to Oct 2014
QE2 finish Jun 2011
100
($US/bbl)
80
Chinese industrial
contraction. QE3
20 QE1 start
Nov 2008
0
Oct 1992
Sep 1993
Jun 1996
Apr 1998
Oct 2003
Jun 2007
Feb 2011
Oct 2014
Jun 2018
Jan 1990
Jan 2001
Sep 2004
Apr 2009
Jan 2012
Sep 2015
Dec 1990
Nov 1991
Aug 1994
Jul 1995
Mar 1999
Feb 2000
May 1997
Dec 2001
Nov 2002
Aug 2005
Jul 2006
Mar 2010
May 2008
Dec 2012
Nov 2013
Aug 2016
Jul 2017
Figure 249. Patterns and sub-populations in oil production and oil spot price
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019, BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011, Europe Brent Spot Price
FOB, EIA, https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RBRTED.htm)
22.12.2019
This concept can be extended to many other time periods, but they tend to be much longer in scope,
lasting for decades. Figure 250 shows the annual global oil production, and annual global Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), indexed to the value 100 in the year 1965. A very important data signature
becomes apparent.
Prior to 1971, oil production and GDP overlaid each other and correlated very strongly. That is an
increase in GDP had a very similar increase in the production of oil. Energy and economic activity
directly correlated. This is still the case only now the relationship is quite different. After 1971, changes
in GDP start to separate from oil production. An increasing gap progressed, and does so for as long as
there is data available. There are two events of significance that could be relevant in explaining this:
In August 15th 1971, the U.S. dollar (the global reserve currency) was decoupled from the international gold
standard, and existing Bretton Woods currency agreement was suspended. The U.S. dollar became a fully-fledged
fiat currency (Rickards 2014 and Patel 2009).
In 1973, a deal was struck between Saudi Arabia and the United States in which every barrel of oil purchased from
the Saudis would be denominated in U.S. dollars. Under this new arrangement, any country that sought to
purchase oil from Saudi Arabia would be required to first exchange their own national currency for U.S. dollars. In
exchange for Saudi Arabia’s willingness to denominate their oil sales exclusively in U.S. dollars, the United States
offered weapons and protection of their oil fields from neighboring nations (Emerson 1985 and Simmons 2005).
This allowed the U.S. government to balance the federal budget with the printing of money. Due to
the authority projected by the U.S. dollar, the rest of the world was forced to engage in the dollar
system by virtue of Saudi Arabia being the dominant world supplier of oil (once the U.S. oil production
started to decline in 1970). Oil has been demonstrated as a critical master resource that underpins the
global industrial system. So the global financial currency systems were not only tied directly to oil
production, but were subject currency debasement through expansion of supply of U.S. dollars. GDP
became inflated in comparison to the real economy of physical goods and services.
Also of note in Figure 250 is a change in gradient around the year 2001. From that point, GDP increased
at a greater rate than ever before. A change in the United States law could explain this:
The financial derivatives market was deregulated. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act, (CFMA) signed into
law on December 21, 2000 updates commodity trading regulations. The most notable change was in addressing
newer types of financial contracts such as over-the-counter derivatives. This was just after the Dotcom Bubble
had burst (1994-2000).
When credit markets froze up in the latter half of 2008, many economists pronounced the crisis both
inexplicable and unforeseeable. This could be because the roots of the catastrophe lay not in changes
in the markets, but changes in the law (Stout 2009). The Commodity Futures Modernization Act was
signed into law as a consequence of lobbying from the private finance sector, in response to the
DotCom financial bubble busting. The logic being that the money that could be made by the financial
industry could stabilize the rest of the economy by forming a buffer, where an economic crash would
not happen again in our lifetimes (Schomberg & Jones 2017). Clearly, we are in the largest financial
experiment in history, with a high risk of structural hyperinflation/hyperdeflation of hyperstagflation,
in all economies around the world, all at the same time.
The printing of money (which was done consistently since 1971) became directly linked to the creation
of financial derivatives and credit default swaps, creating the largest bubble ever observed.
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2018
2017
2016
2015
QE3 finish
Oct 2014
2014
2013
2012
2011
Nov 2008
QE1 start
2010
2009
2008
GFC
2007
Year
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
Saudi oil priced exclusively in $USD
1986
(1973 Petrodollar agreement)
Total World Oil Production (Indexed to 1965=100)
1985
1984
1983
1982
gold standard, becomes
$USD decoupled from
1981
World GDP (Indexed to 1965=100)
fiat currency
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
production indexed
Both GDP and Oil
1971
to 1965=100
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
3000
5000
4500
4000
3500
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Indexed Value
22.12.2019
As Figure 250 shows, the real economy has diverged from the fiat economy for some years. Between
1965 and 2018, oil production has increase 298%. Alternatively, GDP has been growing steadily
(through quantitative easing) and has increased in the same time span, 4 355%.
For the last 40 years, US government debt creation has been approximately twice the rated economic
growth (Rickards 2014). This spiraling volume of debt since the 1970’s has been historically
unprecedented. What has facilitated this to continue working is the Saudi Arabian commitment to
price all of their oil contracts in $USD. For the last 46 years, the increase in debt can be related to the
higher cost of energy (the 1973 Petrodollar agreement). As the cost of energy went up, there was a
need to increase the volume of debt to the system to maintain growth. Most nation state economies
(all fiat currency based) now have debt to GDP ratio that exceeds 90% (US Debt Clock 2019). This
means that each of those economies that have such high debt/GDP ratios have to go further into debt
to maintain their economies and maintain debt repayments (Rickards 2014).
Figure 250 in conjunction with Figure 244 shows that growth in GDP is a debt fueled mirage. If debt is
a promised claim on the future, the total amount of goods and services has been growing, while debt
levels and other kinds of promises have been growing more rapidly than their physical collateral. Figure
251 shows how this may have happened.
Real physical
goods economy
Time
Figure 251. Promises of future goods and services tend to rise much more rapidly than actual goods and services.
(Source: Figure recreated from Tverberg 2019).
“Many things can go wrong with this system. If the growth in added debt slows too much,
we can expect to start seeing financial problems similar to those we saw in 2008. Also, if
the level of debt (such as student debt) gets too high, its payback interferes with the
purchase of other needed goods, such as a home. If energy providers decide prices are too
low and stop producing, then promised Future Goods and Services can’t really appear.
Huge defaults on promises of all kinds can be expected. This happens because the laws of
physics require the dissipation of energy for physical processes underlying GDP growth.”
Gail Tverberg – Retired Financial Actuary (Tverberg 2019)
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Currency Debt
debasement Economic stagnation then contraction levels
Consumer
purchasing
power
Figure 252. Forces and influences interacting around consumer purchasing power
Figure 252 shows the discussed concepts in context of influencing consumer purchasing power. This
directly affects the ability for the consumer to purchase products like petroleum or food.
Compare Figure 250 to the price of oil (West Texas Intermediate WTI) shown in Figure 253. Note the
sharp change in oil price just after 1971.
Figure 253. West Texas Intermediate (WTI or NYMEX) crude oil prices per barrel back to 1946. Not inflation adjusted.
(Source: MacroTrends) (Copyright: https://www.macrotrends.net/terms)
22.12.2019
The time period between the end of World War II and the 1973-75 global economic recession was
signature with remarkable economic growth unprecedented industrial activity and comparatively very
cheap energy prices.
The post–World War II economic expansion, also known as the golden age of capitalism (Marglin &
Schor 1992) and the postwar economic boom or simply the long boom, was a broad period of
worldwide economic expansion. The United States, Soviet Union, Western European and East Asian
countries in particular experienced unusually high and sustained growth, together with full
employment. Keynesian economic policies in countries of the capitalist West were successful in
generating rapid growth with high employment.
Contrary to early predictions, this high growth also included many countries that had been devastated
by the war, such as Japan (Japanese economic miracle), West Germany and Austria
(Wirtschaftswunder), South Korea (Miracle on the Han River), France (Trente Glorieuses), Italy (Italian
economic miracle) and Greece (Greek economic miracle).
This whole era was made possible while oil was abundantly available and very cheap in price. It all
came to a halt in the early 1970’s when the U.S. dollar became a fiat currency and the petrodollar
agreement was in force. It was at this point when the real economy decoupled from the fiat currency,
where the printing of money was used by most nations around the world to achieve economic growth
targets.
Cost of extraction has risen. Often oil and gas wells are in very deep water and require very deep holes to reach
the oil. A large off shore oil rig is often needed to be commissioned for each producing well. Alternatively oil
could be produced with horizontal fracking in the tight oil plays. Often requiring ever increasing rates of new
wells drilled just to maintain existing production.
Cost of refining to produce a quality product has risen. Most of light sweet crude has been consumed. Most of
what is left is high sulfur content heavy sour crude that requires more refining steps to produce saleable
petroleum products. The CAPEX and OPEX of these oil refineries have increased over the last few decades.
22.12.2019
Higher prices
Upcycle vs. Downcycle
improve cash flow
More exploration
is feasible
Production
growth
Cash flow Cash flow growth
Production outpaces
declines force allows increased
undershoots demand
spending cuts reinvestment
demand
Low reinvestment
declines production
Upstream
Production
Spending in
Growth
CAPEX
What is driving this rise in cost is simply that all the easy to find, extract and refine oil has already been
consumed. The hard to work and hard to find oil that is really expensive to process is what is left. Oil
discoveries of new oil deposits have been declining in quality and volume since the mid 1960’s. Scarcity
of viable oil deposits are driving this change, creating an inelastic supply market for oil. This
combination is driving down the Energy Returned on Energy Invested ratio (ERoEI). There comes a
point when the ERoEI ratio is so low that the energy resource is no longer viable for society to use.
Alternatively, oil is demanded at an increasing rate as vital and critical energy resource that supports
the entire industrial ecosystem. All attempts to substitute oil with anther energy source have not been
successful. The plan to phase out petroleum powered Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) technology
with Electric Vehicle (EV technology) is under resourced, and is a much larger task than what is
currently understood (Michaux 2020). The combination of these concepts produces an inelastic
demand for oil and oil products. These concepts are shown in Figure 255.
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ERoEI
If the resource is relevant in that there is no real substitution and it is critical for the function of the
industrial economy, then demand will increase. If the resource is scarce and accessibility and process
ability is difficult, the cost of production will go up, which will affect demand. If the market cannot
support a selling price, then demand will go down. If the sell price is too high then economic growth
becomes difficult, and the market cannot support the price, resulting in the resource price reducing. If
the sell price is not high enough to meet the cost of production, then it is not viable for producers to
operate or develop new resources through exploration. The quality of the resource (ERoEI), its
accessibility (scarcity) and its processability (relating to ERoEI) drive everything else.
The problem is not just that oil prices are too low (2014 to 2019, oil producers have warned that oil
price is too low to justify future investment). Prices are too low for almost every type of energy
producer, and in many parts of the global industrial ecosystem.
OPEC oil producers have cut back production because they view oil prices as too low. OPEC reports a
cutback in production of 2.7 million barrels per day between November 2018 and July 2019 (from 32.3
million bpd to 29.6 million bpd) (Tverberg 2019 Sept 12th).
In the United States, there has been an increase in bankruptcies of oil producers during 2019, relative
to 2018. There has also been a reduction in the number of oil drilling rigs of 17% since the week of
November 16, 2018, according to reports by Baker Hughes. These are signs of producer distress
(Tverberg 2019 Sept 12th).
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a) Low Oil Price Budget for Average b) High Oil Price Budget for Average
Consumer Consumer
Food & Everything
Everything Gasoline Else Food &
Else Gasoline
Debt
Debt Payments Payments
Figure 256. Oil price budget for the average consumer (concept developed in Tverberg 2019 Aug 22)
Figure 256 a) shows a thought experiment simulation of a consumer, where the debt load is 40% of
monthly costs, critically vital inputs like food and gasoline are 20% and everything else is 40%. The
Figure 256 b) shows the same consumer where the cost of food and fuel have doubled, and debt is
maintained at the legally required rate. The only sector that can reduce is everything else.
If the critically vital costs of operation (for example food and gasoline for a family) was to increase, the
only thing that can proportionally decrease is the ‘everything else’ category in Figure 256 b). This would
mean the contraction of the real economy as consumers are not able to pay for goods and services,
resulting in demand destruction in other sectors.
If the price of food and gasoline was to continue to increase, then there will come a point when the
consumer cannot reduce operating costs of everything else any more. The only option then becomes
to default on the debt and declare bankruptcy.
At the time of writing this report, debt saturation was a distinct possibility (when compared to
consumers debt level in the 1950’s) for consumers of all scales. This was the case for individual people,
corporations and nation states. Payment of that debt was possible while operating costs remained
comparatively low. Not maintaining this debt meant declaring bankruptcy and the complete
22.12.2019
dismantling of operations. This was a thought experiment to illustrate the choices facing a consumer
if the cost of gasoline (oil) and food (related to oil) was to significantly increase.
So, first, high oil prices destroy demand from people who physically just cannot pay the price, no matter
how urgently they would need petroleum products or are dependent on oil based services. This will
mainly apply to very poor people around the world (not necessarily only in developing countries) with
a dependency on oil but without capacity to compensate for drastically rising prices. The inflation
imported with the oil cannot easily be compensated by the local economy – the country’s value
creation just cannot keep pace with the rapid energy price increases.
This rising cost outcome cycle is already happening all over the world. Americans on average spent
more on taxes in 2018 than they did on the basic necessities of food, clothing and health care
combined, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey (United States
Department of Labor 2019). At the same time, bankruptcies and house defaults are also happening at
significant rate. In the United States, retailers are filing for bankruptcy at record-high rates (Peterson
2018). This rate has exceeded what happened in the U.S. in the 2008 GFC (Peterson 2018).
There are three strategies that an end user can use to deal with rising energy prices:
1. Consumer spending is supported with credit and hope the crisis is going to go away soon. This
means taking on more debt. In a global market context, Quantitative Easing was used in an
unprecedented fashion.
2. Allow the real economy to contract and manage a fundamental market correction/reset.
Substitute the commodity if possible. Reprioritize spending – stop or reduce spending in one
area to be able to continue spending in another.
3. In some fashion use less of the commodity to achieve the same physical tasks. Increase
efficiency and conserve – downsize, use things longer, eliminate frivolous waste, invest in more
efficient technology, recycle.
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140
120
Prices too high for some
consumers and too low
100
for some producers
Prices low for consumers to allow for economic growth,
80
and high enough for producers to remain viable
60
40
Figure 257. Brent oil price. Oil prices are Europe Brent Spot Price FOB ($USD Dollars per Barrel),
without inflation adjustment
(Source: EIA, https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/RBRTED.htm)
As shown in Figure 257 above, monthly average peaks started at $132.72 in July 2008. More recently,
peaks have fallen as follows (Tverberg 2019):
Peak of $125.25 for the month of March 2012
Peak of $109.54 for May 2014.
Low month average price of $30.70 in January 2016.
Most recent average peak was $81.03, for the month of October 2018.
From this pattern of falling peaks, we can see that the stimulus being used recently (which includes
Quantitative Easing in some parts of the world) has become less and less effective at stimulating
demand for food and energy products.
Figure 258 shows the same concept as in Figure 257 but in West Texas Intermediate (WTI or NYMEX)
crude oil prices that have been inflation adjusted (where Figure 257 shows the European Brent oil
price that has not been inflation adjusted). From Figure 257:
Oil price peaks and crashes July 11th 2008
QE1 starts November 2008 (US Federal Reserve)
Oil price bottoms out Dec 26th 2008, price too low for all producers (Knoema Statistics)
Oil price crashes again on June 19th 2014, price too low for some producers (Knoema Statistics, Kleinberg 2018)
Oil price in 2014 too high for some consumers and economic growth is stagnant (Word Bank)
Oil price bottoms out January 20th 2016, price too low for some producers (Knoema Statistics, Kleinberg 2018)
Oil price crashed on October 1st 2018, price too low for some producers (Knoema Statistics)
22.12.2019
window of viability
Contracting
Oil price way too low for all producers.
QE (or other) assistance needed.
Figure 258. West Texas Intermediate (WTI or NYMEX) crude oil prices per barrel October 1999 to October 2019,
Inflation adjusted (Source: MacroTrends) (Copyright: https://www.macrotrends.net/terms)
Figure 258 shows that the window of oil market viability is closing. Also, the lower limit (before change
is required by the market) for the oil price is also declining, even though the production price is going
up. Either a substitute for oil energy will be found or oil production will not be accessible for the
average consumer. Predicting the time the window will completely close is not appropriate as this is
a nonlinear system with unknown influences. It could be postulated though that the window of viable
operation could close between 2020 and 2025.
To put this in perspective, most industrial growth in the last 100 years happened in the ‘Golden Era’ in
the 1950’s to the 1960’s, where oil was approximately $2 to $3 USD ($25 USD inflation adjusted). In
the U.S. golden era of prosperity (1950’s and 1960’s), for every dollar of debt created, a ratio of $1 to
$2.41 was in effect (Rickards 2014). That is, for every $1 printed, $2.41 in economic growth was
generated. In 1970, just before President Nixon decoupled the gold standard to the US dollar, the ratio
was $1 to $0.41. For every dollar of debt created, $0.41 of economic growth was generated. In 2014,
that ratio had fallen to $1 to $0.03. For every dollar of debt created, $0.03 or 3 cents of economic
growth was generated. This is not sustainable or even useful in the short term. The current state of
the US economy is that its currency is now so debased that its purchasing power has been reduced by
97% (Rickards 2014). As oil has been traditionally forced to be priced in $USD, this will also impact oil
sale price. Currently, the oil market and the capability of the $USD as a world reserve currency are
linked.
Figure 259 and Figure 246 in conjunction present two system maps that shows how the window is
being forced closed for the viability of the oil market.
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Transmission Susceptibility of
Origin Resilience of nodes to
through system nodes to be
cause maintain structure
system influenced by cause
Figure 259. Systems map of the influences that is forcing close the window of viability for the oil market
Figure 260 shows how the concepts in Figure 259 and Figure 246 have changed the conventional oil
industry cycle (Figure 254).
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Upstream
Oil Prices drop Operating Cash
Expensive to extract Flow Declines
deposits. Production
costs increase
Demand
destruction Full Debt Saturation Producers cannot
Capital from economic
investment in
system causes paralysis survive at lower oil
devastation of future activity price. Negative
future projects reset
cash flows.
declines
Remaining
resources have Consumers still cannot Resources depleted
lower ERoEI afford lower oil price due from production are not
ratios to debt saturation. replaced with new
resource discoveries.
By the time the industrial ecosystem is forced into a full system reset, peak oil production would have
happened years before hand.
16.7 Oil finance dynamic interaction with strategic policy decisions over a sequence of events
So oil production and finance structures are linked and dynamically interact. Events and strategic
decisions made that have dynamically interacted to create the current circumstances include:
The decoupling if the U.S. dollar from the international gold standard in 1971, allowing the printing of
money to regulate the markets of physical goods and services.
The Petrodollar agreement in 1973, requiring all Saudi Arabian oil contracts to be priced in $USD, forcing
the global industrial economy to engage in this system.
22.12.2019
The changes in U.S. law, resulting in the deregulation of the financial derivatives market and credit
default swaps. The Commodity Futures Modernization Act, (CFMA) signed into law on December 21,
2000 updates commodity trading regulations. The most notable change was in addressing newer types
of financial contracts such as over-the-counter derivatives. This created an unprecedented bubble in
the finance markets.
The production of conventional crude oil plateaued in 2005 while demand continued to grow, creating
a speculative bubble on top of a real supply and demand gap. Much of this speculative bubble was
associated with the international financial derivatives market.
The Global Finance Crisis of 2008, the largest economic correction since the 1929 Great Depression. The
banking finance system came within a few hours of complete paralysis, which had the capacity to trigger
a currency scale default on debt. As all currencies were fiat based, this would have triggered a global
systemic meltdown of all systems associated with currency finance. Quantitative Easing prevented this
from happening.
The introduction of Quantitative Easing programs QE1, QE2 and QE3 by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank
between years 2008 to 2014. This resulted in a historically unprecedented volume of money printed,
for which most nation state governments are now in debt.
The development of a new oil extraction technology in 2008, horizontal drilling of fracking wells, opening
up a new oil frontier in the United States. This allowed oil production to increase in line with demand
once more. This resulting in an increase in the production of oil to an unprecedented level.
All parts of the global economy at all scales of operation become loaded up with financial debt at an
unprecedented volume. So much so that future economic activity has become very difficult in terms of
flexibility and options for development. Money supply and debt have grown faster than the real
economy. Debt saturation and paralysis is now a very real risk, requiring a global scale reset.
The extraction of oil is getting more expensive as time goes on. The window of operation that allows
price of oil production to be less than the oil price consumers can support is closing.
The rate of oil resource discovery has been declining since the 1960’s. The discovery of new reserves of
high ERoEI oil and gas deposits the size of the Saudi Arabian oil field is increasingly unlikely. The era of
cheap and abundant energy is long gone.
Oil remains the master resource for the global industrial ecosystem. Complete substitutions for oil
based technology may be beyond the logistical and practical capability of the global industrial
ecosystem. Alternatives exist but it may not be economically viable to make them accessible to the
entire global human population.
“The great unwinding of the financial sector showed that the smartest mathematical minds
on the planet, backed by some of the deepest pockets, had not built a sleek engine of
permanent prosperity but a clown car of trades, swaps and double dares that, inevitably fell
to bits.”
– Raj Patel 2009
22.12.2019
17 PEAK OIL
Oil is a finite natural non-renewable resource. The planet Earth is a finite system. At some point, rates
of resource discovery and oil extraction rates will peak and decline. Has all the oil deposits been
discovered, or is there vast reserves yet to be tapped? A pertinent question is when this date might
be. Another pertinent question would be how society might manage this supply gap in oil supply.
Data collected over the last several decades show that peak oil is now an observation in several oil
producing regions (Norway, United Kingdom, etc.) and is not just a theory. In the past, as one region
peaked and declined, a new region was developed to take over production growth, thus the global
production could continue to grow. So what happens when all regions on the planet are in decline and
there are no more new regions to exploit?
What is to be remembered is that not all oil deposits are equal and some will be much harder to exploit
than others. It is appropriate to state that the easy to find, extract and refine oil deposits have all be
exploited decades ago, and what is left is the less economic deposits. Technology has been the
mechanism that has allowed the continued economic extraction and delivery to market.
2. Electric vehicles (EV) and hydrogen fuel cell cars will replace internal combustion engine (ICE) technology vehicles
are the technologies that will make oil (and all fossil fuels) irrelevant.
3. Economics and market forces will ensure this is done. When the substitute system is cheaper than petroleum
based ICE systems, they will naturally become dominant and oil will be left behind.
4. More deposits will be discovered once the oil price goes up making lower quality resources viable.
5. Fracking technology can continue in the same rate and economic footprint as conventional oil production.
There are a number of difficulties with these paradigms. The assumption that EV technology will work
the same way and be assemble to all parts of society like ICE technology does now is unlikely to work
out as planned. A parallel report done (Michaux 2020) examines the logistical practicalities of
transforming the existing ICE felt to EV, with the purpose of estimating the needed extra capacity
required in the global (and EU, US and Chinese) electrical power grids to charge the necessary number
of batteries. The report (Michaux 2020) shows that the task to transform the existing fleet of ICE
vehicles into EV’s and manage their operation is a far larger challenge than currently understood.
Another study being planned is to examine the volume quantity of minerals needed to manufacture
the required batteries, solar panels and wind turbines to support a fully renewable power system that
supports a fully EV fleet of vehicles. Preliminary results at the time of writing this report suggest that
22.12.2019
global mineral reserves of cobalt, nickel, lithium, and neodymium are not large enough to supply raw
materials for this task.
Then there is the question of time. It will take time to implement this kind of industrial reform. Once
a substitute system has been diagnosed, it would take 10 to 20 years to phase out the ubiquitous
application of ICE technology and its supporting infrastructure (Hirsch 2005). If the transition was
started at a larger scale than what is being done now, will petroleum supply be stable for another 10
to 20 years? This is a question that is required to be addressed.
This suggests that the assumption that the EV revolution will overturn oil as the preferred and more
economically viable system, is far from certain. Just so, assessing the long term stability of such an
important resource is required to be examined in context of physical supply and demand of that
resource, in conjunction with market economic forces. Assuming market forces on their own will
address society’s industrial needs in a timely fashion may not be appropriate.
Points 4 and 5 will be examined later in this report.
The implications of the statements in this section require that oil be examined in context of what it
does for society now, and if no widespread economically viable and logistically practical solution was
developed, how long will oil supply be stable. The perception that peak oil does not need to be
discussed because electric vehicles and renewable energy will replace oil may not be appropriate. Oil
is required to be studied as a system as it is now, not what it might be in a decade from now.
This difference in paradigm has resulted in some aspects of the oil industry not being studies at all (at
least publically). That there was no publically available oil Critical Raw Material study published by the
oil industry, was the motivation to write this report.
22.12.2019
“The maximum power principle can be stated: During self-organization, system designs
develop and prevail that maximize power intake, energy transformation, and those uses
that reinforce production and efficiency."
Howard T. Odum – Industrial Ecologist
Energy Useful
X
Source Output
Energy
Loss
Figure 261 shows the systems flow model for the maximum power principle. This systems theory
allows for all the easy to process resources to be consumed first, and the harder to process resources
to be processed later. This produces an approximately bell shaped curve.
A milestone study done by geologist Marion King Hubbert (M. K. Hubbert 1956) made the observation
that this is what production from an oil field looks like (Figure 262). A non-technical description of who
Hubbert was and how he developed the peak oil theory can be found at link:
http://www.stuartmcmillen.com/comic/peak-
oil/?fbclid=IwAR1Y6hfqxMbYN_wKD4RwVCOGSZPxOZWx3m4ZmmZ8WGW49p9kFx4kGKTt5Fs
22.12.2019
Hubbert argued that production of oil from a single field would follow a bell shaped curve. He also
argued that a region of oil producing fields would follow a similar pattern, combining into an aggregate
bell curve.
Figure 263. Idealized, bell shaped production profile for an entire region
(Source: Image by Tania Michaux, developed from Campbell and Laherrère 1998)
Hubbert also promoted the idea that there would be a peak in oil discovery and after a lag time of an
estimated 40 years, a peak in oil production from extraction.
