Presented in this publication are the results of a major study of the petroleum resources of the world as analyzed by Total Petroleum Systems. The distribution and volumes of resources available in these systems are critically important for the future of the world's economies. Geologic insights gained from studying these 149 systems and their constituent assessment units in 128 provinces and 96 countries, exclusive of the United States, allow a new look at petroleum accumulations and the rocks that are intimately associated with them.
Assesses conventional known and prospective recoverable world crude oil resources by describing and analyzing giant (500 million barrels or more) oil fields. The report lists 272 known giant oil fields containing 76.7 percent of the 1011.5 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil resources as of 1975. The 33 known super-giant (5 billion barrels or more) fields contain more than half of the total. The number of giant fields discovered has been at a high plateau since the early 1960s. The amount discovered in giant fields has dropped sharply during this same period because of a precipitous decline in the number of super-giant discoveries. Ultimate conventional world oil resources are estimated to be between 1700 and 2300 billion barrels. Because few super-giants are likely to be discovered and the discovery rate of other giant fields will soon decline, most future additions will come from additional recovery from known fields, not new discoveries.
Changing the geopolitics of oil, China and India are expanding their navies as they become dependent on lines of oil tankers from the Middle East, posing the beginning of a challenge to American hegemony in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. The shortage of oil sets the stage for the coming oil wars of the 21st century.
This book describes and analyzes the geological basis for the current world petroleum situation. It explains the formation and accumulation of conventional and unconventional oil and gas and the methods used by geologists in the search for petroleum and petroleum-containing basins.
This concise, accessible introduction to the history of oil tells the story of how petroleum has shaped human life since it was first discovered oozing inconspicuously from the soil. For a century, human dependence on petroleum caused little discomfort as we enjoyed the heyday of cheap crude—a glorious episode of energy gluttony that was destined to end. Today, we see the disastrous results in environmental degradation, political instability, and world economic disparity in the waning years of a petroleum-powered civilization—lessons rooted in the finite nature of oil. Considering the nature of oil itself as well as humans’ remarkable relationship with it, Brian C. Black spotlights our modern conundrum and then explores the challenges of our future without oil. It is this essential context, he argues, that will prepare us for our energy transition. Bringing his global perspective and wide-ranging technical knowledge, Black has written an essential contribution to environmental history and the rapidly emerging field of energy history in this sweeping, forward-looking survey.
Unconventional Petroleum Geology, Second Edition presents the latest research results of global conventional and unconventional petroleum exploration and production. The first part covers the basics of unconventional petroleum geology, its introduction, concept of unconventional petroleum geology, unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and the origin and distribution of unconventional oil and gas. The second part is focused on unconventional petroleum development technologies, including a series of technologies on resource assessment, lab analysis, geophysical interpretation, and drilling and completion. The third and final section features case studies of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, including tight oil and gas, shale oil and gas, coal bed methane, heavy oil, gas hydrates, and oil and gas in volcanic and metamorphic rocks. - Provides an up-to-date, systematic, and comprehensive overview of all unconventional hydrocarbons - Reorganizes and updates more than half of the first edition content, including four new chapters - Includes a glossary on unconventional petroleum types, including tight-sandstone oil and gas, coal-bed gas, shale gas, oil and gas in fissure-cave-type carbonate rocks, in volcanic reservoirs, and in metamorphic rocks, heavy crude oil and natural bitumen, and gas hydrates - Presents new theories, new methods, new technologies, and new management methods, helping to meet the demands of technology development and production requirements in unconventional plays
Explaining—and solving—the oil curse in the developing world Countries that are rich in petroleum have less democracy, less economic stability, and more frequent civil wars than countries without oil. What explains this oil curse? And can it be fixed? In this groundbreaking analysis, Michael L. Ross looks at how developing nations are shaped by their mineral wealth—and how they can turn oil from a curse into a blessing. Ross traces the oil curse to the upheaval of the 1970s, when oil prices soared and governments across the developing world seized control of their countries' oil industries. Before nationalization, the oil-rich countries looked much like the rest of the world; today, they are 50 percent more likely to be ruled by autocrats—and twice as likely to descend into civil war—than countries without oil. The Oil Curse shows why oil wealth typically creates less economic growth than it should; why it produces jobs for men but not women; and why it creates more problems in poor states than in rich ones. It also warns that the global thirst for petroleum is causing companies to drill in increasingly poor nations, which could further spread the oil curse. This landmark book explains why good geology often leads to bad governance, and how this can be changed.
"This thought-provoking book examines how countries manage their offshore petroleum resources by comparing the different approaches to licensing and regulation taken by Australia, Norway and the UK. It is based on extensive research into their policies and management practices, including interviews with government regulators and companies. These countries all face similar challenges as their offshore petroleum basins mature which means smaller discoveries, marginal production and ageing infrastructure. John Chandler analyses how their petroleum policy, systems of regulation, and regulators developed up to the present, and how they are responding to these challenges, as well as how they deal with exploration, development, infrastructure sharing and production."
The oil price shocks of the mid-1980s and their aftermath created radical changes in the petroleum industry, and underlined the need for reliable information on petroleum resources. Integration between the disciplines of petroleum geology, exploration geophysics, reservoir/petroleum engineering and economics became a necessity for resource management and strategic planning. This volume is designed to bring together some of the best techniques evolved to meet these challenges. The very broad scope of the volume, ranging from the macro (global) to micro (field and prospect) level, provides an overview of the thought processes currently prevalent in the industry and academia on the subject of resource quantification and prediction.This is one of the first books to cover the extensive assembly of hydrocarbon quantification and prediction techniques - of value to petroleum industry management, geoscientists, engineers and economists. Containing hundreds of illustrations, some in colour, the book is arranged in 26 chapters with a detailed subject index. Many service companies and university departments with links to the industry will also find much to interest them.
