by AirlinePilot » Sat 18 Feb 2006, 13:27:55
rockdoc,
There you go with that unbridled optimism again, I think your squarely in the cornucopian camp!

Seriuosly, I don't quite see where this article is anything new.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rockdoc123', 'T')he fact that discovery rates on average are lower is mainly due to the fact that the supergiants and megagiants were discovered in the sixties...it skews the stats.
Interesting though that the fact remains we still have not found any really "big" oil for quite a while now. So the stats are skewed, won't they be even worse of as we go forward and NOT find any big oil? Won't they get worse as the finds shrink each year? I think that IS the big story here.
Rushworth is a cornucopian too, I see the following as plainly "feelgood" optimism on her part.
Whitewashing recovery rates and relying on increased reserves is great, but I will breathe easier when another 2 or 3 ghawars, Cantarells, or Samatlors are discovered.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')Does this mean the gauge on the global tank is heading toward empty?
Rushworth doesn't think so.
"We're very good at finding oil," she noted, "and we're getting better at increasing recovery rates in fields. We have data that shows more resources have been located in place since 1995 than found in the last 10 years."
Pre-1995 world liquids resources growth was 457 billion barrels. Discoveries since 1994 tallied 144 billion barrels, which replaced 61 percent of consumption, according to Stark. He noted field growth, mostly in giant historic fields, and increased recoveries in Canadian and Venezuelan oil sands added between 175 and 190 billion barrels of liquids.
Since 1994, giant fields represent only two percent of the discoveries -- but almost half of the resources added.
"Over the past decade, by new information, classic technology and field growth, the combination of new discoveries -- which is less than consumption -- plus the addition of reserves to older fields, by whatever means, greatly exceeds consumption," Stark noted"
Sounds to me like not so rosy a picture, more a spin on the fact that the reality is we are basing optimism on resources which are not proved, similar to what is going on in Kuwait and possibly even Saudi Arabia.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')Based on the combination of field discoveries and changes to reserves estimates in historic fields, Stark expressed confidence there is plenty of liquids production capacity growth coming in over the balance of this decade and early into the next decade"