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Figure 264. Idealized (original sketch) Hubbert curves for discovery and production
(Hubbert 1956 & 1962)
Hubbert predicted in 1956 that:
US oil extraction would peak production in 1970
Global oil extraction would peak production in 2000, at 13 billion barrels per year
World production of oil is now of the order of 32 billion barrels of oil per year. Hubbert would have
been unaware of the technology of deep water drilling as it had not been invented yet in 1956. The
model that Hubbert developed has shown to be too simplistic, but it facilitated the development of
more appropriate tools to examine this issue.
Figure 265. Demand constrained prediction vs. supply constrain prediction shown on an oil depletion bell curve
With the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, it is now known how these predictive theories have fared against
history. It is now well understood how the rate of production an oil field now follows, as offshore
production often looks more like Figure 266 while conventional on shore early oil fields look like Figure
263 with the conventional bell curve.
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Figure 266. Stylized oil field production curve, describing the various stages of maturity
(Redrawn from Davies 2001, Image: Tania Michaux)
“Humans like most other biological organisms use the highest quality, richest and easiest to obtain
resources first.” - Chris Martenson 2008, (updated in Martenson 2014)
In context of all oil fields summed together, declining ERoEI implies that the amount of discretionary
energy available to society is far less than that predicted by a Hubbert curve. The Hubbert curve
represents the total gross quantity of energy available, and, as it is calculated, there are equal
quantities of energy available on the left and right side of the peak. This, however, is only true in the
context of energy content of oil as it resides in the ground. The net energy available (i.e. discretionary
energy, or energy that is available to do useful work) is less. In terms of a practical outcome, declining
ERoEI means that there will be much less net energy extracted post-peak than pre-peak on the Hubbert
curve.
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Unlike the original Hubbert curve that shows equal quantities of gross energy resources on the left and
right side, the Net Hubbert Curve is skewed so that most resources are on the left. For example,
according to the original Hubbert curve, 50% of the energy resource is remaining when production
levels reach the peak, but this is quite different for the Net Hubbert curve. Due to declining ERoEI, by
the time peak production is reached, 73% of the net energy available is already used.
While this concept is useful in abstract terms, it has since been shown that above ground limitations
and actions need to be integrated into any depletion modelling of oil producing reagions.
Figure 267. Indicative illustration of decline phases and concepts of peak oil
(Source: IEA World Energy Outlook 2013, Fustier et al 2016)
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17.8 Transitioning time required away from oil makes the date of peak oil less important
In 2005, a report was published that was commissioned by the United States DOE (Hirsch 2005) to
examine the issue peak oil and make recommendations to mitigate risk. Figure 268 and 269 shows the
basic mitigation model Hirsch proposed.
Peak Oil
Figure 268. Mitigation crash programs started at the time of world oil peaking: A significant supply shortfall occurs over
the forecast period. (Source: Hirsch et al. 2005 report commissioned by US DOE) (Copyright License:
https://www.energy.gov/about-us/web-policies)
Once a credible set of solutions to replace fossil fuels (oil in particular) have been identified, Hirsch
recommended that it would take time to prepare and implement those replacement solutions (Figure
268 and 269). For oil, this process would take society about 20-30 years at a comfortable but seriously
invested rate. This process could be shortened to 10 years if society undertook the forced
industrialization like what the United States did in preparation for World War II. If this forced
industrialization adaptation were attempted at or post peak oil production, the additional energy
required for adaptation would be at the expense of all society's other priorities, which would probably
cause society to collapse before adaptation could be achieved.
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As such, the precise date of peak oil is not that relevant. If peak oil is around now or possibly a few
years in our past (masked by economic stagnation), and no credible solutions to oil replacement, let
alone steps to retool the energy supply system have been undertaken, then the exact date no longer
matters. This diagnoses an outcome. The following combination suggests it is already too late for an
orderly planned transition, where the world will move away from the “agreement” based system.
It would probably take 20-30 years to phase oil systems out and substitute a replacement system
Oil production will probably peak sometime in the next few years
Mitigation has not really started beyond mostly talking about it. EV’s and associated infrastructure has practical
and logistical limitations to completely replace ICE technology (Michaux 2020)
Figure 270. Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS) crude production, ranked by field size, Ranked by estimated ultimate
recoverable reserves URR. (Source: Fustier et al 2016, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate)
17.10 Case Study: Peak oil (conventional crude) observed in North Sea (UK)
The United Kingdom has equally been reliant on a few very large fields, but the latter tend to be
“elephants” (500mb-1bnb) rather than true giants as in Norway. Following the Norwegian trend, the
proportion of giants has collapsed from just under 20% to only 6% of production (Fustier et al 2016).
However, unlike its northern neighbor, in the UK even medium-sized fields have dropped from 45% to
1/3 of total production. This is seen as evidence of the UK’s greater maturity. Meanwhile, the
contribution from small fields of <100mb has grown from 13% to one-third.
(kbd) 22.12.2019
Figure 271. United Kingdom liquids production, ranked by field size, Ranked by estimated ultimate recoverable reserves
URR. (Source: Fustier et al 2016, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate)
The North Sea oil fields had the highest production reserves ratio in the world. This energy bonanza
was exploited very quickly and for short term financial gain, with little thought for long term
sustainability. The United Kingdom also converted their power generation from coal to gas, based on
take or pay contracts lasting only 15 years. Now the North Sea gas supply is depleting in double digit
percentages per year. The United Kingdom is now dependent on Russian gas supply for energy, and is
in a difficult net position due to its position in the energy supply value chain (this is relevant as oil and
gas are usually produced together).
The potential to ensure the United Kingdom’s long term energy security, was poorly developed into
strategic dependence on a foreign power (who has been diplomatically difficult to trade with). This
was a consequence of poor foresight and ill-informed insight into the true nature of the opportunity
the North Sea oil and gas fields represented.
17.11 Case Study: Peak oil (conventional crude) predicted in the United States
As can be noted, U.S. peak production was in 1970 and the peak of oil resource discovery was 40 years
earlier in 1930, as Hubbert predicted in 1956. After decades of aggressive exploitation, these American
oil fields (lower 48 states) peaked production and declined (Figure 272 blue and red). This was one of
the first and best documented observations of the concept of Peak Oil.
In approximately 2008, the tight oil production bonanza stated up in the United States, using the
horizontal drilling technology applied to the hydraulic fracturing (fracking) industry. That stated, the
peak oil production (of conventional crude) date for the lower United States was correctly predicted
decades ahead of time (Hubbert 1956 and 1962).
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(Fracking production)
(Conventional
crude oil
production)
Figure 273 shows the discovery history of oil deposits in the United States, showing a peak discovery
in 1930. What is curious is the 40 year gap between peak discovery and peak production in the United
22.12.2019
States, which had peak production in 1970. A very similar gap was observed in the global conventional
crude oil profile.
Since the peak and decline of U.S. oil fields, other international sources of oil production like the Middle
East have dominated the market for the last five decades.
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A recent public domain analysis of total energy consumption suggests a peak of total oil production
very soon (a case can be made that peak production was 2018) (World Energy Outlook 2018), shown
in Figure 274.
Figure 274.Declines in current oil production and demand in the New Policies and Sustainable Development scenarios.
(Source: World Energy Outlook 2018) (Copyright License:
https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
Figure 275 (Li 2018) shows the historical and projected world primary energy consumption from 1980
to 2050. World oil production (including crude oil and natural gas liquids) was 4,387 million metric
tons (92.6 million barrels per day) in 2017. Between 2007 and 2017, world oil production grew at an
average annual rate of 1 percent.
Table 26 summarizes the projected peak production level and year for the world’s ten largest oil
producers, the rest of the world, and the world as a whole. World cumulative oil production up to
2017 was 192 billion metric tons. One study (Li 2018) predicts that world oil production will peak at
4,529 million metric tons in 2021. For Peak Production and Peak Year, regular characters indicate
historical peak production and year and italicized blue characters indicate theoretical peak production
and year projected by statistical models. So far most peak oil predictions have not been correct. It is
postulated that not enough above ground influences are included in their modelling. So it remains to
be seen if this study is indeed correct. That being stated, most indicators are suggesting that peak oil
will happen in the next few years.
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Historical Projected
2017
Table 26. World Oil Production: Peak Production – 2018 estimates (Source: Li 2018, Cumulative production up to 2007 is
from BGR (2009, Table A 3-2), extended to 2017 using annual production data from BP 2018)
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ERoEI
systems to be dynamically linked and interdependent for oil
The 1973 Petrodollar agreement forces these two global
Increasing up
front capital Contracting window where oil prices are high
Peak oil production
investment enough to make oil production viable, and those
as oil market
needed to keep same oil prices are low enough for consumers to
becomes not viable
oil production access oil in a manner that allows economic growth
consistent
Figure 276. Oil in a Critical Resource Material profile and a holistic model for peak oil production
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The conventional theory of peak oil is not able to model the oil market in context of predicting when
oil supply will contract away from oil demand. It was not able to account for above ground influences
like currency purchasing power or geopolitical events.
Oil production will eventually peak and decline. The fact that oil resource discovery peaked in 1966
and has declined ever since dictates this will be true eventually. The date of decline will not be dictated
solely by oil reserves in the ground.
Not all oil reserves are equal. Most of the oil reserves left have a much lower ERoEI ratio compared to
what was consumed in the early 1900’s. The cost of exploration, extraction and refinement is now
much more expensive and requires constant upstream capital investment. All of this is forcing the oil
price to rise.
The consumer demand in the oil market also has an influence. There is a great deal of empirical
evidence now to show that in spite of oil being such a vital and critical commodity that is the master
resource in the global industrial ecosystem, there comes a point when consumers cannot support high
oil prices. This can be linked to debt saturation and reduction in currency purchasing power as a
consequence of structural changes over a period of several decades.
Inevitable
Market perception & Unlimited supply. progression
consumer perception Behave accordingly.
Inelastic supply.
Behave accordingly
Physical
work done Ability to access oil
products and
service. Contracting supply.
The ‘real’ economy of Behave accordingly
physical goods &
services
What does oil really do
for the industrial FUNDAMENTAL
ecosystem? SYSTEM RESET
Figure 276
Figure 277. Transition from current market planning for the future to Figure 276
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18 TEMPORAL DATA SIGNATURES THAT INDICATE HOW CLOSE PEAK OIL MAY BE
It has been shown how important oil is for the functioning of the industrial ecosystem. It also has been
shown that discoveries are being outpaced by oil production (only 16% of oil production is being
replaced with a resource discovery – Rystad 2018) and the cost of production is increasing. There have
now been four so called oil shocks (see Figure 223) and several eras of economic industrial operation
operating to different limitations (see Figure 249).
The concept of classic Hubbert peak oil may well be too simplistic to predict the actual date of oil
production peak. That fact oil production will one day peak and decline is inevitable. So the question
becomes how close in time is the pain threshold for the oil market where supply and demand separate
resulting in an antagonistic fashion. The attempts to phase out fossil fuels are much more onerous
than currently understood, and peak oil will come well before any practical solution to substitute oil is
viable (Michaux 2020).
Figure 276 shows a more holistic model. In context of this holistic model, the whole industrial
ecosystem should be studied to determine if any data structures are showing strain in the system that
could be related to oil.
Figure 278 below shows an oil outlook analysis conducted by the International Energy Agency (IEA –
World Energy Outlook 2018) that shows currently producing oil fields are declining in output, while
demand is increasing (Figure 64). The green and orange wedges come from new projects, all of which
require timely capital investment. If this does not happen, then supply will decline further and would
not be able to meet demand. Also shown below is the international perception that the best source
for new oil projects would come from the US shale fields (European Central Bank 2015).
Figure 278. Oil outlook to 2025, without a pick-up in conventional oil investment
(Source: World Energy Outlook 2018) (Copyright License:
https://www.iea.org/media/copyright/Termsandconditions_2019update_FINAL.docx.pdf)
This suggests that oil may become unreliable as an energy source sometime in the next few years. It
is possible that difficulties in the oil supply to the industrial market have already caused structural
volatility.
22.12.2019
Figure 279. Weekly U.S. Net Imports of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
(Source: EIA statistics, petroleum and other liquids)
Figure 280 shows the The Baltic Dry Index from the time it was developed in 1985. The Baltic Dry Index
(BDI) is an economic indicator issued daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange. Not restricted to Baltic
Sea countries, the index provides "an assessment" of the price of moving the major raw materials by
sea. This index is a good proxy for the health of the real economy as it measures the bulk transfer
movement of real physical goods around the world (Rothfeder 2016). It is not subject to variability and
volatility that other retail market measures are and tends to be more stable over time.
Figure 280 shows a breakout around the end of 2003 from the stable pattern from 1985 -2003 where
the BDI was below 1800 most of the time. From 2003 till 2005 was an unprecedented volume
movement of goods by shipping container. In November 2005, the BDI entered into a hyperinflationary
bubble that peaked, in May, 2008, at 11,793. This peak in the BDI eclipses all other measurements
before and since. The peak of 2008 was an extraordinary movement of real physical goods on a global
scale (the real economy). Shortly after this peak, there was a proportional crash to a BDI of 633.
22.12.2019
This suggests that the real economy was subject to a speculative bubbles between years 2003 to 2005,
then another peak bubble from 2005 to 2008. This happened just before the largest economic
correction seen since the 1929 Great Depression (the GFC or the Great Recession).
In February 12th 2016, the BDI crashed to 291, an all-time low, with no new signature to correlate with.
As such the problematic issues of the previous decade in the real economy were never resolved.
The Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT) metric that is collected by the U.S Department of Transport is a good
proxy in conjunction with BDI to map the structural signatures of the real economy (where physical
goods and services are exchanged as opposed to fiat financial instruments). Figure 281 shows the
average annual VMT as measured between years 1970 to 2018. The clearest structure that can be seen
is the year 2007, where the first effects of the Global Financial Crisis were felt in the real economy
(officially classified as a recession in June 2008). So the real economy started to stagnate and contract.
Most significantly, the end of the third quantitative easing program QE3 in 2014 show the VMT
signature increasing. Thus the real economy really was assisted with QE financial stimulus. The
consequences of taking on so much more debt have yet to be felt however.
22.12.2019
250 000
1973
230 000 Oil Embargo
Petrodollar Agreement
210 000 Oct 2014
QE3 End
1979 -1988
190 000 Iran Revolution 2008 Global
Iran/Iraq War Financial Crisis
170 000
150 000
130 000
110 000
90 000
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Year
Table 27 shows how the monthly price for the 13 commodities (used by the World Bank to track
volatility) are indexed to the number 100 to a reference date.
Table 27. Metals and energy resource prices Indexed to January 1970=100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Index data)
Price in Indexed to Price in January Index reference against
Commodity August 1971 Unit of Sale 100 2010 Aug 1971=100
($USD) ($USD)
Industrial Metals
Aluminium US$606,27($/mt) 100 US$2 235,15 368,7
Iron ore, cfr spot US$9,84($/dmtu) 100 US$125,72 1277,6
Copper US$1 626,30 ($/mt) 100 US$7 386,25 454,2
Lead US$324,70($/mt) 100 US$2 368,38 729,4
Tin US$3 842,70 ($/mt) 100 US$17 714,75 461,0
Nickel US$2 846,20($/mt) 100 US$18 439,25 647,9
Zinc US$302,40($/mt) 100 US$2 434,45 805,0
Precious Metals
Gold US$34,94($/troy oz) 100 US$1 117,96 3199,7
Platinum US$132,50($/troy oz) 100 US$1 557,90 1175,8
Silver US$1,88($/troy oz) 100 US$17,75 945,9
Energy Resources
Crude oil, average US$1,21($/bbl) 100 US$77,12 6373,6
Coal, Australian US$7,80($/mt) 100 US$97,00 1243,6
Natural gas, US US$0,17($/mmbtu) 100 US$5,81 3415,8
22.12.2019
The implications of this report can be shown to be effecting all parts of the industrial ecosystem.
Mining of metal as shown by market price is another example. It is the transfer point between metal
mining, heavy industry and manufacturing industry. Conventionally, the industrial society sources its
raw materials from mining. How this happens is an underlying foundation of the industrial society.
Figures 282 to 289 show the metal price for 13 commonly traded commodities that the World Bank
uses to track the performance of the global economy and the global industrial ecosystem.
The data trend lines were overlaid by indexing the real price to the date January 1970 to the number
100 for Figures 282 to 289, and to the date of December 2001 to the number 100 for Figure 289. This
is the price of metals market. These dates were picked based on patterns seen elsewhere in this
report, where the reference point is about 20 months before the significant change date.
The purpose of indexing the price data is to overlay the price curves, which shows time periods of
relative stability and time periods of volatility. The data selected is the following commodity groups
used by the World Bank to map the performance of the global industrial economy:
Energy Resources
Oil
Gas
Coal
Precious Metals
Gold
Silver
Platinum
Industrial Metals
Aluminum
Copper
Tin
Zinc
Iron ore
Lead
Nickel
By examining this combination of commodities in context of monthly sell price, a good summary of the
global industrial ecosystem. The metal sell price is the transfer point between raw material extraction
and the manufacturing sector to use the metals to make products.
Figures 282 to 289 show a series of interesting patterns. There are five clear time periods of
significance shown in these Figures and seen elsewhere in this report. They are:
1960 to August 1971
August 1971 to January 2005
January 2005 to June 2008
June 2008 to November 2011
November 2011 to 2019
Figure 282 shows all patterns together and how they interrelate.
22.12.2019
Oct 2014
QE3 End
2017M07
2016M04
2015M01
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2008
2011M04
GFC
2010M01
2008M10
2007M07
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
Oil production plateaus
2002M07
2001M04
2000M01
Jan 2005
1998M10
Relative stability
1986 - 2005
1997M07
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1985M01
Iron ore, cfr spot
Iran/Iraq War
Coal, Australian
1979 -1988
1983M10
1982M07
1981M04
1971 - 1986
Nickel
Silver
1980M01
Lead
Gold
1978M10
1977M07
1976M04
Petrodollar Agreement
1975M01
1973M10
Oil Embargo
1972M07
Crude oil, average
1973
1971M04
Natural gas, US
1970M01
Aluminum
1968M10
Platinum
$USD decouples
1960 - 1971
Copper
1967M07
Aug 1971
1966M04
Zinc
Tin
1965M01
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
12 000
10 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
Figure 282. The price of industrial metals, precious metals and energy resources, January 1960 to September 2019,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
2000M05
1999M06
1998M07
1997M08
1996M09
Relative stability
1995M10
1986 - 2005
1994M11
1993M12
1993M01
1992M02
1991M03
1990M04
1989M05
1988M06
1987M07
1986M08
1985M09
1984M10
1983M11
1971 - 1986
1979M04
1978M05
1977M06
1976M07
Petrodollar Agreement
1975M08
1974M09
Oil Embargo
1973M10
1973
1972M11
1971M12
1971M01
Hard asset backed global reserve currency
1970M02
1969M03
1968M04
Crude oil, average
Iron ore, cfr spot
1967M05
1960 - 1971
from gold standard
Coal, Australian
Natural gas, US
$USD decouples
1966M06
Aug 1971
Aluminum
1965M07
Platinum
1964M08
Copper
Nickel
Silver
Lead
Gold
1963M09
Zinc
Tin
1962M10
1961M11
1960M12
1960M01
3 500
3 000
2 500
2 000
1 500
1 000
500
Figure 283. The price of industrial metals, precious metals and energy resources, January 1960 to December 2000,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2011M04
2008
GFC
2010M01
2008M10
2007M07
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
1998M10
Relative stability
1997M07
1986 - 2005
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1986M04
1985M01
Iran Revolution
1983M10
1982M07
1981M04
1971 - 1986
1980M01
Nickel
1978M10
Lead
1977M07
Petrodollar Agreement
1976M04
1975M01
Oil Embargo
1973M10
1973
1972M07
1971M04
Hard asset backed global reserve currency
1970M01
from gold standard
$USD decouples
1968M10
Aluminum
Aug 1971
1960 - 1971
1967M07
Copper
1966M04
Zinc
Tin
1965M01
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
1 000
2 500
2 000
1 500
500
Figure 284. The price of industrial metals January 1960 to September 2019, Indexed to the year January 1970 = 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
Oct 2014
2017M07
QE3 End
2016M04
2015M01
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2011M04
2008
GFC
2010M01
2008M10
2007M07
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
2002M07
2001M04
2000M01
1998M10
Relative stability
1986 - 2005
1997M07
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1986M04
Iran Revolution
1985M01
Iran/Iraq War
1979 -1988
Iron ore, cfr spot
1983M10
Natural gas, US
1982M07
1981M04
1971 - 1986
1980M01
Nickel
1978M10
Lead
1977M07
Petrodollar Agreement
1976M04
Oil Embargo
1975M01
1973M10
1973
1972M07
Coal, Australian
1971M04
Hard asset backed global reserve currency
1970M01
from gold standard
$USD decouples
Aluminum
1968M10
Aug 1971
Copper
1967M07
1960 - 1971
Zinc
1966M04
Tin
1965M01
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
12 000
10 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
Figure 285. The price of industrial metals, and energy resources, January 1960 to September 2019,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
Oct 2014
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2011M04
2010M01
2008M10
2008
GFC
2007M07
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
Oil production
2002M07
Jan 2005
plateaus 2001M04
2000M01
1998M10
Relative stability
1986 - 2005
1997M07
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1986M04
1985M01
1982M07
1981M04
1980M01 1971 - 1986
1978M10
1977M07
1976M04
1975M01
Petrodollar Agreement
1973M10
1972M07
Oil Embargo
1971M04
1973
1970M01
Hard asset backed global reserve currency
from gold standard
$USD decouples
1968M10
Platinum
1967M07
Aug 1971
1960 - 1971
1966M04
Silver
Gold
1965M01
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
6 000
5 000
4 000
3 000
2 000
1 000
Figure 286. The price of precious metals, January 1960 to September 2019,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2011M04
2008
GFC
2010M01
2008M10
2007M07
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
Oil production plateaus
2002M07
2001M04
Jan 2005
2000M01
1998M10
Relative stability
1997M07
1986 - 2005
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1986M04
1985M01
Iran Revolution
Iran/Iraq War
1983M10
1982M07
1981M04
1971 - 1986
1980M01
1978M10
1977M07
Petrodollar Agreement
1976M04
1975M01
Oil Embargo
1973M10
1973
1972M07
Crude oil, average
1971M04
Coal, Australian
Natural gas, US
1970M01
1968M10
from gold standard
$USD decouples
Platinum
1967M07
1960 - 1971
Aug 1971
Silver
1966M04
Gold
1965M01
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
10 000
12 000
8 000
6 000
4 000
2 000
Figure 287. The price of precious metals and energy resources, January 1960 to September 2019,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
22.12.2019
Oct 2014
QE3 End
2017M07
2016M04
2015M01
2005 - 2019
2013M10
2012M07
2011M04
2010M01
2008M10
Financial Crisis
2007M07
2008 Global
2006M04
2005M01
2003M10
2002M07
Oil production plateaus
2001M04
2000M01
Jan 2005
1998M10
Relative stability
1986 - 2005
1997M07
1996M04
1995M01
1993M10
1992M07
1991M04
1990M01
1988M10
1987M07
1986M04
Iran Revolution
Iran/Iraq War
1985M01
1983M10
1982M07
1981M04
1971 - 1986
1980M01
1978M10
1977M07
Petrodollar Agreement
1976M04
Oil Embargo
1975M01
1973
1973M10
1972M07
1971M04
Iron ore, cfr spot
1970M01
from gold standard
$USD decouples
1968M10
Aluminum
Aug 1971
1967M07
Platinum
1960 - 1971
Copper
1966M04
Nickel
Silver
Lead
Gold
Zinc
1965M01
Tin
1963M10
1962M07
1961M04
1960M01
5 000
6 000
4 000
3 000
2 000
1 000
Figure 288. The price of precious metals and industrial metals, January 1960 to September 2019,
Indexed to the year January 1970 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
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2019M08
Oct 2014
QE3 End
2017M06
2016M05
2015M04
2005 - 2019
2014M03
2013M02
2012M01
Financial Crisis
2008 Global
2010M12
2009M11
2008M10
2007M09
2000M02
1999M01
Relative stability
1997M12
1986 - 2005
1996M11
1995M10
1994M09
1993M08
1992M07
1991M06
1990M05
1989M04
1988M03
1987M02
1986M01
1983M11
1982M10
1981M09
1971 - 1986
1980M08
1979M07
1978M06
1977M05
Petrodollar Agreement
1976M04
Oil Embargo
1975M03
1974M02
1973
1973M01
1971M12
Hard asset backed global reserve currency
Crude oil, average
1970M11
Iron ore, cfr spot
Coal, Australian
Natural gas, US
1969M10
from gold standard
1968M09
$USD decouples
Aluminum
1967M08
1960 - 1971
Platinum
Aug 1971
Copper
1966M07
Nickel
Silver
Lead
Gold
1965M06
Zinc
Tin
1964M05
1963M04
1962M03
1961M02
1960M01
800
600
400
200
0
1200
1000
Figure 289. The price of industrial metals, precious metals and energy resources, January 1960 to September 2019,
The price of metals Indexed to the year December 2001 = number 100
(Source: World Bank Commodity Price Data used to calculate Indices, monthly data updated Oct 2019)
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Figure 284 shows the period between August 1971 and January 2005, but with just the industrial base
metal prices. This time range has the same consistent signature, different to time periods before 1971
and after 2005.
The implication of this time period is that anytime a geopolitical issue arose, that issue could be
resolved taking on more debt (actually currency creation or the printing money). Prices did not blow
out immediately. The first instance of this was shown in the 1973 Oil Embargo two years later.
In Figures 282 to 289, it can be seen that an era of volatility can be seen in years between 1973 to1986.
