| It has long been known by geologists that the world's | | | | maximum and then starts to decline. It can be |
| oil supply is finite. Oil is not a renewable resource and it | | | | diagrammed as a bell shaped curve with a peak at the |
| is found in relatively limited geological environments | | | | top. |
| around the world. This is the subject of Beyond Oil, | | | | Hubbert then turned his calculations on world oil |
| The View from Hubbert's Peak, by Kenneth S. | | | | production and supply. His methods worked the same |
| Deffeyes, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University | | | | way predicting the world oil supply as they did with the |
| published in 2005, (202 pages, hardcover, Hill & Wang). | | | | United States supply. Essentially, world oil production |
| In general oil is found in a zone called the oil horizon | | | | peaked early in the 21st century according to Hubbert. |
| located between 7,500 feet and 15,000 feet below the | | | | Professor Deffeyes worked with M. King Hubbert, and |
| surface in organic rich sedimentary formations. Deeper | | | | explains in detail the process that Hubbert used to |
| than that, the temperature of the rock is too hot for oil | | | | make these predictions. He discusses both oil and |
| molecules to stay together, and above that the | | | | natural gas and the implications of being on the |
| hydrocarbons are not heated enough to separate into | | | | downward side of Hubbert's Peak. While Hubbert used |
| crude oil. Sandstone, dolomite and limestone form | | | | some very complex mathematics in his initial |
| virtually all the host rock for oil production in the world | | | | calculations, Professor Deffeyes explains Hubbert's |
| and comprise only about 1% of the world's rock | | | | calculations using relatively simple mathematics. In fact, |
| formations. In addition, specific geologic structures are | | | | simple algebra forms the basis of his analysis and it is |
| required to trap the oil. According to Professor | | | | understandable to many with a basis in high school |
| Deffeyes, seven specific criteria are required for oil to | | | | mathematics. |
| be present in a particular location. Without any one of | | | | There is a lot of information and disinformation about |
| these criteria, oil is not present, period. | | | | renewable energy. This book discusses many of |
| While Saudi Arabia has the largest annual production | | | | today's energy sources and those of the foreseeable |
| of oil, the United States and Russia are second and | | | | future. It dispels many of the myths and disinformation |
| third place according to Deffeyes. Saudi Arabia has | | | | about energy so glibly passed around by a largely |
| 1,560 producing wells, Russia 41,192 wells and the | | | | uninformed public, self serving political leaders and a |
| United States has 521,070. The United States is one of | | | | media hungry for ratings. |
| the most drilled and explored places in the world. | | | | Because oil has played such a large part of the |
| Between 1901 and 2005, oil use and production | | | | world's economy, it is in everyone's best interest to |
| consistently increased, first in the United States and | | | | become informed about energy supplies and sources. |
| then in the world. In 1956, M. King Hubbert, American | | | | Energy fuels such as coal, geothermal, uranium and |
| geologist and geophysicist, predicted the United States | | | | many of the so-called alternative energy sources all |
| oil production would peak and then start to decline by | | | | will be impacted by the declining amount of oil available |
| the early 1970s. When his predictions came true, | | | | on the downward side of the peak oil curve. This book |
| Hubbert became an instant folk hero among energy | | | | is a must read for anyone interested in learning more |
| conservationists. This became known as Peak Oil or | | | | than the common platitudes about energy and, in |
| the point when annual production of oil reaches a | | | | particular, oil. |