Minnesota: Legislators will hear from oil expert

With oil prices around $100 per barrel and some predictions gasoline soon will cost $4 a gallon, an expert will appear before a joint legislative committee to share his opinions on peak oil demands.

Matthew R. Simmons, who served as an energy advisor to President Bush, is a prominent oil-industry figure and one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of peak oil.


Simmons is scheduled to appear at a joint Minnesota House and Senate Energy Committee meeting February 4 at the State Office Building in St. Paul.

Peak oil refers to the point at which world oil production reaches its plateau before declining as depletion of the world’s reserves offsets ever-increased drilling.

Some experts contend there is a much greater supply than people are led to believe, while others argue the world has already reached the peak oil threshold. There also is a belief that with improving technology, it’s possible to drill much deeper, allowing access to many oil wells that were unavailable just a couple decades ago.

Alexandria Echo Press