This could be seen as geopolitical instability in the Middle East, affecting the oil production supply to
the international markets. This ear is dominated by:
Iranian Revolution 1979
Iran/Iraq war 1980 to 1988
The Saudi Arabian cut in production in response to the oil glut in the market at the time
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81 000 000
Convetional Oil
Oil Production (bbls/day)
79 000 000
77 000 000
75 000 000
73 000 000
71 000 000
69 000 000
May 2003
May 2008
Dec 2002
Dec 2007
Jun 2000
Jul 2002
Nov 2000
Jun 2005
Jul 2007
Nov 2005
Sep 2001
Feb 2002
Sep 2006
Feb 2007
Apr 2001
Apr 2006
Oct 2003
Jan 2000
Mar 2004
Oct 2008
Aug 2004
Jan 2005
Mar 2009
Aug 2009
Figure 290. Global oil production 2000 to 2009
(Source: data from BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 and BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2011)
80
10,0
70
OIl Production (million barrels a day)
60 8,0
Jan 2005
Rig Count
50
Global Oil production plateaus
6,0
40
30 4,0
0 0,0
Sep 2002
Jan 2008
Jan 2000
Sep 2000
Jan 2001
Sep 2001
Jan 2002
Jan 2003
Sep 2003
Jan 2004
Sep 2004
Jan 2005
Sep 2005
Jan 2006
Sep 2006
Jan 2007
Sep 2007
Sep 2008
Jan 2009
Sep 2009
May 2000
May 2001
May 2002
May 2003
May 2004
May 2005
May 2006
May 2007
May 2008
May 2009
Figure 291. Saudi Arabian rig count and crude oil production, January 2000 to December 2009
(Source. Baker Hughes Rig Count data, EIA monthly production data)
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Figure 292. EU-28, Industrial production for total industry and main industrial groupings, 2005-2019, Jan 2015 = 100,
(Data Source: Industrial production (volume) index overview. Updated 17th Oct 2019
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File:EU-
28,_Industrial_production_for_total_industry_and_main_industrial_groupings,_2005-2019.png)
(Copyright License: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Copyright/licence_policy )
The global industrial ecosystem has been underpinned by inexpensive and abundantly available energy
and abundantly available credit. As of January 2005, energy markets became inelastic (both oil and
gas, but not coal) and the era of cheap energy was officially over. In the same time frame, the Credit
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Default swaps (Credit Derivatives) markets were deregulated a few years before in 2001, allowing for
the later unrestrained expansion of credit. The temporal signature of January 2005 significantly put
the industrial ecosystem under unprecedented strain, where this combination of circumstances forced
the weakest link to break. As the financial systems were now fiat (since August 1971) and literally
virtual (where 97% of all $USD were not paper notes but digital numbers in a database – Rickards 2014),
they were the first to crack under pressure and break. Within the financial markets, the U.S. sub-prime
mortgage market was found to be the weakest link of all. A market correction (crash) started, which
would correct all financial markets back to their intrinsic value. As those markets were over leveraged
and were no longer backed by anything that was not negotiable, there was a very high risk for the
systematic fragmentation of all fiat currency markets (which were heavily interlocked and
interdependent).
As a direct consequence of the GFC, quantitative easing (QE1, QE2 and QE3 programs) were deployed
by the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank (Yellen 2017), starting with the QE1 program in November 2008.
Since then central banks around the world have been engaging in Quantitative Easing (colloquially
referred to as the printing of money) at an unprecedented scale. This is dangerous as it deteriorates
the integrity of the monetary system. The volumes of money being created through QE is historically
unprecedented. This has been referred to as “The Road to Zimbabwe” in reference to the risk of
hyperinflation on an unprecedented scale (Michaux 2017).
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Something fundamental was permanently changed in January 2005, and the second worst economic
correction of all time (IMF 2009) did not resolve the underlying issues. This suggests that whatever is
causing the volatility, it is not an overvalued market, nor was it the result of a speculative bubble
bursting. The underlying issues are still in play and the current markets are held together with more
money creation programs.
In summary:
Gas and Oil (gas leads) blows out to a proportionally much larger value set than precious metals, starting around
2002
Precious metals blows out to a proportionally much larger value set than industrial base metals. This precious
metals blow out signature starts in approximately 2003, after oil and gas, before base metals.
Base metals blows out in 2005. Coal (an industrial energy resource) behaves more like a industrial base metal,
than like oil or gas.
These signatures are still visible when the reference point of December 2001=100 is used but they are
not as clear (see Figure 289). This suggests that the structural problems facing the current industrial
ecosystem started with a blowout in the real cost of energy, which had a ripple effect, which took time
to be felt in the base industrial metal markets. As it requires energy to mine minerals and more energy
to refine them into metals, it is appropriate that the price blowout of the metals market (which are the
fundamental lifeblood of the industrial ecosystem) is triggered by a signature in the energy market (oil
production plateaus in January 2005).
A systems analysis of the industrial ecosystem starts with energy inputs, and conclusions are generally
based around what form the physical streams of goods being manufactured take. In macro terms,
energy inputs and how energy is used to interact with material streams and flows define what
outcomes are possible. Money is just the language of exchange in context of who does what and who
administers the outcome.
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This can be described with the resource pyramid conundrum (Figure 292).
More expensive, higher sell price
The deepest global recession in the entire post-war period can mask the signatures shown in this report
while demand is contracting; peak oil isn't a problem if the economy it powers is shrinking. But
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recessions, even the deepest, only last so long. The first thing to be noticed about a recovering
economy is that it starts burning more fuel. The second is that oil prices are rising once again.
Yet the current ‘Great Recession’ has been persistent, where the real economy contracted in 2008 and
13 years later in 2019, still has not recovered. This suggests something fundamental in the energy
sector has changed.
1. 15th of August 1971. The United States decouples it currency form the gold standard and
becomes a fiat currency. This allows monetary creation at will to solve all geopolitical and
domestic problems.
2. The Petrodollar agreement in 1973. The petrodollar is any oil purchase or trade by an oil-
exporting country is to be done in $USD. Since the dollar is a global reserve currency, all
international transactions are priced in dollars. All nation states were then forced to interact
with the $USD fiat currency system, and any internal issues within the $USD were automatically
transferred to all over the world.
3. Oil production plateaued in January 2005, while oil demand continued to grow, creating an
inelastic supply market. Possible cause, Saudi Arabia unable to increase production.
6. The Global Financial Crisis starting in early 2008. The worst economic correction since the 1929
Great Depression.
7. The initiation of unprecedented quantitative easing monetary creation program QE1 by U.S.
Federal Reserve Bank (November 2008 to June 2010).
9. A new technology of horizontal precision drilling applied in oil fracking operations, triggering
the oil shale revolution in the U.S. Tight Oil frontier. Oil supply stabilizes with global demand.
12. U.S. Federal Reserve Bank QE2 program from November 2010 to June 2011.
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13. U.S. Federal Reserve Bank QE3 program from September 2012 to October 2014.
16. U.S. Federal Reserve Bank repo market bailout September 17th 2019 till (unknown?).
In 2008 the financial markets were structurally damaged by the application of quantitative
easing in response to the most serious economic crash seen in the previous 75 years, the GFC.
Whatever caused the volatility in the commodity markets in 2005, was not resolved by a
major economic crash, and the fundamental issues are still in play.
The current market systems are now dependent on more quantitative easing to maintain
stability.
There will come a point when QE is not possible anymore and the correction that was started
in 2008 will resume.
Figure 294 (Figure 258 reproduced) shows that the window of oil market viability is closing, which
suggests the resumption of the 2008 correction will be soon.
Predicting the time the window will completely close is not appropriate as this is a nonlinear system
with unknown influences. It could be postulated though that the window of viable operation could
close between now and 2025.
Figure 295 shows the global crude oil production, excluding the United States and Iraq. What can be
seen here is that without the U.S. and Iraq, global oil production actually peaked in 2016 and is now
declining. This really does highlight that any expansion in supply is dependent on the United States
(the Tight Oil sector in particular). This also shows that the United States is now the supporting supplier
(or swing producer) for the global oil market, in the same fashion that Saudi Arabia has been for the
previous 50 years.
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window of viability
Contracting
Oil price way too low for all producers.
QE (or other) assistance needed.
Figure 294. West Texas Intermediate (WTI or NYMEX) crude oil prices per barrel October 1999 to October 2019,
Inflation adjusted (Source: MacroTrends) (Copyright: https://www.macrotrends.net/terms)
76000
Jan 2005 GFC 2008
Global Oil production
plateaus
Thousand barrels per day (kbbls/day)
74000
72000
70000
68000
66000
64000
62000
2010
2011
2012
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Figure 295. Global oil production, excluding the United States and Iraq
(Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019 & 2011)
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97
(Million Barrels a day)
96
95
94
93
92
Jul 2018
Jun 2018
Jun 2019
Dec 2017
May 2018
Dec 2018
Jan 2019
May 2019
Sep 2017
Nov 2017
Feb 2018
Sep 2018
Nov 2018
Feb 2019
Mar 2019
Apr 2019
Oct 2017
Jan 2018
Mar 2018
Apr 2018
Oct 2018
Aug 2017
Aug 2018
Figure 296 shows oil production may have peaked in November 2018. For the validity of this data
pattern to be accepted, the peak date of November 2018 would have to remain the record for at least
a period of 5 years following recording. Due to depleting reserves, with each passing month, that peak
record would be more difficult to surpass.
Oil will peak in production, not because there is not enough reserves in the ground to meet demand,
but because consumers cannot support the oil price at a level that allows oil producers to remain
economically viable. The implications of Figures 295 and 296 both suggest that global peak crude oil
production is relatively soon. The EIA projections of peak oil around 2040, are highly unlikely.
Figure 276 shows how this interaction may happen. Figure 296 shows this may already have happened
in November 2018. This may or may not be peak oil, depending on whether more investment is put
into the oil industry. The longer the peak persists though, the harder it is to overcome with a new
record due to the depletion of conventional oil reserves.
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Figure 297. The base case projected outcome of 1972 systems analysis modelling of global industrial society
(Source: Meadows et al. 1972)
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While this study was done in the early 1970’s, an update that compare historical data mapped against
the model predictions, show that the base case scenario model was conceptually correct (Turner 2008).
Figures 298 to 300 shows some actual historical data from 1970 to 2000 projected onto the original
1970 study.
The implications of Figures 298 to 300 are that the basic prediction of the original limits to Growth
systems study was conceptually correct. Just so, it should be considered that the industrial ecosystem
and the society it supports may soon contract in size.
The underpinning paradigm of this study was to look at the resource limitations in context of growing
human population. Figure 298 shows the 1972 study human population growth scenarios (with a
model future prediction between 1970 and the year 2000), overlaid with historical data from 1970 to
the year 2000 as measured (Turner 2008). The historical data shows that human population is
following the Standard Run model from the 1972 Limits to Growth study. This is most pertinent as
human population is one of the fundamental underpinning parameters in mapping resource
consumption.
Figure 298. Comparing ‘Limits to Growth’ scenarios to observed global data – human population
(Source: Turner 2008)
Figure 299 shows the 1972 study industrial output per capita scenarios (with a model future prediction
between 1970 and the year 2000), overlaid with historical data from 1970 to the year 2000 as
measured (Turner 2008). The historical data shows that industrial output per captia is following the
Standard Run model from the 1972 Limits to Growth study.
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Figure 299. Comparing ‘Limits to Growth’ scenarios to observed global data – industrial output
(Source: Turner 2008)
Figure 300. Comparing ‘Limits to Growth’ scenarios to observed global data – Non-renewable resources
(Source: Turner 2008)
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Figure 292 (peak in European industrial output in 2008), Figure 26 (Chinese industrial output YOY %
change), in conjunction with the possibility that the energy systems (oil in particular) may soon
contract, suggest the industrial ecosystem is approaching the peak of industrial output per captia
sometime in the next few years. This is projected timing of the first peak predicted in the Standard
Run model (Figure 297).
This implies that the global industrial ecosystem is going through the Limits to Growth standard run.
This means that industrial production per capita is about to peak and decline, and non-renewable
resources will continue to deplete. This has very serious implications to the global population. It also
very clearly shows that the industrial ecosystem is about to transform into something else entirely.
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fragmentation) of the current industrial ecosystem. This stark choice of outcome is a consequence of
not examining these fundamental issues decades ago it was first understood the nature of the
challenge in front of us. For the last 20 years, our most competent technical professionals have not
been working on this most serious challenge.
19.2 The Proposed Paradigm for the Next Generation of the Circular Economy
The conclusions of this report are that oil is not only a critical input into the current industrial
ecosystem, but also has a potential unreliability which could become a demand/supply gap. It is
recommended that energy in all its forms be included, as well as CRM’s in the development of the next
generation of the Circular Economy in Europe.
Figure 301 is a merging of Figure 27 and 28 with an addition of energy. The proportionate size of the
energy blocks are based around what would be required in context of extra supply capacity from the
global electricity generation grid, if fossil fuels were completely phased out (Michaux 2020). Note that
oil is much larger than all the others combined. This suggests that the nature of the challenge to phase
petroleum products out is much larger than currently believed.
The systems modelling approach has been successful in relating patterns and bottle necks of complex
concepts in industrial ecosystems. It is recommended that this approach is continued.
As shown in this report, the oil CRM perspective is not only a global scale problem, by oil supply is
limited to a small number of sources. This means that all major industrial clusters in a global context
should work together in how to transition away from oil and fossil fuels in general. The alternative is
conflict.
It could be considered to do a systems modelling study in context of Figure 306 on the following scales:
Global
Europe EU-28
o Southern Europe
o Northern Europe
o Former Soviet Bloc Europe
China
United States
Russian Federation
Brazil
India
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foundation of monetary systems (fiat) are also highly vulnerable and are not in a fit state to engage in
fundamental industrial reform on a global scale.
This means that a contracting energy sector may make corporate operation (in its current form) more
challenging. The implication is that corporate operations may evolve into something else when the
energy sector starts to contract (peak energy) into an entity not seen before.
Figure 301. Proposed paradigm for the next generation of the Circular Economy
(Image: by Tania Michaux, EIT Raw Materials, and European Commission)
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Charts that relate oil to steel, coal, GDP all can map the major turning points in the global
industrial ecosystem (Figures 22 to 24).
Industrial agriculture is dependent on oil to function. The World Bank Food Index and the World
Bank crude oil index correlate strongly (Figure 33). The production of food is dependent on oil,
and petroleum products at several places along the value chain.
There is a correlation between the price of food, the price of oil and civil unrest. When the
price of food passes 205 on the World Bank Food Index, incidence of civil unrest increases
(Figure 36).
14% of oil consumption in 2018 was used in the petrochemical industry (manufacture of plastics
and fertilizers). There is no viable substitute for oil as a raw material input into the
petrochemical industry.
Oil price may be the most effective data signature to study to map the evolution of the current
industrial ecosystem.
Oil has facilitated that exponential growth of our society, industrial complexity and
technological capability (Figure 17). For this reason, oil production correlates with human
population.
Oil is the most calorically dense energy resource. All other resources would have to be used in
greater quantities or at much greater levels of efficiency to replace what oil contributes to our
system.
Currently Europe is heavily dependent on fossil fuels (71% of energy consumed) and oil (86% of
energy consumed).
70.56% of oil and petroleum products in the United States is consumed by transport
Due to the critical contribution oil makes to our industrial society, a change in supply will have
measureable consequences across the whole ecosystem.
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Most oil and gas deposit discoveries happened decades ago, with most of it prior to 1970.
The maximum of net addition to global oil reserve inventory was in 1981 (Figure 221).
New discoveries are limited: the exploration success rate in 2017 was a record low of 5%, and
the average discovery size was 24 million barrels. This is also called Reserves Replacement
Ratio, where less oil quantity is discovered than is consumed in a given time period (annual).
The quantities discovered in 2017, 2018 and 2019 were the lowest on record since the initial
discovery of oil. This discovery rate is about 1/10th of the discovery rate in the 1960’s.
The oil market may be oversupplied with an ‘oil glut’ at the time of writing this report.
Approximately 70% of our daily oil supply comes from oil fields discovered prior to 1970.
Most of global oil supply comes from 10 to 20 huge oil fields. In 2006, 10 oil fields accounted
for 29.9% of the global proved reserves.
Three nation states (United States 16.16%, Saudi Arabia 12.97% and Russian Federation
12.08%) dominate the global oil supply with 41.2% of the market between them.
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74% of the current global oil reserves is geographically concentrated in what is termed the
Strategic Ellipse, which is the Middle East and Central Asia.
The quality of oil being extracted is degrading. The sulfur content is increasing. Most oil being
extracted currently is increasingly heavy and sour.
Conventional crude oil plateaued in January 2005. In late 2013, it broke the plateau and started
to increase once more.
In January 2005, Saudi Arabia increased its number of operating rig count by 144%, to increase
oil production by only 6.5%. This suggests that the market swing producer (as Saudi Arabia was
seen) was not able increase production enough to meet increasing demand.
Since then, unconventional oil sources like tight oil (fracked Tight Oil, and oil sands) have made
up the demand shortfall.
When the market returns to demand taking up all global supply, effective spare capacity could
shrink to just 1% of global supply/demand of 99 million barrels per day, leaving the market far
more susceptible to disruptions than has been the case in recent years.
The three largest economies in the world (United States, Europe EU-28 and China), which
represent 65% of global GDP and % of global oil demand are dependent on oil imports.
o United States – 2018 deficit of 5 145 kbbls/day or 25.2% of domestic demand
o EU-28 - 2018 deficit of 11 769 kbbls/day or 88.5% of domestic demand
o China - 2018 deficit of 9 727 kbbls/day or 72% of domestic demand
Oil demand is still growing by ~1mbd every year, and no central scenarios that recently was
assessed predict oil demand peaking before 2040.
Global demand for crude oil in 2040 is predicted to be approximately 120 million barrels per
day (EIA International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050). In 2050, global demand
is predicted to be approximately 127 million barrels per day.
If the BRIC economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) was to become as developed as the
German economy in context of oil consumption, the BRIC economy 2018 oil consumption would
have to expand by 254%.
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If the whole World was to become as developed as the 2018 German economy in context of oil
consumption in 2018, the global oil consumption of 99.84 mbpd would have to expand by 117%
and an extra 116.68 mbpd of oil would need to be brought to market.
The Oil Shale Revolution was facilitated by the application of precision horizontal drilling
technology to the existing hydraulic fracking industry. This allowed a vast increase in
production, very quickly.
The U.S. tight oil sector accounted for 98% of global oil production growth in 2018.
The U.S. tight oil sector accounted for 71.4% of new capacity of global oil between 2005 and
2019.
The U.S. Tight Oil sector is dominated with just three of the basin plays. The Permian play, The
Bakken Play (also known as Williston) and the Eagle Ford play account for 85% of the U.S. Tight
Oil production. These three oil plays account for 60% of total U.S. oil production.
Global demand growth is now dependent on the U.S. tight oil sector.
Fracked well average production increased between 2010 and 2018 by 28%, but also water
injection (and therefore chemical and proppant use) increased by 118%. This is an average
across the whole U.S. Tight Oil Sector.
Hydraulic fracked wells (used in Tight Oil) go through four basic stages in their life cycle. The
three biggest tight oil producer basins of Permian, Eagle Ford and Bakken are all still growing
but are in the mature stage of their life cycles. Mature is the third of four stages, where the
fourth is decline.
The productivity (per rig as measured by EIA) of the U.S. Tight Oil sector in 2018 is less effective
than in 2016. This suggests that the U.S. Tight Oil sector is approaching its peak production
reasonably soon.
At the time of writing this report (Nov 2019), the United States had become self-sufficient in oil
production. This is largely due to the production achievements in the U.S. Tight Oil sector.
Tight Oil requires much greater meters of drilling per unit of oil produced compared to
conventional oil production over their respective life cycles.
Due to well depletion in fracking, 5 399 new wells are needed to be drilled to keep the U.S. tight
oil production consistent in 2019. Each year a similar number of new wells are required.
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The environmental impacts of fracking tight oil is being largely ignored. Most of these are
related to water way pollution and destruction of forestation habitat.
Most tight oil operations are not economically viable without government subsidy in the
current market. Currently, 9 out of 10 oil producers in the tight oil U.S. fracking sector have a
negative cash flow.
The U.S. Tight oil sector is heavily dependent on continued upfront capital investment in
infrastructure and to maintain well drilling rates, to keep production consistent.
The U.S. oil production peaked in 25th of January 2019, and dropped to 19th July 2019, with a
decline of 1.1 million barrels a day.
The environmental impacts of oil sands oil/bitumen extraction is being largely ignored. Most
of these are related to water way pollution and destruction of forestation habitat.
China refined 15.0% of the global oil supply in 2018. China represents 15.65% of global refining
capacity.
A projected range for average decline rate on post-peak production is 5-7%, equivalent to
around 3-4.5mb/d of lost production every year.
If 80% of the 2018 global supply of crude oil (94 718 thousand bbls/day – Appendix D) declined
at a rate of 5% per year (Fustier et al 2016), by 2040, global crude oil supply would be 43 459
thousand barrels per day. To maintain 2018 global production rates of 94 718 kbbls/day, an
extra 51 258 kbbs/day of production would have to be delivered to the market. This is 4.17
times the 2018 Saudi Arabian production rate (12 287 kbbls/day – Appendix D). Alternatively,
if the Saudi Arabian elephant field Ghawar continues to produce 3.8 million barrels a day, then
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an extra 13.5 new oil fields the same size of Ghawar would need to be discovered, then
developed to operate by 2040, just to maintain 2018 rates of global supply.
If the projected global demand in 2040 is to be met (120 million barrels per day), an extra 25282
thousand barrels per day of consistent production capacity would have to be found in addition
to the 2018 production capacity. To put this in perspective, this extra capacity would be a
further 6.65 Ghawar fields.
Small oilfields typically decline twice as fast as large fields, and the global supply mix relies
increasingly on small fields: the typical new oilfield size has fallen from 500-1000mb 40 years
ago to only 75mb this decade.
A case can be made that the Saudi Arabia Ghawar field has passed its peak production. In any
case, stated Ghawar production is substantially less at 3.8 mb/d, not the believed 5mb/d. (as
per the Saudi Arabia Aramco IPO).
Between January 2005 and September 2006, the Saudi Arabian oil rig count increased by 396%.
Oil production in the same time period increased by 21%. The Saudi Arabian oil production
productivity dropped in January 2005 and has consistently declined. This suggests that Saudi
Arabia is approaching it peak production date.
Energy Returned on Energy Invested (ERoEI) for oil has been declining for decades. Peak
usefulness was approximately 1960.
70% of investment in energy supply is government driven. The rest is market driven.
The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) changed in 2000 from 0.9% to 10.9%.
This suggests that the oil industry has shifted from a demand constrained system to a supply
constrained system.
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20.11 Different eras of economic and industrial activity seen in the oil market
The year 2005 was highly significant to the industrial ecosystem (Figure 288). The oil market
became inelastic in supply in this year. Supply and demand of oil separated. The metal price
of many metals blew out. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) started a hyperinflationary bubble. The US
domestic oil consumption vs vehicle miles driven chart peaked and then declined. The years
2005 to 2011 were fundamentally different to prior to 2005 (Figure 249).
The years 2008 to 2011 were distinguished by the Global Financial Crisis, the second worst
economic correction in history (as defined by the IMF).
The years 2012 to 2014 were distinctly different again. This era was defined by the
effectiveness of quantitative easing (Figure 249).
The years 2014 to 2019 were defined by a lack of quantitative easing. QE3 finished on October
2014 (Figure 249).
A more holistic approach to model peak oil production is appropriate (Figure 276).
Peak oil will be driven by a combination of a window of viability between an oil price low enough
for consumers to support where economic growth is possible, and an oil price high enough for
producers to be economically viable.
It is not clear when peak oil production will happen, but it is clear that the viable window of oil
market operation is closing (Figure 258).
There was a global peak in oil production in November 2018. This peak is more related to the
oil industry having a shortfall of upfront capital investment, than a geological limit of reserves
in the ground. Whether this is a genuine peak will not be known for several years and is entirely
dependent on investment in the oil and gas industry to support production from comparatively
low ERoEI oil plays.
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Most of these are related to water way pollution and destruction of forestation habitat.
War has disrupted the oil markets more than anything else.
The 1973 oil embargo (the 1st Oil Shock) is an excellent case study in how an oil shortage could
influence society in the short and medium terms.
Oil price could be the most relevant data signature to study in context of the evolution of the
current industrial ecosystem.
Oil price could be a good leading indicator for large finance market moves, with the
understanding that it is heavily influenced by above ground factors.
The price of oil has to be high enough for producers to stay in business and for exploration and
production to be viable.
The modern economy requires the price of oil to be low enough to facilitate economic growth.
The year 2005 was highly significant to the industrial ecosystem. The oil market became
inelastic in supply in this year. Supply and demand of oil separated. The metal price of many
metals blew out. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) started a hyperinflationary bubble. The US domestic
oil consumption vs vehicle miles driven chart peaked and then declined.
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In 1973, an agreement between the United States and Saudi Arabia, where all oil market trades
and transactions were to be conducted in $USD. This was called the Petrodollar agreement. It
forced all other nation states in the global ecosystem to use $USD for transactions. This secured
the $USD as a global reserve currency, after the decoupling of hard asset backing (gold). This
forced all nation states to engage in and depend on a fiat currency, where money creation was
a routine action.
Quantitative easing (a formal name for the digital creation of money) was used to resolve
structural problems, that it could be argued started in the oil markets (Section 14.3). The U.S.
Federal Reserve started the QE1 program to arrest the GFC crash on November 2008. The
amount of money created was done on an unprecedented scale. All major Central banks
around the world (European Central Bank, Bank of China, Bank of Japan) have all engaged in
quantitative easing on an unprecedented scale since 2008. In 2019, a form of quantitative
easing is being engaged in to support the inter-bank lending repo markets.
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9. Declared an international banking crisis with the collapse of the investment bank Lehman Brothers on
September 15th 2008.
10. Quantitative easing program QE1 starts on November 2008 (Figure 244).
11. Oil crashed to a low of $33.73 USD on 26th of December (Brent spot price) then starts to recover (Figure
242).
12. The era of instability reflected in the world oil production vs oil Brent spot price is 2005 to 2011. (Figure
249)
13. Continued quantitative easing has been necessary to maintain the stability of the global economy.
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21 RECOMMENDATIONS
Some very challenging concepts have been put forward in this report. Recommendations in how GTK
could respond are as follows.
21.1 Examine more closely the events between January 2005 to November 2010
Sections 18.4 and 18.5 of this report examine industrial, economic and financial events in the time
periods between January 2005 and November 2010. On January 2005, the metal price of all metals
tracked by the World Bank had a price spike. It is postulated this metal price spike set conditions that
would later trigger the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2008.
