Science · 2004 · 93 citations · 1 references
Cry WolfEngineeringOil DoomstersOil EraPetroleum ReservoirPetroleum ChemistryPetroleum ProductionFossil FuelPetroleum Refining ProcessPetroleum EngineeringUnconventional OilPetroleum GeologyGeographyGeologyTight OilPetroleum AgeTechnologyStructural GeologyEnergy TransitionEconomic GeologyUnconventional ResourceHydrocarbon ReservesPetroleum GeochemistryPetroleum RefiningPetrology
A new tide of oil doomsters is once again heralding the end of the Oil Era. The so-called Hubbert model, which they use, considers geology a faith more than a dynamic science influenced by many factors. Hydrocarbon reserves are finite--of this there is no doubt. And yet, contrary to the Hubbertians9 claims, no one knows just how finite they are. More than geology, technology and economics dominate the evolution of reserves. The problem with the oil doomsters9 thesis, according to the policy forum by Maugeri, is that geology is not destiny, but rather only a part of a much more complex picture that does not indicate the world is running out of oil.
1