The GFC was declared a banking crisis in September 2008. In November 2008, the U.S. Federal Reserve
Bank intervened into the markets with an unprecedented volume application of quantitative easing
program called QE1. This action was successful in arresting the market crash. QE1 was halted on June
2010. A short time later, the second program QE2 was started (Nov 2010 to June 2011). The third
program QE3 was conducted Sept 2012 to Oct 2014.
It is also postulated that this metal price blow out was caused by the plateauing of the global crude oil
production, also on January 2005 (Figure 230). When this happened, the global swing producer at the
time (Saudi Arabia) was unable to raise oil production, creating an inelastic industrial market. This
theory is supported by Saudi Arabia increasing their drill rig count by 144% starting in January 2005,
yet for a short time production actually declined (Figure 232).
If this set of theories are valid, then the worst economic downturn since the 1929 Great Depression
was caused by a chain reaction that had its genesis in the global oil supply becoming inelastic for a
short time. If so, what is curious is that while global oil production has since continued to increase,
largely due to the U.S. Tight Oil Sector (see Section 6), the metal price volatility continues for years
after the GFC was declared over.
Use the outcomes of the above systems study to try and predict the data patterns observed in
the systems networks examined:
o Between dates August 2012 and October 2014. This time period can be used to try and model the effect
of QE3.
o Between dates August 2012 to present. This time period will encompass the Chinese Yuan revaluation in
2015, stagnate economic growth, and the lowest recorded value of the Baltic Dry Index on date February
12th 2016.
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21.4 Conduct a precision audit on global crude oil production and demand
Figure 230 shows world crude oil production plateauing in January 2005. Figure 247 shows global crude
oil supply and demand separating for a short time just prior to the GTC. When examined published
data (BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019) it soon becomes clear that demand and supply do
not match up. This is because raw materials other than conventional crude oil is now included. For
example, biofuel and refinery gains are now included, but were not always included. Determining
exactly what was being extracted from the ground in terms of conventional oil, and what was biofuel
has not been straight forward. This needs to be looked at in closer detail and quantified.
It is recommended that GTK (or another organization) conduct a country by country, producer by
producer audit be done across the oil industry. This audit should include quantity and quality of oil
extracted, how it is refined, where it is refined and what products come from that refinement. Then
track and audit the trade movements of oil in the global system. Well hole depth and horizontal length
would also be of use. If possible, also track and audit the corporate ownership, cash flows, CAPEX,
OPEX and financial debt associated with each operation.
Conventional crude oil – on land
Conventional crude oil – off shore shallow water
Conventional crude oil – off shore deep water
Unconventional oil – hydraulic fracking (Tight Oil)
Unconventional oil – oil sands
Unconventional oil – biofuel
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21.5 Consider adding oil, gas, coal and uranium to CRM list
Europe (and Finland) is currently heavily dependent on energy resources as they are extracted out of
the ground. This state of affairs is likely to continue for decades, even with the penetration of the
Electric Vehicle technology into the market place.
As such, the Critical Raw Material list should include energy raw materials. Just so, the following
minerals should be added:
Oil
Gas
Coal
Uranium
This requires an evolution of the development of the Circular Economy (Figure 297). The current group
think in Europe in context of not studying energy resources comes from two sources:
1. A policy decision made at the inception of the CRM map not to examine energy resources
2. As Europe imports most of its needed natural resources, the extraction of a resource like oil is
to be examined by others and this is a market problem (the market firewall issue).
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21.6 Understand that the industrial ecosystem currently is in a state of flux and inevitably about to
change again at all scales of operation
Currently, our industrial ecosystem is highly dependent on finite non-renewable natural resources (oil,
gas and coal). That reserves will eventually deplete and production peak and decline is accepted. The
question is when. This report shows that that peak date is either imminent or in our recent past
(possibly 2015). It is no longer a case of mitigation or avocation for a change in society practice.
It has been shown with updated data that the Limits to Growth model first proposed in 1972 was
conceptually correct (Figure 296). In this model, the global economic and industrial ecosystem will
undergo a series of structural changes in the next 5 to 10 years, where a number of fundamental
metrics will peak and decline. The first of these metrics is industrial output per capitia. It can be argued
that the global industrial ecosystem has already passed this point in 2008 (Figure 291).
Once the industrial ecosystem transitions into a contracting energy environment (possibly already has
done so), a very different paradigm will be required for industrial operation. The current paradigm is
one of expansion (desired rate approximately 2%) and increase in technological complexity. Currently,
this is supported with the application of quantitative easing. In a contracting energy supply market,
the reverse of this will happen as a matter of reality based practicality, where the system will contract
in scope and complexity.
The system will evolve from “make it bigger, better and faster, and do it now” to “how do we make do
with less CRM production with supply interruptions as long as 6 months” (Michaux 2017). One of the
outcomes would be the difficulty of maintaining trade routes with long supply chains. The sourcing of
useful goods and services will be forced to become localized, including the use of raw materials. This
means that mineral resources of all kinds will become much more valuable than they are now and
would have to be managed much more carefully.
As the industrial ecosystem will be forced to change, the Captains of industry will also be required to
change in their administration. In doing so, advice would be required from relevant organizations that
understand European natural resources. GTK would feature prominently on a very short list in this
context.
Regardless of what GTK does in terms of strategic development in the next 5 - 50 years, it will be
required to assist the Finnish ministry and the European Commission in terms of what to do with the
available natural resources.
21.7 Lead a series of exploration campaigns to map Europe in terms of mining potential
All mineral resources are about to become more valuable. Battery minerals in particular will become
very valuable and seen as strategic assets, thus become the focus of long term national security.
Europe is largely unexplored in context of modern exploration techniques. As local mineral resources
will be required in context of unprecedented demand, each nation state could engage in a Europe wide
mineral exploration campaign. The geological survey of each nation state would be required to take
part.
As GTK is logistically more advanced than many of these groups, it could be possible to lead whole
groups and projects in assistance to other exploration groups.
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This will lead to the concept of mining in Europe which until now has been considered mostly
undesirable. The issues of mining in such a developed area like Europe are not seen anywhere else in
the world. GTK could take the initiative and lead a European sustainable mining development
capability.
21.8 Understand that the current CRM list will evolve with an energy shortage
The current list of CRM’s is based around the concept of long term security for European industrial
businesses. Once the industrial ecosystem transitions into a contracting energy environment, a very
different paradigm will be required for industrial operation.
Technological complexity will be steadily reduced. The supply of CRM’s in general would be subject to
supply disruptions ranging from temporary time periods of a few days (a problem in the current
market) to medium time periods of a few months, to even permanent discontinuation of supply. In
the early 1900’s, the warehouse network based on a 6 month supply buffer. Society may return to this
system.
A new list of CRM’s would evolve in this working environment, not around market requirements based
on economic whim (“buy the new iPhone”), but based around what is absolutely needed to keep the
basic necessities of society to function.
Also, the current form of the CRM map can be regarded as too simplistic. Some CRM’s have a greater
influence than others. If for example barite became unavailable for a period of several months, how
would this impact the operation of the new ecosystem? Alternatively, if natural gas was not available
for the same time frame, how would this impact the system? Gas powers most industry applications.
The ripple effect of a gas supply shortage would be much greater than a barite shortage.
The time frame in which shortage would become a crisis is different for each CRM.
So a new CRM system would have to be developed that would capture how each CRM interacts with
the system as a whole, as a function of time.
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22 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Analytics - is the discovery, interpretation, and communication of meaningful patterns in data.
Especially valuable in areas rich with recorded information, analytics relies on the simultaneous
application of statistics, computer programming and operations research to quantify performance.
Organizations may apply analytics to business data to describe, predict, and improve business
performance. Specifically, areas within analytics include predictive analytics, prescriptive analytics,
enterprise decision management, descriptive analytics, cognitive analytics, retail analytics, store
assortment and stock-keeping unit optimization, marketing optimization and marketing mix modelling,
web analytics, call analytics, speech analytics, sales force sizing and optimization, price and promotion
modelling, predictive science, credit risk analysis, and fraud analytics. Since analytics can require
extensive computation (see big data), the algorithms and software used for analytics harness the most
current methods in computer science, statistics, and mathematics.
Arab Spring (The) - also referred to as Arab revolutions, was a revolutionary wave of both violent and
non-violent demonstrations, protests, riots, coups and civil wars in North Africa and the Middle East
that began on 17 December 2010 in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution. This was the evolution and
rebranding of the Colour Revolutions.
Arctic drilling - or drilling in arctic environments are characterized by extreme cold winters where
surface temperature can drop below −50 °C (−58 °F). The five Arctic regions of Russia, Alaska, Norway,
Greenland, and Canada hold a tremendous potential for both discovered and undiscovered reserves of
Oil and Gas. The north area of the Arctic Circle contains an estimated 90 billion barrels of undiscovered,
technically recoverable oil, 1,670 trillion cubic feet of technically recoverable natural gas, and 44 billion
barrels of technically recoverable natural gas liquids.
Asphalt - A dark brown-to-black cement-like material obtained by petroleum processing and
containing bitumens as the predominant component; used primarily for road construction. It includes
crude asphalt as well as the following finished products: cements, fluxes, the asphalt content of
emulsions (exclusive of water), and petroleum distillates blended with asphalt to make cutback
asphalts. Note: The conversion factor for asphalt is 5.5 barrels per short ton.
Aviation gasoline (finished) - A complex mixture of relatively volatile hydrocarbons with or without
small quantities of additives, blended to form a fuel suitable for use in aviation reciprocating engines.
Fuel specifications are provided in ASTM Specification D 910 and Military Specification MIL-G-5572.
Note: Data on blending components are not counted in data on finished aviation gasoline.
Baltic Dry Index (The) – The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an economic indicator issued daily by the London-
based Baltic Exchange. Not restricted to Baltic Sea countries, the index provides "an assessment" of
the price of moving the major raw materials by sea. Taking in 23 shipping routes measured on a
timecharter basis, the index covers Handysize, Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize dry bulk carriers
carrying a range of commodities including coal, iron ore and grain.
Barrel - A unit of volume equal to 42 U.S. gallons. The unit of measure to describe volumes of oil.
bbl - The abbreviation for barrel(s).
bbl/d - The abbreviation for barrel(s) per day.
bbl/sd - The abbreviation for barrel(s) per stream day.
bcf - The abbreviation for billion cubic feet.
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Base gas - The quantity of natural gas needed to maintain adequate reservoir pressures and
deliverability rates throughout the withdrawal season. Base gas usually is not withdrawn and remains
in the reservoir. All natural gas native to a depleted reservoir is included in the base gas volume.
Biodiesel - A fuel typically made from soybean, canola, or other vegetable oils; animal fats; and recycled
grease. It can serve as a substitute for petroleum-derived diesel or distillate fuel. For EIA reporting, it
is a fuel composed of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal
fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM (American Society for Testing materials)
D 6751.
Biofuels - Liquid fuels and blending components produced from biomass feedstocks, used primarily for
transportation. Essentially ethanol and biodiesel.
Biomass - Organic non-fossil material of biological origin constituting a renewable energy source.
Biomass-based liquid supplies - (BtL or BMtL) is a multi-step process of producing synthetic
hydrocarbon fuels made from biomass via a thermochemical route. Such a fuel has been called
grassoline.
Biomass gas (Biogas) - A medium Btu gas containing methane and carbon dioxide, resulting from the
action of microorganisms on organic materials such as a landfill.
Biomass power generation (Bioenergy) - Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials
derived from biological sources. Biomass is any organic material which has stored sunlight in the form
of chemical energy. As a fuel it may include wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and many
other by-products from a variety of agricultural processes. By 2010, there was 35 GW (47,000,000 hp)
of globally installed bioenergy capacity for electricity generation, of which 7 GW (9,400,000 hp) was in
the United States. In its most narrow sense it is a synonym to biofuel, which is fuel derived from
biological sources. In its broader sense it includes biomass, the biological material used as a biofuel, as
well as the social, economic, scientific and technical fields associated with using biological sources for
energy. This is a common misconception, as bioenergy is the energy extracted from the biomass, as
the biomass is the fuel and the bioenergy is the energy contained in the fuel. There is a slight tendency
for the word bioenergy to be favoured in Europe compared with biofuel in America.
Bitumen - A naturally occurring viscous mixture, mainly of hydrocarbons heavier than pentane, that
may contain sulphur compounds and that, in its natural occurring viscous state, is not recoverable at a
commercial rate through a well.
Bituminous coal - A dense coal, usually black, sometimes dark brown, often with well-defined bands
of bright and dull material, used primarily as fuel in steam-electric power generation, with substantial
quantities also used for heat and power applications in manufacturing and to make coke. Bituminous
coal is the most abundant coal in active U.S. mining regions. Its moisture content usually is less than
20 percent. The heat content of bituminous coal ranges from 21 to 30 million Btu per ton on a moist,
mineral-matter-free basis. The heat content of bituminous coal consumed in the United States
averages 24 million Btu per ton, on the as-received basis (i.e., containing both inherent moisture and
mineral matter).
BOE - Barrels of Oil Equivalent (used internationally)
Boiler - A device for generating steam for power, processing, or heating purposes; or hot water for
heating purposes or hot water supply. Heat from an external combustion source is transmitted to a
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fluid contained within the tubes found in the boiler shell. This fluid is delivered to an end-use at a
desired pressure, temperature, and quality.
Boiler fuel - An energy source to produce heat that is transferred to the boiler vessel in order to
generate steam or hot water. Fossil fuel is the primary energy source used to produce heat for boilers.
Blowout (Oil gusher) - A blowout is the uncontrolled release of crude oil and/or natural gas from an oil
well or gas well after pressure control systems have failed. Modern wells have blowout preventers
intended to prevent such an occurrence. Prior to the advent of pressure control equipment in the
1920s, the uncontrolled release of oil and gas from a well while drilling was common and was known
as an oil gusher, gusher or wild well. An accidental spark during a blowout can lead to a catastrophic
oil or gas fire.
Brent Crude - is a major trading classification of sweet light crude oil that serves as a major benchmark
price for purchases of oil worldwide. This grade is described as light because of its relatively low density,
and sweet because of its low sulphur content. Brent Crude is extracted from the North Sea and
comprises Brent Blend, Forties Blend, Oseberg and Ekofisk crudes (also known as the BFOE Quotation).
Bretton Woods system - of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial
relations among the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia and Japan after the 1944
Bretton-Woods Agreement. The Bretton Woods system was the first example of a fully negotiated
monetary order intended to govern monetary relations among independent states. The chief features
of the Bretton Woods system were an obligation for each country to adopt a monetary policy that
maintained the exchange rate (± 1 percent) by tying its currency to gold and the ability of the IMF to
bridge temporary imbalances of payments. Also, there was a need to address the lack of cooperation
among other countries and to prevent competitive devaluation of the currencies as well. Preparing to
rebuild the international economic system while World War II was still raging, 730 delegates from all
44 Allied nations gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, United
States, for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, also known as the Bretton Woods
Conference. Setting up a system of rules, institutions, and procedures to regulate the international
monetary system, these accords established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which today is part of the World Bank
Group. The United States, which controlled two thirds of the world's gold, insisted that the Bretton
Woods system rest on both gold and the US dollar. Soviet representatives attended the conference but
later declined to ratify the final agreements, charging that the institutions they had created were
"branches of Wall Street." These organizations became operational in 1945 after a sufficient number
of countries had ratified the agreement.
British thermal unit (BTU) - The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of liquid
water by 1 degree Fahrenheit at the temperature at which water has its greatest density
(approximately 39 degrees Fahrenheit).
Btu conversion factor - A factor for converting energy data between one unit of measurement and
British thermal units (Btu). Btu conversion factors are generally used to convert energy data from
physical units of measure (such as barrels, cubic feet, or short tons) into the energy-equivalent measure
of Btu.
Btu per cubic foot - The total heating value, expressed in Btu, produced by the combustion, at constant
pressure, of the amount of the gas that would occupy a volume of 1 cubic foot at a temperature of 60
degrees F if saturated with water vapor and under a pressure equivalent to that of 30 inches of mercury
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at 32 degrees F and under standard gravitational force (980.665 cm. per sec. squared) with air of the
same temperature and pressure as the gas, when the products of combustion are cooled to the initial
temperature of gas and air when the water formed by combustion is condensed to the liquid
state.(Sometimes called gross heating value or total heating value.)
BTX - The acronym for the commercial petroleum aromatics-- benzene, toluene, and xylene.
Bubble (economic or asset) - An economic bubble or asset bubble (sometimes also referred to as a
speculative bubble, a market bubble, a price bubble, a financial bubble, a speculative mania, or a
balloon) is trade in an asset at a price or price range that strongly exceeds the asset's intrinsic value.
Byproduct - A secondary or additional product resulting from the feedstock use of energy or the
processing of non-energy materials. For example, the more common byproducts of coke ovens are coal
gas, tar, and a mixture of benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX).
Calorific value (or content) - The heating value (or energy value or calorific value) of a substance,
usually a fuel or food (see food energy), is the amount of heat released during the combustion of a
specified amount of it. ... It is measured in units of energy per unit of the substance, usually mass, such
as: kJ/kg, kJ/mol, kcal/kg, Btu/lb.
Canadian syncrude - Syncrude Canada Ltd. is one of the world's largest producers of synthetic crude
oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada.
Canadian tar sands – Often referred to as the massive deposits of oil sands or tar sands in Alberta
Canada. See oil sands
Capital investment - The term Capital Investment has two usages in business. First, capital investment
refers to money used by a business to purchase fixed assets, such as land, machinery, or buildings.
Secondly, capital investment refers to money invested in a business with the understanding that the
money will be used to purchase fixed assets, rather than used to cover the business's day-to-day
operating expenses.
Capital expenditure or capital expense (CAPEX) - is the money a company spends to buy, maintain,
or improve its fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land.[1][2] It is considered a
capital expenditure when the asset is newly purchased or when money is used towards extending the
useful life of an existing asset, such as repairs to a building’s roof.
Carbon black - An amorphous form of carbon, produced commercially by thermal or oxidative
decomposition of hydrocarbons and used principally in rubber goods, pigments, and printer's ink.
Carbon dioxide emissions - There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide emissions.
Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration. Human sources come from
activities like cement production, deforestation as well as the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and
natural gas.
Catalytic cracking - The refining process of breaking down the larger, heavier, and more complex
hydrocarbon molecules into simpler and lighter molecules. Catalytic cracking is accomplished by the
use of a catalytic agent and is an effective process for increasing the yield of gasoline from crude oil.
Catalytic cracking processes fresh feeds and recycled feeds.
Club of Rome (The) - is a global think tank that deals with a variety of international issues, including
the world economic system, climate change, and environmental degradation. Founded in 1968 at
Accademia dei Lincei in Rome, Italy, the Club of Rome describes itself as "a group of world citizens,
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sharing a common concern for the future of humanity." It consists of current and former heads of state,
UN bureaucrats, high-level politicians and government officials, diplomats, scientists, economists and
business leaders from around the globe.
Coal - A readily combustible black or brownish-black rock whose composition, including inherent
moisture, consists of more than 50 percent by weight and more than 70 percent by volume of
carbonaceous material. It is formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened,
chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time.
Coalbed methane - Coalbed methane (CBM or coal-bed methane), coalbed gas, coal seam gas (CSG),
or coal-mine methane (CMM) is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it
has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, Australia, and other countries.
The term refers to methane adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal. It is called 'sweet gas' because
of its lack of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of this gas is well known from its occurrence in
underground coal mining, where it presents a serious safety risk. Coalbed methane is distinct from a
typical sandstone or other conventional gas reservoir, as the methane is stored within the coal by a
process called adsorption. The methane is in a near-liquid state, lining the inside of pores within the
coal (called the matrix). The open fractures in the coal (called the cleats) can also contain free gas or
can be saturated with water.
Coal chemicals - Coal chemicals are obtained from the gases and vapor recovered from the
manufacturing of coke. Generally, crude tar, ammonia, crude light oil, and gas are the basic products
recovered. They are refined or processed to yield a variety of chemical materials.
Coal consumption - The quantity of coal burned for the generation of electric power (in short tons),
including fuel used for maintenance of standby service.
Coal conversion – see coal liquefaction.
Coal fired power plants - are a type of power plant that make use of the combustion of coal in order
to generate electricity. Their use provides around 40% of the world's electricity and they are primarily
used in developing countries.
Coal gas - Substitute natural gas produced synthetically by the chemical reduction of coal at a coal
gasification facility.
Coal gasification - The process of converting coal into gas. The basic process involves crushing coal to
a powder, which is then heated in the presence of steam and oxygen to produce a gas. The gas is then
refined to reduce sulfur and other impurities. The gas can be used as a fuel or processed further and
concentrated into chemical or liquid fuel.
Coal grade - This classification refers to coal quality and application use.
Coal (lignite) - Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft brown combustible sedimentary rock
formed from naturally compressed peat. It is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively
low heat content. It has a carbon content around 60–70 percent. It is mined all around the world and
is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation
Coal liquefaction - is a process of converting coal into liquid hydrocarbons: liquid fuels and
petrochemicals. The conversion industry is commonly referred to as "coal conversion" or "Coal To X".
"Coal to Liquid Fuels" is commonly called "CTL" or "coal liquefaction", although "liquefaction" is
generally used for a non-chemical process of becoming liquid.
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Coal rank - The classification of coals according to their degree of progressive alteration from lignite to
anthracite. In the United States, the standard ranks of coal include lignite, sub-bituminous coal,
bituminous coal, and anthracite and are based on fixed carbon, volatile matter, heating value, and
agglomerating (or caking) properties.
Coal Seam Gas (CSG) – see Coalbed methane (CBM), and Hydraulic fracturing or fracking
Coke (coal) - A solid carbonaceous residue derived from low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal from
which the volatile constituents are driven off by baking in an oven at temperatures as high as 2,000
degrees Fahrenheit so that the fixed carbon and residual ash are fused together. Coke is used as a fuel
and as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Coke from coal is grey, hard, and porous
and has a heating value of 24.8 million Btu per ton.
Coke (petroleum) - A residue high in carbon content and low in hydrogen that is the final product of
thermal decomposition in the condensation process in cracking. This product is reported as marketable
coke or catalyst coke. The conversion is 5 barrels (of 42 U.S. gallons each) per short ton.
Coking - Thermal refining processes used to produce fuel gas, gasoline blendstocks, distillates, and
petroleum coke from the heavier products of atmospheric and vacuum distillation.
Combustion - Chemical oxidation accompanied by the generation of light and heat.
Commodity price index - A commodity price index is a fixed-weight index or (weighted) average of
selected commodity prices, which may be based on spot or futures prices. It is designed to be
representative of the broad commodity asset class or a specific subset of commodities, such as energy
or metals. It is an index that tracks a basket of commodities to measure their performance. These
indexes are often traded on exchanges, allowing investors to gain easier access to commodities without
having to enter the futures market. The value of these indexes fluctuates based on their underlying
commodities, and this value can be traded on an exchange in much the same way as stock index
futures.
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) - is a business and investing specific term for the geometric
progression ratio that provides a constant rate of return over the time period. CAGR is not an
accounting term, but it is often used to describe some element of the business, for example revenue,
units delivered, registered users, etc. CAGR dampens the effect of volatility of periodic returns that can
render arithmetic means irrelevant. It is particularly useful to compare growth rates from various data
sets of common domain such as revenue growth of companies in the same industry. CAGR is equivalent
to the more generic exponential growth rate when the exponential growth interval is one year.
Condensate - See Lease Condensate
Conventional oil – is a term used to describe oil that can be produced (extracted from the ground)
using traditional drilling methods. It is liquid at atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions, and
therefore flows without additional stimulation.
Conventional gas – refers to natural gas that can be produced from reservoirs using traditional drilling,
pumping and compression techniques.
Consumer Price Index (CPI) -The CPI is a statistical estimate constructed using the prices of a sample
of representative items whose prices are collected periodically. Sub-indices and sub-sub-indices are
computed for different categories and sub-categories of goods and services, being combined to
produce the overall index with weights reflecting their shares in the total of the consumer expenditures
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covered by the index. It is one of several price indices calculated by most national statistical agencies.
The annual percentage change in a CPI is used as a measure of inflation.
Cost neutral – Where the price–performance ratio (cost–performance or cost–benefit) is at unity. That
is, the costs invested equal the costs returned.
Cost of capital - The rate of return a utility must offer to obtain additional funds. The cost of capital
varies with the leverage ratio, the effective income tax rate, conditions in the bond and stock markets,
growth rate of the utility, its dividend strategy, stability of net income, the amount of new capital
required, and other factors dealing with business and financial risks. It is a composite of the cost for
debt interest, preferred stock dividends, and common stockholders' earnings that provide the facilities
used in supplying utility service.
Cost of debt - The interest rate paid on new increments of debt capital multiplied by 1 minus the tax
rate.
CPI - Consumer Price Index
Credit default swap (CDS) - is a financial swap agreement that the seller of the CDS will compensate
the buyer (usually the creditor of the reference loan) in the event of a loan default (by the debtor) or
other credit event. That is, the seller of the CDS insures the buyer against some reference loan
defaulting. The buyer of the CDS makes a series of payments (the CDS "fee" or "spread") to the seller
and, in exchange, receives a payoff if the loan defaults. It was invented by Blythe Masters from JP
Morgan in 1994.
In the event of default the buyer of the CDS receives compensation (usually the face value of the loan),
and the seller of the CDS takes possession of the defaulted loan. However, anyone can purchase a CDS,
even buyers who do not hold the loan instrument and who have no direct insurable interest in the loan
(these are called "naked" CDS’s”). If there are more CDS contracts outstanding than bonds in existence,
a protocol exists to hold a credit event auction; the payment received is usually substantially less than
the face value of the loan.
Crude oil - A mixture of hydrocarbons that exists in liquid phase in natural underground reservoirs and
remains liquid at atmospheric pressure after passing through surface separating facilities. Depending
upon the characteristics of the crude stream, it may also include 1. Small amounts of hydrocarbons
that exist in gaseous phase in natural underground reservoirs but are liquid at atmospheric pressure
after being recovered from oil well (casing head) gas in lease separators and are subsequently
comingled with the crude stream without being separately measured. Lease condensate recovered as
a liquid from natural gas wells in lease or field separation facilities and later mixed into the crude
stream is also included; 2. Small amounts of nonhydrocarbons produced with the oil, such as sulfur and
various metals; 3. Drip gases, and liquid hydrocarbons produced from tar sands, oil sands, gilsonite,
and oil shale. Liquids produced at natural gas processing plants are excluded. Crude oil is refined to
produce a wide array of petroleum products, including heating oils; gasoline, diesel and jet fuels;
lubricants; asphalt; ethane, propane, and butane; and many other products used for their energy or
chemical content.
Debt (financial) - Debt is an amount of money borrowed by one party from another. In this context,
debt is the amount of money owed by a nation state or a corporation to a bank (being itself usually a
private corporation).
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Debt Default - In finance, default is failure to meet the legal obligations (or conditions) of a loan, for
example when a home buyer fails to make a mortgage payment, or when a corporation or government
fails to pay a bond which has reached maturity. A national or sovereign default is the failure or refusal
of a government to repay its national debt. The biggest private default in history is Lehman Brothers
with over $600,000,000,000 when it filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and the biggest sovereign default is
Greece with $138,000,000,000 in March 2012.
Decommissioning - is a general term for a formal process to remove something from an active status.
Shut down and asset stripping is part of decommissioning.
Deep offshore drilling - is typically defined as drilling in a water depth that is greater than 500 feet (150
meters). In general, rigs drilling in this environment are drillships and semisubmersibles. Wells being
drilled in deep offshore environments are typically extended reach and use cutting edge industry
technology.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill - (also referred to as the BP oil spill, the BP oil disaster, the Gulf of Mexico
oil spill, and the Macondo blowout) began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico on the BP-operated
Macondo Prospect. Killing eleven people, it is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of
the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8% to 31% larger in volume than the previous largest, the
Ixtoc I oil spill. The US Government estimated the total discharge at 4.9 million barrels (210 million US
gal; 780,000 m3). After several failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was declared sealed on
September 19, 2010. Reports in early 2012 indicated the well site was still leaking.
Deflation - In economics, deflation is a decrease in the general price level of goods and services.
Deflation occurs when the inflation rate falls below 0% (a negative inflation rate). Inflation reduces the
real value of money over time; conversely, deflation increases the real value of money – the currency
of a national or regional economy. This allows one to buy more goods and services than before with
the same amount of money. Economists generally believe that deflation is a problem in a modern
economy because it may increase the real value of debt, especially if the deflation was unexpected.
Deflation may also aggravate recessions and lead to a deflationary spiral. Deflation is distinct from
disinflation, a slow-down in the inflation rate, i.e. when inflation declines to a lower rate but is still
positive.
Demand destruction (Economic destruction) – Demand destruction is a permanent downward shift
on the demand curve in the direction of lower demand of a commodity, such as energy products,
induced by a prolonged period of high prices or constrained supply.
Derivatives - In finance, a derivative is a contract that derives its value from the performance of an
underlying entity. This underlying entity can be an asset, index, or interest rate, and is often simply
called the "underlying".[1][2] Derivatives can be used for a number of purposes, including insuring
against price movements (hedging), increasing exposure to price movements for speculation or getting
access to otherwise hard-to-trade assets or markets.[3] Some of the more common derivatives include
forwards, futures, options, swaps, and variations of these such as synthetic collateralized debt
obligations and credit default swaps. Most derivatives are traded over-the-counter (off-exchange) or
on an exchange such as the Bombay Stock Exchange, while most insurance contracts have developed
into a separate industry. Derivatives are one of the three main categories of financial instruments, the
other two being stocks (i.e., equities or shares) and debt (i.e., bonds and mortgages).
Disinflation - is a decrease in the rate of inflation – a slowdown in the rate of increase of the general
price level of goods and services in a nation's gross domestic product over time. It is the opposite of
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reflation. Disinflation occurs when the increase in the “consumer price level” slows down from the
previous period when the prices were rising.
Dotcom Bubble - The dot-com bubble (also known as the dot-com boom, the tech bubble, the Internet
bubble, the dot-com collapse, and the information technology bubble) was a historic economic bubble
and period of excessive speculation that occurred roughly from 1997 to 2001, a period of extreme
growth in the usage and adaptation of the Internet by businesses and consumers. During this period,
many Internet-based companies, commonly referred to as dot-coms, were founded, many of which
failed. During 2000–2002, the bubble collapsed.
Dry natural gas - Natural gas which remains after: 1) the liquefiable hydrocarbon portion has been
removed from the gas stream (i.e., gas after lease, field, and/or plant separation); and 2) any volumes
of nonhydrocarbon gases have been removed where they occur in sufficient quantity to render the gas
unmarketable. Note: Dry natural gas is also known as consumer-grade natural gas. The parameters for
measurement are cubic feet at 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 14.73 pounds per square inch absolute. Also
see Natural gas.
Dry natural gas production - The process of producing consumer-grade natural gas. Natural gas
withdrawn from reservoirs is reduced by volumes used at the production (lease) site and by processing
losses. Volumes used at the production site include (1) the volume returned to reservoirs in cycling,
repressuring of oil reservoirs, and conservation operations; and (2) gas vented and flared. Processing
losses include (1) nonhydrocarbon gases (e.g., water vapor, carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen sulfide,
and nitrogen) removed from the gas stream; and (2) gas converted to liquid form, such as lease
condensate and plant liquids. Volumes of dry gas withdrawn from gas storage reservoirs are not
considered part of production. Dry natural gas production equals marketed production less extraction
loss.
Economic bubble (or Asset bubble) - Sometimes also referred to as a speculative bubble, a market
bubble, a price bubble, a financial bubble, a speculative mania, or a balloon. This is a trade in an asset
at a price or price range that strongly exceeds the asset's intrinsic value. It could also be described as
a situation in which asset prices appear to be based on implausible or inconsistent views about the
future. Asset bubbles date back as far as the 1600s and are now widely regarded as a recurrent feature
of modern economic history. Historically, the Dutch Golden Age's Tulipmania (in the mid-1630s) is
often considered the first recorded economic bubble. Because it is often difficult to observe intrinsic
values in real-life markets, bubbles are often conclusively identified only in retrospect, once a sudden
drop in prices has occurred. Such a drop is known as a crash or a bubble burst. Both the boom and the
burst phases of the bubble are examples of a positive feedback mechanism, in contrast to the negative
feedback mechanism that determines the equilibrium price under normal market circumstances. Prices
in an economic bubble can fluctuate erratically, and become impossible to predict from supply and
demand alone.
Economic stagnation - is a prolonged period of slow economic growth (traditionally measured in terms
of the GDP growth), usually accompanied by high unemployment.
EIA - The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical
System responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating energy information to promote sound
policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the
economy and the environment. EIA programs cover data on coal, petroleum, natural gas, electric,
renewable and nuclear energy. EIA is part of the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Endosomatic energy - Ecological economists distinguish between 'endosomatic' and 'exosomatic' use
of energy by humans. Energy from inside the body is considered ‘endosomatic’. Inside the body, as
food energy, adult humans spend per day between 1,500 and 2,500 kcal on average. A convenient
number easy to remember is 2,400 kcal, equivalent to 10 MJ (megajoules).
Energy - In physics, energy is the property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform
work on – or to heat – the object, and can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The
standard SI unit of energy is the joule, which is the energy transferred to an object by the mechanical
work of moving it a distance of 1 metre against a force of 1 newton. Common energy forms include
the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object's position in a force
field (gravitational, electric or magnetic), the elastic energy stored by stretching solid objects, the
chemical energy released when a fuel burns, the radiant energy carried by light, and the thermal energy
due to an object's temperature. Mass and energy are closely related. Due to mass–energy equivalence,
any object that has mass when stationary in a frame of reference (called rest mass) also has an
equivalent amount of energy whose form is called rest energy in that frame, and any additional energy
acquired by the object above that rest energy will increase an object's mass. For example, with a
sensitive enough scale, one could measure an increase in mass after heating an object. Living
organisms require available energy to stay alive, such as the energy humans get from food. Civilisation
gets the energy it needs from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy.
The processes of Earth's climate and ecosystem are driven by the radiant energy Earth receives from
the sun and the geothermal energy contained within the Earth.
Energy consumed per capita - all energy needed as input to produce fuel and electricity for end-users,
per person for a nation state or region. It is known as Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES), a term used
to indicate the sum of production and imports subtracting exports and storage changes.
Energy density - is the amount of energy stored in a given system or region of space per unit volume.
Colloquially it may also be used for energy per unit mass, though the accurate term for this is specific
energy. Often only the useful or extractable energy is measured, which is to say that inaccessible
energy (such as rest mass energy) is ignored. Energy per unit volume has the same physical units as
pressure, and in many circumstances is a synonym: for example, the energy density of a magnetic field
may be expressed as (and behaves as) a physical pressure, and the energy required to compress a
compressed gas a little more may be determined by multiplying the difference between the gas
pressure and the external pressure by the change in volume. In short, pressure is a measure of the
enthalpy per unit volume of a system. A pressure gradient has the potential to perform work on the
surroundings by converting enthalpy to work until equilibrium is reached.
Energy returned on energy invested (ERoEI) - is the ratio of the amount of usable energy (the exergy)
delivered from a particular energy resource to the amount of exergy used to obtain that energy
resource.
Environmental rehabilitation – see Land rehabilitation
EU-28 - The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located
primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2, and an estimated population of over 510 million.
The European Union (EU) was established on 1 November 1993 with 12 Member States. Their number
has grown to the present 28 through a series of enlargements.
European Central Bank (ECB) - The European Central Bank (ECB; German: Europäische Zentralbank
(EZB), French: Banque centrale européenne (BCE)) is the central bank for the euro and administers
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monetary policy of the eurozone, which consists of 19 EU member states and is one of the largest
currency areas in the world. It is one of the world's most important central banks and is one of the
seven institutions of the European Union (EU) listed in the Treaty on European Union (TEU). The capital
stock of the bank is owned by the central banks of all 28 EU member states. The primary objective of
the ECB, mandated in Article 2 of the Statute of the ECB, is to maintain price stability within the
Eurozone. Its basic tasks, set out in Article 3 of the Statute, are to set and implement the monetary
policy for the Eurozone, to conduct foreign exchange operations, to take care of the foreign reserves
of the European System of Central Banks and operation of the financial market infrastructure under
the TARGET2 payments system. The ECB has, under Article 16 of its Statute, the exclusive right to
authorise the issuance of euro banknotes. The ECB is governed by European law directly, but its set-up
resembles that of a corporation in the sense that the ECB has shareholders and stock capital.
Euro (€) - The euro (sign: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of the eurozone, which consists of 19 of
the 28 member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The currency is also officially used by the institutions of the European
Union and four other European countries, as well as unilaterally by two others, and is consequently
used daily by some 337 million Europeans as of 2015.
Excess reserves - In banking, excess reserves are bank reserves in excess of a reserve requirement set
by a central bank. In the United States, bank reserves for a commercial bank are held in part as a credit
balance in an account for the commercial bank at the applicable Federal Reserve Bank (FRB). This credit
balance is not separated into separate "minimum reserves" and "excess reserves" accounts. The total
amount of FRB credits held in all FRB accounts for all commercial banks, together with all currency and
vault cash, form the M0 monetary base. Holding excess reserves has an opportunity cost if higher risk-
adjusted interest can be earned by putting the funds elsewhere. For banks in the U.S. Federal Reserve
System, this earning process is accomplished by a given bank by making short-term (usually overnight)
loans on the federal funds market to another bank that may be short of its reserve requirements. Other
banks may instead choose, however, to hold their excess reserves to facilitate upcoming transactions
or to meet contractual clearing balance requirements.
Exergy - In thermodynamics, the exergy (in older usage, available work and/or availability) of a system
is the maximum useful work possible during a process that brings the system into equilibrium with a
heat reservoir. ... After the system and surroundings reach equilibrium, the exergy is zero.
Exosomatic energy - Ecological economists distinguish between 'endosomatic' and 'exosomatic' use of
energy by humans. Energy from outside of the body is ‘exosomatic’.
FAO Food Price Index (The) - is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of
food commodities. It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices, weighted with the
average export shares of each of the groups for 2002-2004.
Federal Reserve Bank (The) - A Federal Reserve Bank is a regional bank of the Federal Reserve System,
the central banking system of the United States. There are twelve in total, one for each of the twelve
Federal Reserve Districts that were created by the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. The banks are jointly
responsible for implementing the monetary policy set forth by the Federal Open Market Committee,
and are divided as follows:
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Some banks also possess branches, with the whole system being headquartered at the Eccles Building
in Washington, D.C.
Fiat Currency - Fiat money is currency that a government has declared to be legal tender, but it is not
backed by a physical commodity. The value of fiat money is derived from the relationship between
supply and demand rather than the value of the material that the money is made of.
Fiat Economy (The) - The part of the economy that is concerned with buying and selling on the financial
markets. This includes trading of fiat currencies, derivate and trading of paper asset certificates as
opposed to physical assets (for example, physical gold bullion vs. a paper certificate of ownership of
gold stored in a bank vault).
Financial or fiscal year - a year as reckoned for taxing or accounting purposes, for example the British
tax year, reckoned from 6 April.
Financial contagion - refers to "the spread of market disturbances – mostly on the downside – from
one country to the other, a process observed through co-movements in exchange rates, stock prices,
sovereign spreads, and capital flows". Financial contagion can be a potential risk for countries who are
trying to integrate their financial system with international financial markets and institutions. It helps
explain an economic crisis extending across neighbouring countries, or even regions. Financial
contagion happens at both the international level and the domestic level. At the domestic level, usually
the failure of a domestic bank or financial intermediary triggers transmission when it defaults on
interbank liabilities and sells assets in a fire sale, thereby undermining confidence in similar banks. An
example of this phenomenon is the subsequent turmoil in the United States financial markets.
International financial contagion, which happens in both advanced economies and developing
economies, is the transmission of financial crisis across financial markets for direct or indirect
economies. However, under today's financial system, with the large volume of cash flow, such as hedge
fund and cross-regional operation of large banks, financial contagion usually happens simultaneously
both among domestic institutions and across countries.
Fossil fuel power station - is a power station which burns fossil fuel such as coal, natural gas, or
petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil fuel power plants are designed on a large scale
for continuous operation. In many countries, such plants provide most of the electrical energy used.
Fossil fuel power stations have machinery to convert the heat energy of combustion into mechanical
energy, which then operates an electrical generator. The prime mover may be a steam turbine, a gas
turbine or, in small plants, a reciprocating internal combustion engine. All plants use the energy
extracted from expanding gas, either steam or combustion gases.
Fossil water - or paleowater is an ancient body of water that has been contained in some undisturbed
space, typically groundwater in an aquifer, for millennia. Other types of fossil water can include
subglacial lakes, such as Antarctica's Lake Vostok, and even ancient water on other planets. UNESCO
defines fossil groundwater as water that infiltrated usually millennia ago and often under climatic
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conditions different from the present, and that has been stored underground since that time. Many
communities across the planet depend on fossilized water reserves for their livelihood.
Fracking – See Hydraulic fracturing
Fuel oil - A liquid petroleum product less volatile than gasoline, used as an energy source. Fuel oil
includes distillate fuel oil, and residual fuel oil.
Gas - A non-solid, non-liquid combustible energy source that includes natural gas, coke-oven gas, blast-
furnace gas, and refinery gas.
Gas Condensate Well Gas - Natural gas remaining after the removal of the lease condensate.
Gas processing unit - A facility designed to recover natural gas liquids from a stream of natural gas that
may or may not have passed through lease separators and/or field separation facilities. Another
function of natural gas processing plants is to control the quality of the processed natural gas stream.
Cycling plants are considered natural gas processing plants.
Gas flare - A gas flare, alternatively known as a flare stack, is a gas combustion device used in industrial
plants such as petroleum refineries, chemical plants, and natural gas processing plants as well as at oil
or gas production sites having oil wells, gas wells, offshore oil and gas rigs and landfills. In industrial
plants, flare stacks are primarily used for burning off flammable gas released by pressure relief valves
during unplanned over-pressuring of plant equipment. During plant or partial plant startups and
shutdowns, flare stacks are also often used for the planned combustion of gases over relatively short
periods. Gas flaring at many oil and gas production sites protects against the dangers of over-pressuring
industrial plant equipment. When petroleum crude oil is extracted and produced from onshore or
offshore oil wells, raw natural gas associated with the oil is brought to the surface as well. Especially in
areas of the world lacking pipelines and other gas transportation infrastructure, vast amounts of such
associated gas are commonly flared as waste or unusable gas.
Gas to liquids (GTL) - is a refinery process to convert natural gas or other gaseous hydrocarbons into
longer-chain hydrocarbons, such as gasoline or diesel fuel. Methane-rich gases are converted into
liquid synthetic fuels either via direct conversion—using non-catalytic processes that convert methane
to methanol in one step—or via syngas as an intermediate, such as in the Fischer Tropsch, Mobil and
syngas to gasoline plus processes.
Gas turbine plant - A plant in which the prime mover is a gas turbine. A gas turbine consists typically
of an axial-flow air compressor and one or more combustion chambers where liquid or gaseous fuel is
burned and the hot gases are passed to the turbine and where the hot gases expand drive the
generator and are then used to run the compressor.
Gas well - A well completed for production of natural gas from one or more gas zones or reservoirs.
Such wells contain no completions for the production of crude oil.
Gas well productivity - Derived annually by dividing gross natural gas withdrawals from gas wells by
the number of producing gas wells on December 31 and then dividing the quotient by the number of
days in the year.
Gasification - A method for converting coal, petroleum, biomass, wastes, or other carbon-containing
materials into a gas that can be burned to generate power or processed into chemicals and fuels.
Gasohol - A blend of finished motor gasoline containing alcohol (generally ethanol but sometimes
methanol) at a concentration between 5.7 percent and 10 percent by volume. Also see Oxygenates.
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Gasoil - European and Asian designation for No. 2 heating oil and No. 2 diesel fuel.
Gasoline blending components - Naphthas which will be used for blending or compounding into
finished aviation or motor gasoline (e.g., straight-run gasoline, alkylate, reformate, benzene, toluene,
andxylene). Excludes oxygenates (alcohols, ethers), butane, and pentanes plus.
Gasoline grades - The classification of gasoline by octane ratings. Each type of gasoline (conventional,
oxygenated, and reformulated) is classified by three grades - Regular, Midgrade, and Premium. Note:
gasoline sales are reported by grade in accordance with their classification at the time of sale.
Regular gasoline - Gasoline having an antiknock index, i.e., octane rating, greater than or equal
to 85 and less than 88. Note Octane requirements may vary by altitude.
Midgrade gasoline - Gasoline having an antiknock index, i.e., octane rating, greater than or
equal to 88 and less than or equal to 90. Note: Octane requirements may vary by altitude.
Premium gasoline - Gasoline having an antiknock index, i.e., octane rating, greater than 90.
Note: Octane requirements may vary by altitude.
Gasoline motor, (leaded) - Contains more than 0.05 grams of lead per gallon or more than 0.005 grams
of phosphorus per gallon. The actual lead content of any given gallon may vary. Premium and regular
grades are included, depending on the octane rating. Includes leaded gasohol. Blendstock is excluded
until blending has been completed. Alcohol that is to be used in the blending of gasohol is also
excluded.
Gasoline treated as blendstock (GTAB) - Non-certified Foreign Refinery gasoline classified by an
importer as blendstock to be either blended or reclassified with respect to reformulated or
conventional gasoline. GTAB is classified as either reformulated or conventional quality based on
emissions performance, formulation, and intended end use.
Geographical marker - A geographical marker is any statement that helps answer the question, “Where
did this happen?” Often used as an analytical tool to correlate causality or help define the existence
of a relationship between events associated with a geographic location.
Geothermal power generation - is power generated by geothermal energy. Technologies in use include
dry steam power stations, flash steam power stations and binary cycle power stations. Geothermal
electricity generation is currently used in 24 countries, while geothermal heating is in use in 70
countries. As of 2015, worldwide geothermal power capacity amounts to 12.8 gigawatts (GW), of
which 28 percent or 3,548 megawatts are installed in the United States. International markets grew at
an average annual rate of 5 percent over the last three years and global geothermal power capacity is
expected to reach 14.5–17.6 GW by 2020. Based on current geologic knowledge and technology, the
Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) estimates that only 6.5 percent of total global potential has been
tapped so far, while the IPCC reported geothermal power potential to be in the range of 35 GW to 2
TW. Countries generating more than 15 percent of their electricity from geothermal sources include El
Salvador, Kenya, the Philippines, Iceland and Costa Rica. Geothermal power is considered to be a
sustainable, renewable source of energy because the heat extraction is small compared with the
Earth's heat content.
GFC of 2008 - The 2008 Global Financial Crisis was the worst economic disaster since the Great
Depression of 1929. The root cause has been traced to no one single event or reason. Financial
turbulence started in the United States but quickly became global in scope. Rather, it was the result of
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a sequence of events, each with its own triggering mechanism that led to near collapse of the banking
system. Often referred to as “The Great Recession”.
Global Financial Crisis (GFC) – A worldwide period of economic difficulty experienced by markets and
consumers. A global financial crisis is a difficult business environment to succeed in since potential
consumers tend to reduce their purchases of goods and services until the economic situation improves.
Global Reserve Currency - In the foreign exchange market and international finance, a world currency,
supranational currency, or global currency refers to a currency that is transacted internationally, with
no set borders. In the period following the Bretton Woods Conference of 1944, exchange rates around
the world were pegged to the United States dollar, which could be exchanged for a fixed amount of
gold. This reinforced the dominance of the US dollar as a global currency. Since the collapse of the
fixed exchange rate regime and the gold standard and the institution of floating exchange rates
following the Smithsonian Agreement in 1971, most currencies around the world have no longer been
pegged to the United States dollar. However, as the United States has the world’s largest economy,
most international transactions continue to be conducted with the United States dollar, and it has
remained the de facto world currency. This state of affairs has been facilitated by Saudi Arabia pricing
all its oil contracts in $USD, forming the petrodollar.
Gold standard (The) - is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is based
on a fixed quantity of gold. Three types can be distinguished: specie, bullion, and exchange.
In the gold specie standard the monetary unit is associated with the value of circulating gold
coins, or the monetary unit has the value of a certain circulating gold coin, but other coins may
be made of less valuable metal.
The gold bullion standard is a system in which gold coins do not circulate, but the authorities
agree to sell gold bullion on demand at a fixed price in exchange for the circulating currency.
The gold exchange standard usually does not involve the circulation of gold coins. The main
feature of the gold exchange standard is that the government guarantees a fixed exchange rate
to the currency of another country that uses a gold standard (specie or bullion), regardless of
what type of notes or coins are used as a means of exchange. This creates a de facto gold
standard, where the value of the means of exchange has a fixed external value in terms of gold
that is independent of the inherent value of the means of exchange itself.
Most nations abandoned the gold standard as the basis of their monetary systems at some point in the
20th century, although many hold substantial gold reserves.
Great Depression (The) - The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that took
place during the 1930s. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations; in most countries it
started in 1929 and lasted until 1941. It was the longest, deepest, and most widespread depression of
the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how
far the world's economy can decline. The depression originated in the United States, after a major fall
in stock prices that began around September 4, 1929, and became worldwide news with the stock
market crash of October 29, 1929 (known as Black Tuesday). Between 1929 and 1932, worldwide gross
domestic product (GDP) fell by an estimated 15%. By comparison, worldwide GDP fell by less than 1%
from 2008 to 2009 during the Great Recession (GFC).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) - GDP is the total value of everything produced by all the people and
companies in the nation state.
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Heating value (natural gas) - The average number of British thermal units per cubic foot of natural gas
as determined from tests of fuel samples.
Heavy gas oil - Petroleum distillates with an approximate boiling range from 651 degrees Fahrenheit
to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heavy crude oil (or extra heavy crude oil) - is highly-viscous oil that cannot easily flow to production
wells under normal reservoir conditions. It is referred to as "heavy" because its density or specific
gravity is higher than that of light crude oil. Heavy crude oil has been defined as any liquid petroleum
with an API gravity less than 20°. Physical properties that differ between heavy crude oils and lighter
grades include higher viscosity and specific gravity, as well as heavier molecular composition. In 2010,
the World Energy Council defined extra heavy oil as crude oil having a gravity of less than 10° and a
reservoir viscosity of no more than 10,000 centipoises. When reservoir viscosity measurements are
not available, extra-heavy oil is considered by the WEC to have a lower limit of 4° °API. In other words,
oil with a density greater than 1000 kg/m3 or, equivalently, and a specific gravity greater than 1 and a
reservoir viscosity of no more than 10,000 centipoises. Heavy oils and asphalt are dense nonaqueous
phase liquids (DNAPLs). They have a "low solubility and are with viscosity lower and density higher than
water." "Large spills of DNAPL will quickly penetrate the full depth of the aquifer and accumulate on
its bottom."
Heavy industry - is industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products;
large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, and huge
buildings); or complex or numerous processes.
House of Saud - The House of Saud (Arabic: س عود آلĀl Saʻūd IPA: [ʔæːl saʕuːd]) is the ruling royal family
of Saudi Arabia. The family has thousands of members. It is composed of the descendants of
Muhammad bin Saud, founder of the Emirate of Diriyah, known as the First Saudi state (1744 - 1818),
and his brothers, though the ruling faction of the family is primarily led by the descendants of Ibn Saud,
the modern founder of Saudi Arabia. The family is estimated to comprise 15,000 members, but the
majority of the power and wealth is possessed by a group of only about 2,000 people.
Hubbert peak (The) - theory says that for any given geographical area, from an individual oil-producing
region to the planet as a whole, the rate of petroleum production tends to follow a bell-shaped curve.
It is one of the primary theories on peak oil. Choosing a particular curve determines a point of
maximum production based on discovery rates, production rates and cumulative production. Early in
the curve (pre-peak), the production rate increases due to the discovery rate and the addition of
infrastructure. Late in the curve (post-peak), production declines because of resource depletion.
Hubbert curve - In 1956, Hubbert proposed that fossil fuel production in a given region over time would
follow a roughly bell-shaped curve without giving a precise formula; he later used the Hubbert curve,
the derivative of the logistic curve, for estimating future production using past observed discoveries.
Hubbert assumed that after fossil fuel reserves (oil reserves, coal reserves, and natural gas reserves)
are discovered, production at first increases approximately exponentially, as more extraction
commences and more efficient facilities are installed. At some point, a peak output is reached, and
production begins declining until it approximates an exponential decline. The Hubbert curve satisfies
these constraints. Furthermore, it is roughly symmetrical, with the peak of production reached when
about half of the fossil fuel that will ultimately be produced has been produced. It also has a single
peak.
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Hydrocarbon Gas Liquids - Natural gas and crude oil are mixtures of different hydrocarbons.
Hydrocarbons are molecules of carbon and hydrogen in various combinations. Hydrocarbon gas liquids
(HGL) are hydrocarbons that occur as gases at atmospheric pressure and as liquids under higher
pressures. HGL can also be liquefied by cooling. The specific pressures and temperatures at which the
gases liquefy vary by the type of HGL. HGL may be described as being light or heavy according to the
number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms in an HGL molecule.
Hydraulic fracturing (also fracking, fraccing, frac'ing, hydrofracturing or hydrofracking) - is a well
stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-
pressure injection of 'fracking fluid' (primarily water, containing sand or other proppants suspended
with the aid of thickening agents) into a wellbore to create cracks in the deep-rock formations through
which natural gas, petroleum, and brine will flow more freely. When the hydraulic pressure is removed
from the well, small grains of hydraulic fracturing proppants (either sand or aluminium oxide) hold the
fractures open. Used in tight oil formations.
International Energy Agency (IEA) - (French: Agence internationale de l'énergie) is a Paris-based
autonomous intergovernmental organization established in the framework of the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. The IEA
was initially dedicated to responding to physical disruptions in the supply of oil, as well as serving as an
information source on statistics about the international oil market and other energy sectors. The IEA
acts as a policy adviser to its member states, but also works with non-member countries, especially
China, India, and Russia. The Agency's mandate has broadened to focus on the "3Es" of effectual energy
policy: energy security, economic development, and environmental protection.
Industrial grid (The) – an informal term that describes the interconnecting and interdependent
network of industrial facilities. Ranging from power generation to manufacture to raw material
processing, all connected by networks like the electrical power grid, ‘Just in Time Supply’ of goods,
potable water and waste removal.
Industrial Production Index (IPI) – The industrial production index (abbreviated IPI and sometimes also
called industrial output index or industrial volume index) is a business cycle indicator which measures
monthly changes in the price-adjusted output of industry. This report uses the industrial production
index as it is calculated in the European Union (EU-28). The Industrial Production Index (IPI) is also an
economic indicator published by the Federal Reserve Board of the United States that measures the real
production output of manufacturing, mining, and utilities. It is not clear if both the EU and the US use
exactly the same method of calculation.
Industrial Revolution (The) - was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from
about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This transition included going from hand production
methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved
efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power, the development of machine tools and
the rise of the factory system. Textiles were the dominant industry of the Industrial Revolution in terms
of employment, value of output and capital invested; the textile industry was also the first to use
modern production methods.
Inflation - In economics, inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level of goods and services
in an economy over a period of time. When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer
goods and services; consequently, inflation reflects a reduction in the purchasing power per unit of
money – a loss of real value in the medium of exchange and unit of account within the economy. A
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chief measure of price inflation is the inflation rate, the annualized percentage change in a general
price index, usually the consumer price index, over time. The opposite of inflation is deflation.
Insolvency - is the state of being unable to pay the money owed, by a person or company, on time;
those in a state of insolvency are said to be insolvent. There are two forms: cash-flow insolvency and
balance-sheet insolvency.
Cash-flow insolvency is when a person or company has enough assets to pay what is owed, but
does not have the appropriate form of payment. For example, a person may own a large house
and a valuable car, but not have enough liquid assets to pay a debt when it falls due. Cash-flow
insolvency can usually be resolved by negotiation. For example, the bill collector may wait until
the car is sold and the debtor agrees to pay a penalty.
Balance-sheet insolvency is when a person or company does not have enough assets to pay all
of their debts. The person or company might enter bankruptcy, but not necessarily. Once a loss
is accepted by all parties, negotiation is often able to resolve the situation without bankruptcy.
A company that is balance-sheet insolvent may still have enough cash to pay its next bill on time.
However, most laws will not let the company pay that bill unless it will directly help all their creditors.
For example, an insolvent farmer may be allowed to hire people to help harvest the crop, because not
harvesting and selling the crop would be worse for his creditors.
Installed power – See Name plate capacity.
Internal combustion engine (ICE) - is a heat engine where the combustion of a fuel occurs with an
oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit.
In an internal combustion engine the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases
produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is applied
typically to pistons, turbine blades, rotor or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance,
transforming chemical energy into useful mechanical energy. Automobiles and trucks use internal
combustion engines powered by mostly petroleum products or sometimes gas.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) - is an international organization headquartered in Washington,
D.C., of "189 countries working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability,
facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce
poverty around the world." Formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference primarily by the ideas
of Harry Dexter White and John Maynard Keynes, it came into formal existence in 1945 with 29
member countries and the goal of reconstructing the international payment system. It now plays a
central role in the management of balance of payments difficulties and international financial crises.
Countries contribute funds to a pool through a quota system from which countries experiencing
balance of payments problems can borrow money. As of 2016, the fund had SDR477 billion (about
$668 billion).
IOC – International oil companies. The 20 largest oil & gas companies ranked in order of size: Saudi
Aramco, Sinopec, China National Petroleum Corporation, PetroChina, Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell,
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, BP, Total SA, Lukoil, Eni, Valero Energy, Petrobras, Chevron
Corporation, PDVSA, Pemex, National Iranian Oil, Gazprom, Petronas, China National Offshore Oil.
Just-in-time supply – The supply chain and supply networks of retail demand is delivered with as little
lag time as possible. Thus orders for goods can be submitted just as those goods arrive to the point of
sale from the supply network. This makes for an efficient business practice when the supply network
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is operating without bottlenecks and quoted delivery times match reality. This system has poor
resilience when something unforeseen happens like a natural disaster or the market experiences a
Black Swan event.
Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing - also known as just-in-time production or the Toyota Production
System (TPS), is a methodology aimed primarily at reducing flow times within production system as
well as response times from suppliers and to customers.
Kerogen (oil) - is a mixture of organic chemical compounds that make up a portion of the organic
matter in sedimentary rocks. It is insoluble in normal organic solvents because of the high molecular
weight (upwards of 1,000 daltons or 1000 Da; 1Da= 1 atomic mass unit) of its component compounds.
The soluble portion is known as bitumen. When heated to the right temperatures in the Earth's crust,
(oil window c. 50–150 °C, gas window c. 150–200 °C, both depending on how quickly the source rock
is heated) some types of kerogen release crude oil or natural gas, collectively known as hydrocarbons
(fossil fuels). When such kerogens are present in high concentration in rocks such as shale, they form
possible source rocks. Shales rich in kerogens that have not been heated to a warmer temperature to
release their hydrocarbons may form oil shale deposits.
Land rehabilitation (or Environmental rehabilitation) - is the process of returning the land in a given
area to some degree of its former state, after some process (industry, natural disasters, etc.) has
resulted in its damage. Many projects and developments will result in the land becoming degraded, for
example mining, farming and forestry.
Landfill gas - Gas that is generated by decomposition of organic material at landfill disposal sites. The
average composition of landfill gas is approximately 50 percent methane and 50 percent carbon
dioxide and water vapor by volume. The methane percentage, however, can vary from 40 to 60
percent, depending on several factors including waste composition (e.g. carbohydrate and cellulose
content). The methane in landfill gas may be vented, flared, combusted to generate electricity or useful
thermal energy on-site, or injected into a pipeline for combustion off-site.
Lb - Unit of mass the Pound
Lease Condensate - Light liquid hydrocarbons recovered from lease separators or field facilities at
associated and non-associated natural gas wells. Mostly pentanes and heavier hydrocarbons. Normally
enters the crude oil stream after production.
Liquid fuels - All petroleum including crude oil and products of petroleum refining, natural gas liquids,
biofuels, and liquids derived from other hydrocarbon sources (including coal to liquids and gas to
liquids). Not included are liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid hydrogen.
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) - Natural gas (primarily methane) that has been liquefied by reducing its
temperature to -260 degrees Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure.
Liquefied petroleum gases (LPG) - A group of hydrocarbon gases, primarily propane, normal butane,
and isobutane, derived from crude oil refining or natural gas processing. These gases may be marketed
individually or mixed. They can be liquefied through pressurization (without requiring cryogenic
refrigeration) for convenience of transportation or storage. Excludes ethane and olefins. Note: In some
EIA publications, LPG includes ethane and marketed refinery olefin streams, in accordance with
definitions used prior to January 2014.
Low Btu gas - A fuel gas with a heating value between 90 and 200 Btu per cubic foot.
LTO - light tight oil, abbreviated LTO, known also as tight oil or shale oil.
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Manufactured gas - A gas obtained by destructive distillation of coal or by the thermal decomposition
of oil, or by the reaction of steam passing through a bed of heated coal or coke. Examples are coal
gases, coke oven gases, producer gas, blast furnace gas, blue (water) gas, carburetted water gas. Btu
content varies widely.
Mine rehabilitation - Modern mine rehabilitation aims to minimize and mitigate the environmental
effects of modern mining, which may in the case of open pit mining involve movement of significant
volumes of rock. Rehabilitation management is an ongoing process, often resulting in open pit mines
being backfilled. After mining finishes, the mine area must undergo rehabilitation. Most natural energy
resources can be examined in this fashion at the end of their extraction life.
Monterey shale oil reserves - The Monterey Formation is an extensive Miocene oil-rich geological
sedimentary formation in California, with outcrops of the formation in parts of the California Coast
Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, and on some of California's off-shore islands. The formation is the major
source-rock for 37 to 38 billion barrels of oil in conventional traps such as sandstones. This is most of
California's known oil resources. The Monterey has been extensively investigated and mapped for
petroleum potential, and is of major importance for understanding the complex geological history of
California. Its rocks are mostly highly siliceous strata that vary greatly in composition, stratigraphy, and
tectono-stratigraphic history. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimated in 2014 that
the 1,750 square mile Monterey Formation could yield about 600 million barrels of oil, from tight oil
contained in the formation, down sharply from their 2011 estimate of a potential 15.4 billion barrels.
An independent review by the California Council on Science and Technology found both of these
estimates to be "highly uncertain." Despite intense industry efforts, there has been little success to
date (2013) in producing Monterey-hosted tight oil/shale oil, except in places where it is already
naturally fractured, and it may be many years, if ever, before the Monterey becomes a significant
producer of shale oil.
Motor gasoline (finished) - A complex mixture of relatively volatile hydrocarbons with or without small
quantities of additives, blended to form a fuel suitable for use in spark-ignition engines. Motor gasoline,
as defined in ASTM Specification D 4814 or Federal Specification VV-G-1690C, is characterized as having
a boiling range of 122 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit at the 10 percent recovery point to 365 to 374 degrees
Fahrenheit at the 90 percent recovery point. Motor gasoline includes conventional gasoline; all types
of oxygenated gasoline, including gasohol; and reformulated gasoline, but excludes aviation gasoline.
Note: Volumetric data on blending components, such as oxygenates, are not counted in data on
finished motor gasoline until the blending components are blended into the gasoline.
Mtoe - The tonne of oil equivalent (toe) is a unit of energy defined as the amount of energy released
by burning one tonne of crude oil. It is approximately 42 gigajoules or 11,630 kilowatt hours, although
as different crude oils have different calorific values, the exact value is defined by convention; several
slightly different definitions exist. The toe is sometimes used for large amounts of energy. Multiples of
the toe are used, in particular the megatoe (Mtoe, one million toe) and the gigatoe (Gtoe, one billion
toe). A smaller unit of kilogram of oil equivalent (kgoe) is also sometimes used denoting 1/1000 toe.
Multifactor Productivity Index (MFP) - Reflects the overall efficiency with which labour and capital
inputs are used together in the production process. Changes in MFP reflect the effects of changes in
management practices, brand names, organizational change, general knowledge, network effects,
spillovers from production factors, adjustment costs, economies of scale, the effects of imperfect
competition and measurement errors. Growth in MFP is measured as a residual, i.e. that part of GDP
growth that cannot be explained by changes in labour and capital inputs. In simple terms therefore, if
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labour and capital inputs remained unchanged between two periods, any changes in output would
reflect changes in MFP. This indicator is measured as an index and in annual growth rates.
Nameplate capacity - also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity, or
maximum effect, is the intended full-load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a
chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others. Nameplate capacity is the number
registered with authorities for classifying the power output of a power station usually expressed in
megawatts (MW). Power plants with an output consistently near their nameplate capacity have a high
capacity factor.
Native gas - Gas in place at the time that a reservoir was converted to use as an underground storage
reservoir in contrast to injected gas volumes.
Natural gas - A gaseous mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, the primary one being methane.
Natural gas field facility - A field facility designed to process natural gas produced from more than one
lease for the purpose of recovering condensate from a stream of natural gas; however, some field
facilities are designed to recover propane, normal butane, pentanes plus, etc., and to control the
quality of natural gas to be marketed.
Natural gas gross withdrawals - Full well-stream volume of produced natural gas, excluding
condensate separated at the lease.
Natural gas hydrates - Solid, crystalline, wax-like substances composed of water, methane, methane
clathrate, and usually a small amount of other gases, with the gases being trapped in the interstices of
a water-ice lattice. They form beneath permafrost and on the ocean floor under conditions of
moderately high pressure and at temperatures near the freezing point of water.
Natural gas lease production - Gross withdrawals of natural gas minus gas production injected on the
lease into producing reservoirs, vented, flared, used as fuel on the lease, and nonhydrocarbon gases
removed in treating or processing operations on the lease.
Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) - A group of hydrocarbons including ethane, propane, normal butane,
isobutane, and natural gasoline. Generally include natural gas plant liquids and all liquefied refinery
gases except olefins.
Natural gas liquids production - The volume of natural gas liquids removed from natural gas in lease
separators, field facilities, gas processing plants, or cycling plants during the report year.
Natural gas plant liquids (NGPL) - Butane, ethane, pentanes, propane and other non-methane
components of raw natural gas. Those hydrocarbons in natural gas that are separated as liquids at
natural gas processing, fractionating, and cycling plants. Products obtained include ethane, liquefied
petroleum gases (propane, normal butane, and isobutane), and natural gasoline. Component products
may be fractionated or mixed. Lease condensate and plant condensate are excluded. Note: Some EIA
publications categorize NGPL production as field production, in accordance with definitions used prior
to January 2014.
Natural resources - are resources that exist without actions of humankind. They are part of and are
found in the natural environment. For example a coal or copper deposit found in the earth’s crust.
Net Energy Cliff (The) – On a chart plot of "Energy available for consumption" (y axis) vs "ERoEI" (x
axis). The net available energy to society follows a negative exponential curve. As society approaches
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the bend in the curve, available energy gradient becomes quite steep very quickly. Much like falling
off a cliff.
Net energy yield - The net energy yield of the resource, which is the difference between the energy
inputs required to produce the resource and the energy contained in the final product. The net energy,
or “energy returned on energy invested” (ERoEI), of unconventional resources is generally much lower
than for conventional resources. Lower EROEI translates to higher production costs, lower production
rates, and usually more collateral environmental damage in extraction.
Net Hubbert Curve (The) – The traditional Hubbert curve is corrected for ERoEI of each of the oil
resources, where the easy to extract and process resources are used first. The outcome is a skewed
distribution for net available energy to do useful physical work. Calculated with the formula: Net
Energy = Gross Energy * ((ERoEI – 1)/ ERoEI)
Non-renewable resource (also called a finite resource) - is a resource that does not renew itself at a
sufficient rate for sustainable economic extraction in meaningful human time-frames. An example is
carbon-based, organically-derived fuel. The original organic material, with the aid of heat and pressure,
becomes a fuel such as oil or gas. Earth minerals and metal ores, fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural
gas) and groundwater in certain aquifers are all considered non-renewable resources, though
individual elements are almost always conserved.
Oil refinery (or petroleum refinery) - is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and
refined into more useful products such as petroleum naphtha, gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base,
heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas.
Oil reservoir - An underground pool of liquid consisting of hydrocarbons, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen
trapped within a geological formation and protected from evaporation by the overlying mineral strata.
Oil sands - based synthetic crudes and derivative products, also known as tar sands, or more technically
bituminous sands, are a type of unconventional petroleum deposit. Oil sands are either loose sands or
partially consolidated sandstone containing a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay, and water,
saturated with a dense and extremely viscous form of petroleum technically referred to as bitumen (or
colloquially as tar due to its superficially similar appearance).
Oil stocks - oil stocks include crude oil (including strategic reserves), unfinished oils, natural gas plant
liquids, and refined petroleum products.
Oil bearing shale - is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture
of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons called shale oil (not to be confused
with tight oil—crude oil occurring naturally in shales) can be produced. Shale oil is a substitute for
conventional crude oil; however, extracting shale oil from oil shale is more costly than the production
of conventional crude oil both financially and in terms of its environmental impact.
Oil well - A well completed for the production of crude oil from at least one oil zone or reservoir.
Onshore or land base drilling - is defined as drilling with rigs that are moved in by ground
transportation and the drilling site is not over water. Many of these wells are now being drilled using
a technique called pad drilling where multiple wells are drilled from the same site in very close
proximity of each other by shifting the rig slightly. Typically, these are mature fields, pushing the
drilling envelope farther to more challenging well formations like new shale fields or very deep wells.
OPEC - Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is an intergovernmental organization of 14
nations as of May 2017, founded in 1960 in Baghdad by the first five members (Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi
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Arabia, Venezuela), and headquartered since 1965 in Vienna. As of 2016, the 14 countries accounted
for an estimated 44 percent of global oil production and 73 percent of the world's "proven" oil reserves,
giving OPEC a major influence on global oil prices that were previously determined by American-
dominated multinational oil companies. OPEC's stated mission is "to coordinate and unify the
petroleum policies of its member countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets, in order to
secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to
producers, and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry."
OPEX - An operating expense, operating expenditure, operational expense, operational expenditure or
OPEX is an ongoing cost for running a product, business, or system.
Peak Gas - According to M. King Hubbert's Hubbert peak theory, Peak gas is the point in time at which
the maximum global natural gas (fossil gas) production rate will be reached, after which the rate of
production will enter its terminal decline. Natural gas is a fossil fuel formed from plant matter over
the course of millions of years. It is a finite resource and thus considered to be a non-renewable energy
source.
Peak Oil - an event based on M. King Hubbert's theory, is the point in time when the maximum rate of
extraction of petroleum is reached, after which it is expected to enter terminal decline. Peak oil theory
is based on the observed rise, peak, fall, and depletion of aggregate production rate in oil fields over
time. It is often confused with oil depletion; however, peak oil is the point of maximum production,
while depletion refers to a period of falling reserves and supply.
Peak Coal – The term Peak coal is used to refer to the point in time at which coal production and
consumption reaches its maximum, after which, it is assumed, production and consumption will decline
steadily. The term was originally used in connection with M. King Hubbert's Hubbert peak theory, in
which the finite nature of the resource determines a constraint on production.
Peak Uranium - is the point in time that the maximum global uranium production rate is reached. After
that peak, according to Hubbert peak theory, the rate of production enters a terminal decline. While
uranium is used in nuclear weapons, its primary use is for energy generation via nuclear fission of the
uranium-235 isotope in a nuclear power reactor. Each kilogram of uranium-235 fissioned releases the
energy equivalent of millions of times its mass in chemical reactants, as much energy as 2700 tons of
coal, but uranium-235 is only 0.7% of the mass of natural uranium. Uranium-235 is a finite non-
renewable resource.
Per capita - The phrase in Latin means "by heads" or "for each head", i.e., per individual/person. The
term is used in a wide variety of social sciences and statistical research contexts, including government
statistics, economic indicators, and built environment studies. It is commonly and usually used in the
field of statistics in place of saying "per person"
Pennsylvania oil rush (The) - was a boom in petroleum production which occurred in north western
Pennsylvania from 1859 to the early 1870s. It was the first oil boom in the United States. The oil rush
began in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in the Oil Creek Valley when Colonel Edwin L. Drake struck "rock oil"
there. Titusville and other towns on the shores of Oil Creek expanded rapidly as oil wells and refineries
shot up across the region. Oil quickly became one of the most valuable commodities in the United
States and railroads expanded into Western Pennsylvania to ship petroleum to the rest of the country.
By the mid-1870s, the oil industry was well established, and the "rush" to drill wells and control
production was over. Pennsylvania oil production peaked in 1891, and was later surpassed by western
states such as Texas and California, but some oil industry remains in Pennsylvania.
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into electrical power. The relative motion between a magnetic field and a conductor creates an
electrical current. The energy source harnessed to turn the generator varies widely. Most power
stations in the world burn fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas to generate electricity. Others
use nuclear power, but there is an increasing use of cleaner renewable sources such as solar, wind,
wave and hydroelectric.
Power station output – Power delivered to the electrical power grid by that power station.
Power (electrical) - An electric measurement unit of power called a voltampere is equal to the product
of 1 volt and 1 ampere. This is equivalent to 1 watt for a direct current system, and a unit of apparent
power is separated into real and reactive power. Real power is the work-producing part of apparent
power that measures the rate of supply of energy and is denoted as kilowatts (kW). Reactive power is
the portion of apparent power that does no work and is referred to as kilovars; this type of power must
be supplied to most types of magnetic equipment, such as motors, and is supplied by generator or by
electrostatic equipment. Voltamperes are usually divided by 1,000 and called kilovoltamperes (kVA).
Energy is denoted by the product of real power and the length of time utilized; this product is expressed
as kilowatthours.
Price-performance - In economics and engineering, the price–performance ratio refers to a product's
ability to deliver performance, of any sort, for its price. Generally speaking, products with a lower
price/performance ratio are more desirable, excluding other factors. Price–performance is often
written as cost–performance or cost–benefit. Even though this term would seem to be a
straightforward ratio, when price performance is improved, better, or increased, it actually refers to
the performance divided by the price, in other words exactly the opposite ratio to rank a product as
having an increased price/performance.
Primary energy consumption - Consumption of primary energy. (Energy sources that are produced
from other energy sources, e.g., coal coke from coal, are included in primary energy consumption only
if their energy content has not already been included as part of the original energy source. This includes
the following in energy consumption: coal consumption; coal coke net imports; petroleum
consumption (petroleum products supplied, including natural gas plant liquids and crude oil burned as
fuel); dry natural gas excluding supplemental gaseous fuels consumption; nuclear electricity net
generation (converted to Btu using the nuclear plants heat rates); conventional hydroelectricity net
generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat rates); geothermal electricity net
generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat rates), and geothermal heat pump energy
and geothermal direct use energy; solar thermal and photovoltaic electricity net generation (converted
to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat rates), and solar thermal direct use energy; wind electricity net
generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat rates); wood and wood-derived fuels
consumption; biomass waste consumption; fuel ethanol and biodiesel consumption; losses and co-
products from the production of fuel ethanol and biodiesel; and electricity net imports (converted to
Btu using the electricity heat content of 3,412 Btu per kilowatthour).
Primary energy consumption expenditures - Expenditures for energy consumed in each of the four
major end-use sectors, excluding energy in the form of electricity, plus expenditures by the electric
utilities sector for energy used to generate electricity. There are no fuel-associated expenditures for
associated expenditures for hydroelectric power, geothermal energy, photovoltaic and solar energy,
or wind energy. Also excluded are the quantifiable consumption expenditures that are an integral part
of process fuel consumption.
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Primary energy production - Production of primary energy. This includes the following in energy
production: coal production, waste coal supplied, and coal refuse recovery; crude oil and lease
condensate production; natural gas plant liquids production; dry natural gas excluding supplemental
gaseous fuels production; nuclear electricity net generation (converted to Btu using the nuclear plant
heat rates); conventional hydroelectricity net generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant
heat rates); geothermal electricity net generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat
rates), and geothermal heat pump energy and geothermal direct use energy; solar thermal and
photovoltaic electricity net generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels plant heat rates), and
solar thermal direct use energy; wind electricity net generation (converted to Btu using the fossil-fuels
plant heat rates); wood and wood-derived fuels consumption; biomass waste consumption; and
biofuels feedstock.
Primary fuels - Fuels that can be used continuously. They can sustain the boiler sufficiently for the
production of electricity.
Primary raw materials - Are the product of the primary production sectors, which encompass the
extraction of natural resources from the environment and their transformation through processing or
refining. The obtained raw materials are primary commodities, the base materials for further
manufacturing and consumption processes.
Printing of Money or Money Creation - Money creation (also known as credit creation) is the process
by which the money supply of a country or a monetary region (such as the Eurozone) is increased. A
central bank may introduce new money into the economy (termed "expansionary monetary policy", or
by detractors "printing money") by purchasing financial assets or lending money to financial
institutions. However, in most countries today, most of the money supply is in the form of bank
deposits, which is created by private banks in a fractional reserve banking system. Bank lending
increases the amount of broad money beyond the amount of base money originally created by the
central bank. Reserve requirements, capital adequacy ratios, and other policies of the central bank
influence this process.
Probable (indicated) reserves, coal - Reserves or resources for which tonnage and grade are computed
partly from specific measurements, samples, or production data and partly from projection for a
reasonable distance on the basis of geological evidence. The sites available are too widely or otherwise
in appropriately spaced to permit the mineral bodies to be outlined completely or the grade
established throughout.
Probable energy reserves - Estimated quantities of energy sources that, on the basis of geologic
evidence that supports projections from proved reserves, can reasonably be expected to exist and be
recoverable under existing economic and operating conditions. Site information is insufficient to
establish with confidence the location, quality, and grades of the energy source. Note: This term is
equivalent to "Indicated Reserves" as defined in the resource/reserve classification contained in the
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 831, 1980. Measured and indicated reserves, when combined,
constitute demonstrated reserves.
Process fuel - All energy consumed in the acquisition, processing, and transportation of energy.
Quantifiable process fuel includes three categories natural gas lease and plant operations, natural
gas pipeline operations, and oil refinery operations.
Processed gas - Natural gas that has gone through a processing plant.
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Project commissioning - is the process of assuring that all systems and components of a building or
industrial plant are designed, installed, tested, operated, and maintained according to the operational
requirements of the owner or final client. A commissioning process may be applied not only to new
projects but also to existing units and systems subject to expansion, renovation or revamping. In
practice, the commissioning process comprises the integrated application of a set of engineering
techniques and procedures to check, inspect and test every operational component of the project,
from individual functions, such as instruments and equipment, up to complex amalgamations such as
modules, subsystems and systems.
Production, oil and gas - The lifting of oil and gas to the surface and gathering, treating, field processing
(as in the case of processing gas to extract liquid hydrocarbons), and field storage. The production
function shall normally be regarded as terminating at the outlet valve on the lease or field production
storage tank. If unusual physical or operational circumstances exist, it may be more appropriate to
regard the production function as terminating at the first point at which oil, gas, or gas liquids are
delivered to a main pipeline, a common carrier, a refinery, or a marine terminal.
Proved (measured) reserves, coal - Reserves or resources for which tonnage is computed from
dimensions revealed in outcrops, trenches, workings, and drill holes and for which the grade is
computed from the results of detailed sampling. The sites for inspection, sampling, and measurement
are spaced so closely and the geologic character is so well defined that size, shape, and mineral content
are well established. The computed tonnage and grade are judged to be accurate within limits that are
stated, and no such limit is judged to be different from the computed tonnage or grade by more than
20 percent.
Proved energy reserves - Estimated quantities of energy sources that analysis of geologic and
engineering data demonstrates with reasonable certainty are recoverable under existing economic and
operating conditions. The location, quantity, and grade of the energy source are usually considered to
be well established in such reserves. Note: This term is equivalent to "Measured Reserves" as defined
in the resource/reserve classification contained in the U.S. Geological Survey Circular 831, 1980.
Measured and indicated reserves, when combined, constitute demonstrated reserves.
Proxy (technical) - A figure that can be used to represent the value of something in a calculation.
Purchasing power - (sometimes retroactively called adjusted for inflation) is the number and quality
or value of goods and services that can be purchased with a unit of currency. For example, if one had
taken one unit of currency to a store in the 1950s, it is probable that it would have been possible to
buy a greater number of items than would today, indicating that one would have had a greater
purchasing power in the 1950s. Currency can be either a commodity money, like gold or silver, or fiat
money emitted by government sanctioned agencies.
PV - Photovoltaic
PVCs that convert sunlight directly into energy - A method for producing energy by converting sunlight
using photovoltaic cells (PVCs) that are solid-state single converter devices. Although currently not in
wide usage, commercial customers have a growing interest in usage and, therefore, DOE has a growing
interest in the impact of PVCs on energy consumption. Economically, PVCs are competitive with other
sources of electricity.
Pyrolysis - The thermal decomposition of biomass at high temperatures (greater than 400° F, or 200°
C) in the absence of air. The end product of pyrolysis is a mixture of solids (char), liquids (oxygenated
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oils), and gases (methane, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide) with proportions determined by
operating temperature, pressure, oxygen content, and other conditions.
Quantitative easing (QE) - is a monetary policy in which a central bank creates new electronic money
in order to buy government bonds or other financial assets to stimulate the economy (i.e., to increase
private-sector spending and return inflation to its target). An unconventional form of monetary policy,
it is usually used when standard monetary policy has become ineffective at combating a falling money
supply. A central bank implements quantitative easing by buying specified amounts of financial assets
from commercial banks and other financial institutions, thus raising the prices of those financial assets
and lowering their yield, while simultaneously increasing the money supply. This differs from the more
usual policy of buying or selling short-term government bonds to keep interbank interest rates at a
specified target value. Also called printing of money. QE1-3 added $4.5 Trillion to US Federal Reserve
balance Sheet.
QE1 – Round 1 of quantitative easing by the United States Federal Reserve. December 2008 to March
2010.
QE2 – Round 2 of quantitative easing by the United States Federal Reserve. November 2010 to June
2011.
QE3 – Round 3 of quantitative easing by the United States Federal Reserve. September 2012 to
December 2013.
Rate of energy supply (The) - that is, the rate at which the resource can be produced. A large insitu
resource does society little good if it cannot be produced consistently and in large enough quantities—
characteristics that are constrained by geological, geochemical, and geographical factors (and
subsequently manifested in economic costs). For example, although resources such as oil shale, gas
hydrates, and in situ coal gasification have a very large in situ potential, they have been produced at
only miniscule rates, if at all, despite major expenditures over many years on pilot projects. Tar sands
similarly have immense in situ resources, but more than four decades of very large capital inputs and
collateral environmental impacts have yielded production of less than two percent of world oil
requirements.
Raw material - Crude or processed material that can be converted by manufacture, processing, or
combination into a new and useful product. The basic substances or mixtures of substances in an
untreated state except for extraction and primary processing. They can be subdivided into primary and
secondary raw materials.
Real economy (The) - The part of the economy that is concerned with actually producing goods and
services, as opposed to the part of the economy that is concerned with buying and selling on the
financial markets.
Refinery Processing Gain - The volumetric amount by which total output is greater than input. This
difference is due to the processing of crude oil into products that, in total, have lower specific gravity
than the crude oil processed. Therefore, in terms of volume, the total output of products is greater
than input.
Renewable energy electricity generation - Renewable energy is energy that is collected from
renewable resources, which are naturally replenished on a human timescale, such as sunlight, wind,
rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewable energy often provides energy in four important
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areas: electricity generation, air and water heating/cooling, transportation, and rural (off-grid) energy
services.
Saudi Arabia - officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is an Arab sovereign state in Western Asia
constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula. With a land area of approximately 2,150,000 km2, Saudi
Arabia is geographically the fifth-largest state in Asia and second-largest state in the Arab world after
Algeria. Saudi Arabia is bordered by Jordan and Iraq to the north, Kuwait to the northeast, Qatar,
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to the east, Oman to the southeast and Yemen to the south. It
is separated from Israel and Egypt by the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the only nation with both a Red Sea coast
and a Persian Gulf coast and most of its terrain consists of arid desert and mountains. Saudi Arabia has
dominated the oil producing market for decades and maintains the Petrodollar.
Secondary raw materials – Primary raw materials are used and then will finally end up as waste, from
which secondary raw materials can be derived through recycling. These recycled materials can be used
as feed stock into manufacturing in place of primary raw materials.
Seigniorage - (from Old French seigneuriage "right of the lord (seigneur) to mint money"), is the
difference between the value of money and the cost to produce and distribute it. The term can be
applied in the following ways:
Seigniorage derived from specie—metal coins—is a tax, added to the total price of a coin (metal
content and production costs), that a customer of the mint had to pay to the mint, and that was
sent to the sovereign of the political area.
Seigniorage derived from notes is more indirect, being the difference between interest earned
on securities acquired in exchange for bank notes and the costs of producing and distributing
those notes.
The term also applies to monetary seignorage, where sovereign-issued securities are exchanged for
newly minted bank notes by a central bank, thus allowing the sovereign to 'borrow' without needing
to repay. However, monetary seignorage refers to the sovereign revenue obtained through routine
debt monetization, including expanding the money supply during GDP growth and meeting yearly
inflation targets. Seigniorage is a convenient source of revenue for some governments. By providing
the government with increased purchasing power at the expense of the public's purchasing power, it
imposes what is metaphorically known as an inflation tax on the public.
Shale gas - Natural gas produced from wells that are open to shale formations. Shale is a fine-grained,
sedimentary rock composed of mud from flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles)
of other materials. The shale acts as both the source and the reservoir for the natural gas.
Shale oil - is an unconventional oil produced from oil shale rock fragments by pyrolysis, hydrogenation,
or thermal dissolution. These processes convert the organic matter within the rock (kerogen) into
synthetic oil and gas. The resulting oil can be used immediately as a fuel or upgraded to meet refinery
feedstock specifications by adding hydrogen and removing impurities such as sulfur and nitrogen. The
refined products can be used for the same purposes as those derived from crude oil. The term "shale
oil" is also used for crude oil produced from shales of other very low permeability formations. However,
to reduce the risk of confusion of shale oil produced from oil shale with crude oil in oil-bearing shales,
the term "tight oil" is preferred for the latter. The International Energy Agency recommends to use
the term "light tight oil" and World Energy Resources 2013 report by the World Energy Council uses
the term "tight oil" for crude oil in oil-bearing shales.
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Shallow offshore drilling - is typically defined as drilling in a water depth that is less than 500 feet (150
meters). In general, rigs drilling in this environment are drilling platforms, otherwise known as jackups,
which are able to reach the sea bottom. Wells being drilled in shallow offshore environments are
typically located in mature fields. A mature field is one where production has reached its peak and has
started to decline.
Solar power generation - is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using
photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. Concentrated solar
power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small
beam. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic effect.
Photovoltaics were initially solely used as a source of electricity for small and medium-sized
applications, from the calculator powered by a single solar cell to remote homes powered by an off-
grid rooftop PV system. Commercial concentrated solar power plants were first developed in the
1980s. The 392 MW Ivanpah installation is the largest concentrating solar power plant in the world,
located in the Mojave Desert of California. As the cost of solar electricity has fallen, the number of grid-
connected solar PV systems has grown into the millions and utility-scale solar power stations with
hundreds of megawatts are being built. Solar PV is rapidly becoming an inexpensive, low-carbon
technology to harness renewable energy from the Sun. The current largest photovoltaic power station
in the world is the 850 MW Longyangxia Dam Solar Park, in Qinghai, China.
Sovereign debt default - is the failure or refusal of the government of a sovereign state to pay back its
debt in full. Cessation of due payments (or receivables) may either be accompanied by formal
declaration (repudiation) of a government not to pay (or only partially pay) its debts, or it may be
unannounced. A credit rating agency will take into account in its grading’s capital, interest, extraneous
and procedural defaults, and failures to abide by the terms of bonds or other debt instruments.
Countries have at times escaped the real burden of some of their debt through inflation. This is not
"default" in the usual sense because the debt is honoured, albeit with currency of lesser real value.
Sometimes governments devalue their currency. This can be done by printing more money to apply
toward their own debts, or by ending or altering the convertibility of their currencies into precious
metals or foreign currency at fixed rates. Harder to quantify than an interest or capital default, this
often is defined as an extraneous or procedural default (breach) of terms of the contracts or other
instruments.
Soviet Union - officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR; Russian: Сою́ з Сове́тских
Социалисти́ ческих Респу́блик (СССР)), also known unofficially as Russia, was a socialist state in Eurasia
that existed from 1922 to 1991. Nominally a union of multiple equal national Soviet republics, its
government and economy were highly centralized. The country was a one-party federation, governed
by the Communist Party with Moscow as its capital.
Sour crude oil - is crude oil containing a high amount of the impurity sulfur. It is common to find crude
oil containing some impurities. When the total sulfur level in the oil is more than 0.5% the oil is called
"sour". The impurities need to be removed before this lower-quality crude can be refined into petrol,
thereby increasing the cost of processing. This results in a higher-priced gasoline than that made from
sweet crude oil. Current environmental regulations in the United States strictly limit the sulfur content
in refined fuels such as diesel and gasoline. The majority of the sulfur in crude oil occurs bonded to
carbon atoms, with a small amount occurring as elemental sulfur in solution and as hydrogen sulfide
gas. Sour oil can be toxic and corrosive, especially when the oil contains higher levels of hydrogen
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sulfide, which is a breathing hazard. At low concentrations the gas gives the oil the smell of rotting
eggs.
Spot price - is the current market price at which an asset is bought or sold for immediate payment and
delivery. It is differentiated from the forward price or the futures price, which are prices at which an
asset can be bought or sold for delivery in the future.
Stagflation - In economics, stagflation, a portmanteau of stagnation and inflation, is a situation in which
the inflation rate is high, the economic growth rate slows, and unemployment remains steadily high. It
raises a dilemma for economic policy, since actions designed to lower inflation may exacerbate
unemployment, and vice versa. The term is generally attributed to a British Conservative Party
politician who became Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1970, Iain Macleod, who coined the phrase in
his speech to Parliament in 1965. Keynes did not use the term, but some of his work refers to the
conditions that most would recognise as stagflation. In the version of Keynesian macroeconomic theory
that was dominant between the end of World War II and the late 1970s, inflation and recession were
regarded as mutually exclusive, the relationship between the two being described by the Phillips curve.
Stagflation is very costly and difficult to eradicate once it starts, both in social terms and in budget
deficits.
Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500) - or just "the S&P", is an American stock market index based
on the market capitalizations of 500 large companies having common stock listed on the NYSE or
NASDAQ. The S&P 500 index components and their weightings are determined by S&P Dow Jones
Indices. It differs from other U.S. stock market indices, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average or the
Nasdaq Composite index, because of its diverse constituency and weighting methodology. It is one of
the most commonly followed equity indices, and many consider it one of the best representations of
the U.S. stock market, and a bellwether for the U.S. economy. The National Bureau of Economic
Research has classified common stocks as a leading indicator of business cycles.
Steam engine - A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its
working fluid. Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separated
from the combustion products.
Sub-bituminous coal - is a type of coal whose properties range from those of lignite to those of
bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for steam-electric power generation.
Substitute (synthetic) natural gas - Substitute natural gas (SNG), or synthetic natural gas, is a fuel gas
that can be produced from fossil fuels such as lignite coal, oil shale, or from biofuels (when it is named
bio-SNG) or from renewable electrical energy.
Supply network - is a pattern of temporal and spatial processes carried out at facility nodes and over
distribution links, which adds value for customers through the manufacturing and delivery of products.
It comprises the general state of business affairs in which all kinds of material (work-in-process material
as well as finished products) are transformed and moved between various value-added points to
maximize the value added for customers.
Supply chain - is a special instance of a supply network in which raw materials, intermediate materials
and finished goods are procured exclusively as products through a chain of processes that supply one
another.
Sweet crude oil - is a type of petroleum. The New York Mercantile Exchange designates petroleum with
less than 0.42% sulfur as sweet. Petroleum containing higher levels of sulfur is called sour crude oil.
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Sweet crude oil contains small amounts of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. High-quality, low-
sulfur crude oil is commonly used for processing into gasoline and is in high demand, particularly in the
industrialized nations. Light sweet crude oil is the most sought-after version of crude oil as it contains
a disproportionately large fraction that is directly processed (fractionation) into gasoline (naphtha),
kerosene, and high-quality diesel (gas oil). The term sweet originates from the fact that a low level of
sulfur provides the oil with a mildly sweet taste and pleasant smell. Nineteenth-century prospectors
would taste and smell small quantities of oil to determine its quality.
Systemic banking crisis - is one where all or almost all of the banking capital in a country is wiped out.
The resulting chain of bankruptcies can cause a long economic recession as domestic businesses and
consumers are starved of capital as the domestic banking system shuts down.
Tar sands – see Oil sands
Temporal marker - A temporal marker is any statement that helps answer the question “When did this
happen?” Often used as an analytical tool to correlate causality or help define the existence of a
relationship between events over time.
Tidal power generation - Tidal power or tidal energy is a form of hydropower that converts the energy
obtained from tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity. Although not yet widely used, tidal
energy has potential for future electricity generation. Tides are more predictable than the wind and
the sun. Among sources of renewable energy, tidal energy has traditionally suffered from relatively
high cost and limited availability of sites with sufficiently high tidal ranges or flow velocities, thus
constricting its total availability. However, many recent[when? clarification needed] technological
developments and improvements, both in design (e.g. dynamic tidal power, tidal lagoons) and turbine
technology (e.g. new axial turbines, cross flow turbines), indicate that the total availability of tidal
power may be much higher than previously assumed, and that economic and environmental costs may
be brought down to competitive levels.
Tight gas - is natural gas produced from reservoir rocks with such low permeability that massive
hydraulic fracturing is necessary to produce the well at economic rates. Tight gas reservoirs are
generally defined as having less than 0.1 millidarcy (mD) matrix permeability and less than ten percent
matrix porosity.[1][2] Although shales have low permeability and low effective porosity, shale gas is
usually considered separate from tight gas, which is contained most commonly in sandstone, but
sometimes in limestone. Tight gas is considered an unconventional source of natural gas. Rock with
permeabilities as little as one nanodarcy, reservoir stimulation may be economically productive with
optimized spacing and completion of staged fractures to maximize yield with respect to cost.
Tight oil - Tight oil (also known as shale oil, shale-hosted oil or light tight oil, abbreviated LTO) is light
crude oil contained in petroleum-bearing formations of low permeability, often shale or tight
sandstone. Economic production from tight oil formations requires the same hydraulic fracturing and
often uses the same horizontal well technology used in the production of shale gas. While sometimes
called "shale oil", tight oil should not be confused with oil shale, which is shale rich in kerogen, or shale
oil, which is oil produced from oil shales.
Unconventional oil production - An umbrella term for oil and natural gas that is produced by means
that do not meet the criteria for conventional production. This is oil which requires advanced
production methods due to its geologic formations and/or is heavy and does not flow on its own. Note:
What has qualified as "unconventional" at any particular time is a complex interactive function of
resource characteristics, the available exploration and production technologies, the current economic
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environment, and the scale, frequency, and duration of production from the resource. Perceptions of
these factors inevitably change over time and they often differ among users of the term.
Unconventional oil included:
oil shales
oil sands-based synthetic crudes and derivative products
tight oil
heavy oil and extra-heavy oil (Orimulsion)
coal-based liquid supplies
biomass-based liquid supplies
gas to liquid (GTL) - liquids arising from chemical processing of gas
natural bitumen (oil sands)
kerogen oil
liquids and gases arising from chemical processing of natural gas (GTL)
coal-to-liquids (CTL) and additives.
Unconventional natural gas production - An Unconventional gas is natural gas obtained from sources
of production that are, in a given era and location, considered to be new and different. Sources at times
considered to be unconventional include:
Coalbed methane
Methane clathrate (gas hydrate)
Shale gas
Synthetic natural gas, such as oil shale gas
Tight gas
United States Department of the Treasury - is an executive department and the treasury of the United
States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government
revenue. The Department is administered by the Secretary of the Treasury, who is a member of the
Cabinet.
United States treasury bonds – see United States Treasury Securities
United States Treasury Securities - are government debt instruments issued by the United States
Department of the Treasury to finance the national debt of the United States. Treasury securities are
often referred to simply as Treasuries. Since 2012 the management of government debt has been
arranged by the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, succeeding the Bureau of the Public Debt. There are four
types of marketable treasury securities: Treasury bills, Treasury notes, Treasury bonds, and Treasury
Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS).
$USD – The United States dollar (sign: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ and referred to as the dollar,
U.S. dollar, or American dollar) is the official currency of the United States and its insular territories per
the United States Constitution. Unofficially seen as the global reserve currency.
US Federal Reserve – See Federal Reserve Bank
Water table - The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is
where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. The water table is the surface
where the water pressure head is equal to the atmospheric pressure (where gauge pressure = 0). It
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may be visualized as the "surface" of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in
a given vicinity. The groundwater may be from precipitation or from groundwater flowing into the
aquifer. In areas with sufficient precipitation, water infiltrates through pore spaces in the soil, passing
through the unsaturated zone. At increasing depths water fills in more of the pore spaces in the soils,
until a zone of saturation is reached.
Wave power generation - is the transport of energy by wind waves, and the capture of that energy to
do useful work – for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into
reservoirs). A machine able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter
(WEC). Wave power is distinct from the diurnal flux of tidal power and the steady gyre of ocean
currents. Wave-power generation is not currently a widely employed commercial technology, although
there have been attempts to use it since at least 1890. In 2008, the first experimental wave farm was
opened in Portugal, at the Aguçadoura Wave Park.
Wet natural gas - A mixture of hydrocarbon compounds and small quantities of various non
hydrocarbons existing in the gaseous phase or in solution with crude oil in porous rock formations at
reservoir conditions. The principal hydrocarbons normally contained in the mixture are methane,
ethane, propane, butane, and pentane. Typical nonhydrocarbon gases that may be present in reservoir
natural gas are water vapor, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen and trace amounts of helium.
Under reservoir conditions, natural gas and its associated liquefiable portions occur either in a single
gaseous phase in the reservoir or in solution with crude oil and are not distinguishable at the time as
separate substances. Note: The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Accounting
Standards Board refer to this product as natural gas.
Wind power generation - Wind power is the use of air flow through wind turbines to mechanically
power generators for electric power. Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is plentiful,
renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation,
consumes no water, and uses little land. The net effects on the environment are far less problematic
than those of nonrenewable power sources. Wind farms consist of many individual wind turbines
which are connected to the electric power transmission network. Onshore wind is an inexpensive
source of electric power, competitive with or in many places cheaper than coal or gas plants. Offshore
wind is steadier and stronger than on land, and offshore farms have less visual impact, but construction
and maintenance costs are considerably higher. Small onshore wind farms can feed some energy into
the grid or provide electric power to isolated off-grid locations. Wind power gives variable power which
is very consistent from year to year but which has significant variation over shorter time scales. It is
therefore used in conjunction with other electric power sources to give a reliable supply.
World Bank - The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to countries
of the world for capital programs. It comprises two institutions: the International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and the International Development Association (IDA). The
World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group. The World Bank's stated official goal is the
reduction of poverty. However, according to its Articles of Agreement, all its decisions must be guided
by a commitment to the promotion of foreign investment and international trade and to the facilitation
of capital investment.
World Energy Council (WEC) - is a global and inclusive forum for thought-leadership and tangible
engagement with headquarters in London. Its mission is 'To promote the sustainable supply and use of
energy for the greatest benefit of all people'. The World Energy Council is the principal impartial
network of leaders and practitioners promoting an affordable, stable and environmentally sensitive
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energy system for the greatest benefit of all. Formed in 1923, the Council is the UN-accredited global
energy body, representing the entire energy spectrum, with more than 3000 member organisations
located in over 90 countries and drawn from governments, private and state corporations, academia,
NGOs and energy-related stakeholders. The World Energy Council informs global, regional and national
energy strategies by hosting high-level events, publishing authoritative studies, and working through
its extensive member network to facilitate the world’s energy policy dialogue.
World Energy Outlook (WEO) - The annual World Energy Outlook is the International Energy Agency's
flagship publication, widely recognised as the most authoritative source for global energy projections
and analysis. It represents the leading source for medium to long-term energy market projections,
extensive statistics, analysis and advice for both governments and the energy business. It is produced
by the Office of the Chief Economist, presently under the direction of Dr. Fatih Birol.
Year-over-year (YOY) - Is a comparison of a statistic for one period to the same period the previous
year. The period is usually a month or quarter. The year-over-year growth rate calculates the percent
change during the past twelve months.
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Method of
Energy raw
energy Application Y
resource 2
generation B
Method of
Energy raw
energy Application Z
resource 3
generation C
What is clear in examining these diagrams is that energy is a support function for all activities, and that
fossil fuels accounts for most of that energy supply in one form or another.
22.12.2019
Figure A2. Global energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A3. Energy balance flow for European Union EU-28 in 2017
(Source: European Commission Eurostat)
(https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/WDN-20190329-1 )
22.12.2019
Figure A4. Composition of the primary energy entering the energy system of the EU-28 in 2013
(Source: European Environmental Agency, https://www.eea.europa.eu/)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A5. United States energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 2019, EIA 2019)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
Figure A7. China energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A8. Brazil energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A9. South Africa energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A10. India energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A11. Finland energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A12. United Kingdom energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A13. Germany energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A14. Sweden energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A15. Norway energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A16. Netherlands energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A17. Poland energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A18. Hungary energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A19. Denmark energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A20. Russia energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A21. Estonia energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A22. Lithuania energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A23. Australia energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Figure A24. Chile energy flow between energy source and application
(Source: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Energy Flow Charts)
(Copyright License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
22.12.2019
Table B1 (Part 1 of 5). Global refined petroleum products - consumption is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum
products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). (Source: Central Intelligence Agnecy - World Fact Book)
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2246rank.html)
Petroleum Conumption Global Market Share Date of estimate
Rank Nation State (Barrels/Day) (%) according to source
GLOBAL TOTAL 109 265 942
22.12.2019
Table B1 (Part 2 of 5). Global refined petroleum products - consumption is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum
products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). (Source: Central Intelligence Agnecy - World Fact Book)
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2246rank.html)
22.12.2019
Table B1 (Part 3 of 5). Global refined petroleum products - consumption is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum
products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). (Source: Central Intelligence Agnecy - World Fact Book)
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2246rank.html)
22.12.2019
Table B1 (Part 4 of 5). Global refined petroleum products - consumption is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum
products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). (Source: Central Intelligence Agnecy - World Fact Book)
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2246rank.html)
22.12.2019
Table B1 (Part 5 of 5). Global refined petroleum products - consumption is the country's total consumption of refined petroleum
products, in barrels per day (bbl/day). (Source: Central Intelligence Agnecy - World Fact Book)
(https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2246rank.html)
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 1 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 2 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
Annual Asphalt and Road Oil Aviation Gasoline Distillate Fuel Oil Propane Product Propylene Product
Average Product Supplied Product Supplied Product Supplied Supplied Supplied
(year) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day)
1991 444 456 22 644 2 920 770 856 811 124 715
1992 453 817 22 221 2 978 887 896 377 135 929
1993 474 382 20 838 3 041 212 872 643 133 400
1994 484 248 20 699 3 162 239 939 696 142 353
1995 486 419 21 482 3 206 627 938 414 157 153
1996 484 167 20 219 3 365 243 978 366 157 227
1997 505 159 21 545 3 435 447 964 723 205 153
1998 521 255 19 266 3 461 444 929 405 190 296
1999 546 795 21 260 3 571 997 1 038 041 208 038
2000 525 235 19 639 3 722 172 1 010 710 224 098
2001 518 907 18 962 3 846 803 931 529 210 008
2002 511 926 18 307 3 775 907 1 014 964 233 000
2003 503 496 16 403 3 927 048 976 942 237 696
2004 536 833 16 910 4 058 262 1 021 082 254 822
2005 546 309 19 195 4 118 011 985 825 243 449
2006 520 682 18 153 4 169 125 947 181 267 655
2007 494 207 17 145 4 195 911 983 349 251 518
2008 416 659 15 309 3 945 420 923 858 230 347
2009 360 459 14 414 3 631 081 892 966 267 090
2010 362 394 14 679 3 800 314 851 621 308 019
2011 354 847 14 685 3 898 854 851 446 301 227
2012 340 376 13 593 3 741 416 862 377 312 404
2013 323 411 12 134 3 827 465 968 591 306 534
2014 327 246 11 775 4 037 248 869 645 297 178
2015 343 358 11 474 3 995 237 864 761 297 178
2016 351 356 11 077 3 877 252 833 043 296 773
2017 350 591 11 370 3 932 188 802 802 314 419
2018 329 090 12 151 4 133 572 856 660 304 540
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 3 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
Annual Propane/Propylene Total Hydrocarbon Gas Jet Fuel Product Kerosene Product Lubricants Product
Average Product Supplied Liquids Product Supplied Supplied Supplied Supplied
(year) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day)
1949 126 213 186 953 data not availavle 281 293 90 688
1950 158 150 234 260 data not availavle 322 860 106 447
1951 187 280 277 408 data not availavle 337 647 115 868
1952 199 772 295 913 54 989 331 292 104 276
1953 219 477 325 101 94 474 313 608 110 951
1954 237 602 351 948 125 622 324 140 105 581
1955 272 949 404 307 154 208 320 022 116 375
1956 297 959 441 352 197 145 320 557 120 036
1957 305 961 453 205 215 534 279 430 112 918
1958 328 667 486 838 274 630 293 742 108 142
1959 393 118 582 307 325 096 261 608 117 474
1960 419 249 621 014 371 481 271 421 116 601
1961 432 637 640 844 415 405 266 430 113 792
1962 472 503 699 896 489 137 268 584 119 493
1963 510 869 756 726 521 844 265 688 119 455
1964 544 317 806 270 558 068 253 383 125 104
1965 568 037 841 405 601 732 267 348 129 096
1966 599 152 887 496 669 551 277 033 134 107
1967 637 097 943 701 824 027 274 189 120 885
1968 707 153 1 053 937 954 585 281 243 132 423
1969 792 886 1 220 893 991 044 274 981 133 649
1970 781 832 1 224 153 967 063 262 942 136 145
1971 801 302 1 251 375 1 010 200 249 088 135 126
1972 901 119 1 420 355 1 045 055 234 566 144 298
1973 879 255 1 453 781 1 059 252 216 205 162 112
1974 838 231 1 422 441 993 425 176 307 155 260
1975 790 380 1 351 721 1 000 795 158 877 137 449
1976 836 804 1 406 811 987 317 169 180 152 273
1977 833 216 1 421 562 1 039 060 175 238 159 753
1978 791 722 1 412 751 1 056 586 175 458 171 559
1979 913 317 1 664 099 1 075 888 187 863 179 518
1980 813 340 1 590 148 1 067 557 158 388 159 421
1981 837 149 1 582 226 1 007 444 126 865 153 309
1982 883 853 1 599 648 1 012 552 128 666 139 805
1983 842 017 1 537 184 1 045 981 126 992 146 373
1984 833 336 1 701 544 1 175 479 115 259 155 661
1985 882 575 1 721 451 1 218 362 113 882 145 468
1986 830 622 1 628 617 1 307 342 98 251 142 236
1987 924 112 1 749 285 1 384 987 94 556 160 806
1988 922 806 1 779 530 1 448 660 96 173 154 647
1989 990 288 1 789 909 1 489 440 84 256 159 056
1990 916 921 1 704 518 1 522 267 42 530 163 680
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 4 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
Annual Propane/Propylene Total Hydrocarbon Gas Jet Fuel Product Kerosene Product Lubricants Product
Average Product Supplied Liquids Product Supplied Supplied Supplied Supplied
(year) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day)
1991 981 526 1 862 944 1 471 441 46 295 146 429
1992 1 032 306 1 946 032 1 454 292 41 402 148 882
1993 1 006 043 1 931 066 1 469 339 49 627 152 016
1994 1 082 049 2 080 571 1 526 858 48 945 158 887
1995 1 095 568 2 099 778 1 514 422 54 041 156 159
1996 1 135 593 2 221 803 1 577 954 61 735 151 137
1997 1 169 877 2 232 868 1 598 529 65 879 160 096
1998 1 119 701 2 126 447 1 621 934 78 055 167 597
1999 1 246 079 2 411 436 1 672 605 72 937 169 351
2000 1 234 809 2 433 776 1 725 284 67 396 166 355
2001 1 141 537 2 200 386 1 655 401 72 340 152 836
2002 1 247 964 2 295 310 1 613 649 43 340 151 025
2003 1 214 638 2 205 068 1 577 834 54 625 139 625
2004 1 275 904 2 264 030 1 629 964 64 317 141 068
2005 1 229 274 2 146 050 1 678 990 69 809 140 716
2006 1 214 835 2 135 483 1 632 906 53 683 137 096
2007 1 234 866 2 191 323 1 622 386 32 140 141 575
2008 1 154 205 2 044 387 1 538 554 14 229 131 078
2009 1 160 057 2 126 941 1 393 190 17 548 118 171
2010 1 159 640 2 265 268 1 431 649 19 929 131 296
2011 1 152 674 2 241 453 1 425 343 12 241 124 572
2012 1 174 782 2 297 426 1 398 133 5 276 114 299
2013 1 275 125 2 501 189 1 434 398 5 197 121 267
2014 1 166 823 2 442 439 1 469 928 8 996 126 494
2015 1 161 939 2 551 652 1 548 242 6 386 137 753
2016 1 129 817 2 536 162 1 614 227 8 670 130 418
2017 1 117 221 2 642 863 1 682 176 5 177 120 556
2018 1 161 200 2 986 920 1 710 960 5 085 112 212
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 5 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
Annual Motor Gasoline Petroleum Coke Residual Fuel Oil Other Petroleum Total Petroleum
Average Product Supplied Product Supplied Product Supplied Products Supplied Products Supplied
(year) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day)
1949 2 410 195 39 526 1 358 962 243 482 5 763 038
1950 2 615 816 41 153 1 517 241 250 342 6 457 918
1951 2 840 041 39 674 1 546 293 290 699 7 016 132
1952 2 953 525 38 044 1 516 844 289 115 7 269 617
1953 3 109 762 48 216 1 535 545 315 107 7 599 627
1954 3 193 499 54 181 1 431 005 320 447 7 756 033
1955 3 463 189 66 858 1 526 184 366 093 8 455 348
1956 3 547 749 67 970 1 537 740 384 475 8 775 199
1957 3 615 170 74 044 1 503 564 402 811 8 809 011
1958 3 710 715 85 258 1 454 978 409 767 9 117 789
1959 3 859 868 97 397 1 543 737 423 805 9 526 501
1960 3 969 005 148 831 1 528 522 434 770 9 797 322
1961 4 042 866 183 929 1 503 227 438 553 9 976 110
1962 4 198 926 193 710 1 495 378 453 929 10 400 079
1963 4 334 099 189 926 1 476 504 554 074 10 743 463
1964 4 402 590 192 336 1 515 249 645 781 11 022 503
1965 4 592 614 201 718 1 608 249 656 937 11 512 436
1966 4 808 033 201 863 1 716 247 713 849 12 084 373
1967 4 958 310 205 836 1 785 986 737 077 12 560 345
1968 5 260 593 208 522 1 825 790 797 648 13 392 866
1969 5 526 014 221 452 1 977 874 837 849 14 136 795
1970 5 784 518 211 548 2 203 529 865 556 14 697 186
1971 6 014 433 218 896 2 296 014 869 633 15 212 493
1972 6 376 443 241 191 2 529 090 948 770 16 366 984
1973 6 674 400 260 701 2 822 403 999 430 17 307 679
1974 6 537 471 238 510 2 638 948 1 017 074 16 652 710
1975 6 674 600 246 707 2 461 841 981 819 16 321 959
1976 6 977 689 243 418 2 800 951 1 142 915 17 461 066
1977 7 176 822 267 764 3 071 033 1 294 304 18 431 419
1978 7 411 805 255 679 3 022 556 1 391 027 18 846 622
1979 7 034 447 246 197 2 826 184 1 473 307 18 512 540
1980 6 578 544 236 560 2 508 268 1 459 926 17 055 861
1981 6 587 526 251 693 2 087 753 1 059 881 16 057 696
1982 6 539 244 247 930 1 716 463 872 624 15 295 720
1983 6 622 149 228 661 1 420 834 1 013 615 15 231 134
1984 6 692 515 247 381 1 369 397 991 295 15 725 615
1985 6 831 126 264 487 1 202 301 908 978 15 726 418
1986 7 034 071 268 346 1 418 402 988 770 16 280 627
1987 7 205 722 298 752 1 264 394 1 038 767 16 665 046
1988 7 336 462 311 659 1 377 800 1 162 394 17 283 310
1989 7 327 861 307 253 1 370 047 1 162 220 17 325 153
1990 7 234 907 338 637 1 228 825 1 225 039 16 988 496
22.12.2019
Table B2 (Part 6 of 6). Petroleum Products Supplied by Type (Thousand Barrels per Day)
(Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 2019 Monthly Energy Review)
Annual Motor Gasoline Petroleum Coke Residual Fuel Oil Other Petroleum Total Petroleum
Average Product Supplied Product Supplied Product Supplied Products Supplied Products Supplied
(year) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day) ('000 bbls/day)
1991 7 187 518 328 357 1 157 875 1 125 107 16 713 836
1992 7 267 522 382 253 1 094 346 1 243 200 17 032 855
1993 7 476 302 365 706 1 080 171 1 176 071 17 236 731
1994 7 601 368 360 662 1 020 787 1 252 896 17 718 159
1995 7 788 644 364 740 851 811 1 180 467 17 724 589
1996 7 890 585 379 413 848 363 1 308 287 18 308 904
1997 8 016 844 377 077 796 699 1 410 160 18 620
1998 8 253 416 446 690 887 121 1 333 916 18 917 140
1999 8 430 800 476 803 830 132 1 315 220 19 519 337
2000 8 472 060 405 880 908 544 1 254 735 19 701 077
2001 8 610 027 437 060 811 173 1 324 815 19 648 707
2002 8 847 838 462 762 699 608 1 341 628 19 761 304
2003 8 934 896 454 658 772 131 1 447 722 20 033 507
2004 9 105 407 524 268 864 708 1 525 380 20 731 150
2005 9 159 264 515 212 919 976 1 488 630 20 802 162
2006 9 252 533 522 215 688 845 1 556 696 20 687 418
2007 9 285 669 490 027 722 906 1 487 089 20 680 378
2008 8 989 228 463 654 622 199 1 317 247 19 497 964
2009 8 996 521 426 538 511 118 1 175 419 18 771 400
2010 8 992 654 375 724 535 099 1 251 118 19 180 123
2011 8 752 750 361 209 461 076 1 239 669 18 886 697
2012 8 682 206 360 240 368 756 1 164 937 18 486 659
2013 8 842 984 353 716 318 555 1 226 551 18 966 868
2014 8 920 842 346 797 257 192 1 151 125 19 100 082
2015 9 178 372 349 173 259 326 1 152 538 19 533 511
2016 9 317 080 345 246 326 225 1 169 522 19 687 234
2017 9 326 536 316 227 341 710 1 228 328 19 957 724
2018 9 319 219 332 968 321 570 1 189 124 20 452 870
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
Table C2. Global oil consumption (Mtoe) (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
22.12.2019
Table C2. Regional oil consumption by product group (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
22.12.2019
Year United States China European Union E-28 Germany India Japan
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
1965 11522 216 7792 1714 253 1704
1966 12100 277 8563 1922 282 1944
1967 12567 274 9298 2005 290 2387
1968 13405 299 10177 2241 325 2764
1969 14153 402 11413 2530 393 3282
1970 14710 556 12636 2774 391 3874
1971 15223 755 13238 2899 417 4283
1972 16381 867 14154 3048 448 4568
1973 17318 1061 15168 3262 474 5262
1974 16631 1220 14255 2970 465 5066
1975 16334 1346 13752 2887 477 4786
1976 17461 1539 14653 3111 503 4974
1977 18443 1630 14531 3085 543 5126
1978 18756 1823 15227 3234 589 5389
1979 18438 1831 15600 3342 634 5449
1980 17062 1690 14542 3020 644 4900
1981 16060 1612 13619 2759 698 4657
1982 15295 1597 12958 2614 728 4363
1983 15235 1638 12665 2569 766 4359
1984 15725 1695 12756 2561 824 4577
1985 15726 1820 12982 2649 897 4397
1986 16281 1934 13372 2784 945 4457
1987 16665 2055 13421 2725 975 4466
1988 17283 2203 13546 2728 1071 4766
1989 17325 2338 13632 2576 1165 4964
1990 16988 2320 13807 2689 1213 5234
1991 16713 2520 13908 2815 1234 5339
1992 17033 2736 13925 2832 1298 5454
1993 17236 3047 13808 2886 1314 5380
1994 17719 3115 13829 2864 1413 5673
1995 17725 3394 14048 2865 1581 5725
1996 18309 3722 14338 2905 1701 5754
1997 18621 4120 14479 2900 1832 5707
1998 18917 4216 14765 2902 1968 5478
1999 19519 4452 14743 2810 2141 5573
2000 19701 4766 14585 2746 2261 5530
22.12.2019
Year United States China European Union E-28 Germany India Japan
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
2001 19649 4859 14754 2787 2288 5394
2002 19761 5262 14679 2697 2376 5320
2003 20033 5771 14769 2648 2420 5413
2004 20732 6738 14953 2619 2574 5238
2005 20802 6944 15101 2592 2567 5334
2006 20687 7437 15103 2609 2571 5203
2007 20680 7817 14801 2380 2835 5029
2008 19490 7914 14786 2502 3137 4847
2009 18771 8295 14092 2409 3300 4390
2010 19180 9446 14012 2441 3381 4442
2011 18882 9808 13599 2365 3550 4442
2012 18490 10242 13101 2352 3747 4702
2013 18961 10750 12848 2404 3789 4516
2014 19106 11239 12663 2344 3914 4303
2015 19531 11986 12855 2336 4245 4151
2016 19687 12304 13091 2374 4654 4019
2017 19958 12840 13356 2443 4870 3975
2018 20456 13525 13302 2321 5156 3854
22.12.2019
Year Saudi Arabia Russian Federation Brazil United Kingdom Norway Iran
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
1965 391 307 1449 101 200
1966 394 336 1556 114 221
1967 397 347 1676 120 245
1968 400 415 1782 131 269
1969 404 461 1922 145 298
1970 408 522 2030 163 330
1971 411 581 2038 163 364
1972 438 667 2157 169 402
1973 466 822 2226 172 471
1974 488 887 2071 154 501
1975 366 918 1819 162 568
1976 428 983 1809 179 597
1977 500 1015 1831 178 636
1978 537 1123 1895 191 643
1979 653 1194 1917 196 689
1980 607 1155 1647 197 621
1981 727 1117 1538 187 568
1982 805 1151 1559 178 617
1983 878 1133 1516 176 746
1984 929 1160 1824 186 809
1985 955 4944 1213 1615 195 891
1986 949 5006 1355 1640 199 860
1987 990 5051 1395 1604 212 888
1988 1004 5001 1434 1698 200 771
1989 986 5111 1472 1744 195 878
1990 1175 5049 1432 1754 200 947
1991 1252 4921 1461 1753 190 991
1992 1178 4525 1516 1771 194 1015
1993 1216 3816 1570 1788 208 1048
1994 1340 3305 1668 1778 209 1112
1995 1271 3122 1744 1759 209 1214
1996 1332 2752 1853 1798 215 1264
1997 1395 2759 1968 1754 220 1254
1998 1489 2613 2036 1743 219 1198
1999 1503 2713 2089 1729 218 1227
2000 1578 2698 2018 1704 204 1304
22.12.2019
Year Saudi Arabia Russian Federation Brazil United Kingdom Norway Iran
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
2001 1622 2688 2047 1704 216 1322
2002 1668 2730 2030 1700 211 1423
2003 1780 2755 2010 1723 229 1509
2004 1913 2767 2020 1766 219 1578
2005 2001 2777 2078 1806 221 1641
2006 2074 2893 2094 1788 226 1728
2007 2200 2913 2234 1716 235 1718
2008 2622 2861 2481 1738 218 1925
2009 2914 2775 2498 1669 222 1919
2010 3206 2878 2714 1652 229 1788
2011 3295 3074 2832 1600 227 1851
2012 3460 3119 2884 1546 226 1882
2013 3451 3134 3100 1532 230 2064
2014 3764 3298 3210 1536 217 1959
2015 3886 3146 3140 1578 223 1804
2016 3875 3217 2960 1623 217 1749
2017 3838 3207 3052 1637 223 1843
2018 3724 3228 3081 1618 234 1879
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
Table D2. Global oil production (million tonnes) (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
22.12.2019
Table D3. Global crude oil and condensate production (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
22.12.2019
Table D4. Global natural gas liquids production (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
22.12.2019
Year Iraq China United Arab Emirates Kuwait Brazil Nigeria Mexico
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
1965 1313,0 226,8 282,0 2371,0 96 274 362
1966 1392,0 291,8 360,0 2505,0 117 418 370
1967 1228 278 382 2522 147 319 411
1968 1503 320 498 2656 161 141 439
1969 1521 436 599 2819 176 540 461
1970 1549 615 762 3036 167 1084 487
1971 1694 790 1106 3253 175 1531 486
1972 1466 913 1300 3339 171 506
1973 2018 1075 1456 3080 174 2056 525
1974 1977 1301 1631 2603 181 2256 653
1975 2271 1545 1696 2132 178 1785 806
1976 2422 1743 1937 2199 173 2071 894
1977 2358 1878 1998 2024 167 2098 1085
1978 2574 2087 1829 2182 166 1897 1327
1979 3489 2129 1831 2623 172 2306 1607
1980 2658 2119 1745 1757 188 2059 2129
1981 907 2030 1540 1187 220 1440 2553
1982 988 2048 1375 862 268 1290 3001
1983 1106 2127 1296 1117 340 1236 2930
1984 1228 2292 1283 1229 473 1388 2942
1985 1425 2505 1260 1127 560 1499 2912
1986 1899 2621 1594 1210 591 1467 2758
1987 2391 2690 1603 1072 589 1353 2879
1988 2782 2741 1620 1286 573 1496 2877
1989 2838 2760 2024 1408 613 1775 2897
1990 2149 2774 2283 964 650 1870 2977
1991 285 2828 2639 185 643 1960 3126
1992 531 2841 2510 1077 652 2020 3120
1993 455 2888 2443 1945 664 2024 3132
1994 505 2930 2482 2085 693 1991 3142
1995 530 2989 2401 2130 718 1998 3065
1996 580 3170 2519 2129 807 2145 3277
1997 1166 3211 2620 2137 868 2316 3410
1998 2121 3212 2687 2232 1003 2167 3499
1999 2610 3213 2583 2085 1133 2066 3343
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Year Iraq China United Arab Emirates Kuwait Brazil Nigeria Mexico
(kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day) (kbbls/day)
2000 2614 3252 2620 2206 1268 2155 3450
2001 2523 3306 2551 2148 1337 2274 3560
2002 2116 3346 2390 1995 1499 2103 3585
2003 1344 3401 2695 2329 1555 2238 3789
2004 2030 3481 2847 2475 1542 2431 3824
2005 1833 3637 2983 2618 1716 2499 3760
2006 1999 3705 3149 2690 1809 2420 3683
2007 2143 3737 3053 2636 1833 2305 3471
2008 2428 3814 3113 2781 1887 2172 3165
2009 2446 3805 2795 2495 2019 2211 2978
2010 2469 4077 2937 2556 2125 2533 2959
2011 2773 4074 3303 2909 2173 2461 2940
2012 3079 4155 3440 3164 2132 2412 2911
2013 3103 4216 3577 3125 2096 2279 2875
2014 3239 4246 3603 3097 2341 2276 2784
2015 3986 4309 3898 3061 2525 2201 2587
2016 4423 3999 4038 3141 2591 1900 2456
2017 4533 3846 3910 3001 2721 1991 2224
2018 4614 3798 3942 3049 2683 2051 2068
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Table E1. Global total proved oil reserves (Billion tonnes) (Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019)
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Oil: Proved reserves New Oil: Daily Oil: Annual Global Net Inventory
Year Billion barrels Reserves Consumption Consumption Contribution
(Thousand million (Thousand (Thousand barrels
(Thousand barrels) (Thousand barrels)
barrels) barrels) daily)
1980 668 61177 22 329 610
1981 688 20 055 346 59309 21 647 638 -1 592 292
1982 717 29 780 489 57667 21 048 406 8 732 083
1983 728 10 901 050 57445 20 967 560 -10 066 510
1984 762 33 339 743 58728 21 435 694 11 904 050
1985 771 9 685 496 59090 21 568 005 -11 882 508
1986 878 106 665 813 60936 22 241 779 84 424 033
1987 910 32 045 828 62168 22 691 438 9 354 389
1988 999 89 022 377 63953 23 342 966 65 679 411
1989 1 006 7 393 313 65292 23 831 465 -16 438 152
1990 1 003 -3 176 502 66503 24 273 685 -27 450 187
1991 1 008 4 310 142 66656 24 329 280 -20 019 138
1992 1 013 5 783 341 67349 24 582 563 -18 799 222
1993 1 014 974 427 67125 24 500 680 -23 526 253
1994 1 019 5 178 866 68525 25 011 560 -19 832 694
1995 1 029 9 496 455 69861 25 499 377 -16 002 922
1996 1 051 21 611 409 71342 26 039 922 -4 428 514
1997 1 069 18 687 313 73477 26 819 166 -8 131 854
1998 1 070 297 256 74001 27 010 301 -26 713 045
1999 1 085 15 370 898 75726 27 639 941 -12 269 043
2000 1 105 19 942 427 76605 27 960 851 -8 018 423
2001 1 129 24 085 849 77304 28 215 858 -4 130 009
2002 1 190 60 656 341 78268 28 567 782 32 088 559
2003 1 203 13 528 059 79823 29 135 419 -15 607 361
2004 1 209 6 104 746 82827 30 231 938 -24 127 192
2005 1 220 10 384 424 84126 30 706 063 -20 321 639
2006 1 234 14 403 313 84958 31 009 788 -16 606 476
2007 1 254 19 467 556 86428 31 546 388 -12 078 831
2008 1 335 81 101 336 86619 31 615 935 49 485 401
2009 1 377 41 936 858 85780 31 309 700 10 627 158
2010 1 622 245 538 117 88730 32 386 450 213 151 667
2011 1 654 32 000 000 89 763 32 763 495 -763 495
2012 1 669 14 800 000 90 724 33 114 260 -18 314 260
2013 1 701 32 100 000 92 276 33 680 740 -1 580 740
2014 1 700 -1 000 000 93 194 34 015 810 -35 015 810
2015 1 698 -2 400 000 95 048 34 692 520 -37 092 520
2016 1 697 -500 000 96 737 35 309 005 -35 809 005
2017 1 697 -500 000 98 406 35 918 190 -36 418 190
2018 1 730 33 100 000 99 843 36 442 695 -3 342 695
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The following charts describe each of the major tight oil plays in the United States
Woodford (OK)
7,0
Austin Chalk (LA & TX)
(million barrels per day)
Jan 2016
Jan 2018
Jan 2000
Jul 2000
Jan 2001
Jan 2002
Jul 2002
Jan 2003
Jan 2004
Jan 2005
Jan 2006
Jan 2007
Jan 2008
Jan 2009
Jan 2010
Jan 2011
Jan 2012
Jan 2013
Jan 2014
Jan 2015
Jan 2017
Jan 2019
Jul 2001
Jul 2003
Jul 2004
Jul 2005
Jul 2006
Jul 2007
Jul 2008
Jul 2009
Jul 2010
Jul 2011
Jul 2012
Jul 2013
Jul 2014
Jul 2015
Jul 2016
Jul 2017
Jul 2018
Jul 2019
Figure F1. Oil production of the United States tight oil sector by Basin
(Source: EIA Tight Oil estimates, Shaleprofile.com)
Figure F2. Oil production of the United States tight oil sector by Basin
(Source: EIA Tight Oil estimates, Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F5. Permian Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F9. Eagle Ford Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F11. Annual decline of well production, Eagle Ford Basin Play
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F13. Bakken (Williston) Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F15. Annual decline of well production, Bakken (Williston) Basin Play
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F17. DJ Niobrara Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F21. Marcellus Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F24. Granite Wash Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F28. Barnett Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F33. Utica Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F36. Haynesville Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F39. Cana Woodford Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F42. Arkoma Woodford Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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Figure F44. Ardmore Woodford Basin Play geographical map by county in the United States
(Source: Shaleprofile.com)
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2. Healy, D., (2012 July): "Hydraulic Fracturing or 'Fracking': A Short Summary of Current Knowledge and Potential
Environmental Impacts"(PDF). Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen: 18–19. Retrieved 12
November 2015.
3. United Kingdom Government (2010):"The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010".
Retrieved 2016-08-28.
4. Scottosh Regulation (2012): "The Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations
2012". www.legislation.gov.uk. Queen's Printer for Scotland (QPS). Retrieved 1 April 2017.
5. European Commison (2006): "DIRECTIVE 2006/118/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 12
December 2006 on the protection of groundwater against pollution and deterioration". eur-lex.europa.eu. EUR-Lex -
32006L0118 - EN - EUR-Lex. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 18 October 2014. It is necessary to distinguish between
hazardous substances, inputs of which should be prevented, and other pollutants, inputs of which should be limited.
Annex VIII to Directive 2000/60/EC, listing the main pollutants relevant for the water environment, should be used to
identify hazardous and non-hazardous substances which present an existing or potential risk of pollution.
6. "Onshore oil and gas exploration in the UK: regulation and best practice" (PDF). DECC/BEIS. p. 46. Retrieved 13
April 2017. Operators will disclose the chemical additives of fracturing fluids on a well-by-well basis.
7. Mair, R., (2012 June): Shale gas extraction in the UK: A review of hydraulic fracturing (PDF) (Report). The Royal Society
and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
8. US Dept of Health and Human Services (2015 Aug). "Household Products Database". Health and Safety Information on
Household Products. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
9. GWPC & IOGCC (2015). "What chemicals are used in a hydraulic fracturing job". Chemical Disclosure Registry.
FracFocus. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
10. Kusnetz, N. (April 8, 2011). "Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground". ProPublica.
Retrieved July 11, 2011.
11. Chemicals Used in Hydraulic Fracturing (PDF) (Report). Committee on Energy and Commerce U.S. House of
Representatives. April 18, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2013.
12. "Natural Gas Development Activities and High‐volume Hydraulic Fracturing" (PDF). New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation. 30 September 2009. pp. 45–51.
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Table G1 (1 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table G1 (2 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table G1 (3 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table G1 (4 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table G1 (5 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table G1 (6 of 6). Compounds have been listed as additives for hydraulic fracturing in the United States
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Table H2. Approximate conversion factors (BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2019).