[eclipse]

I was nagging away in another science forum about peak oil and suddenly this dude said "But we've only explored about 10% of the world anyway!"

Yeah right. I had already put up the "Growing gap" discovery v consumption graph. I don't believe his 10% claim for one moment.

But is there any world map that illustrates exactly where has been thoroughly explored, seismically tested, surveyed, etc?
Or a continent by continent map?

Cheers

[Loki]

Whoops, sorry, I misunderstood. You might want to specify that you're talking about OIL exploration.

[eclipse]

Yeah, that's right, the continents that have been explored and surveyed for oil.

Anyone here anything about gravimetric sensors that can detect oil from planes? What about satellites? If they had these doovers on satellites, then surely the whole planet has been thoroughly explored?

[steam_cannon]

The first link I came across with a cool looking graphic.
"50% of the world's petroleum reserves - cluster within 27 regions, or about 30%" http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/proje ... fields.htm
<-- Cool looking graphic.

It's true that there is a lot of under the sea that is unexplored, however oil accumulation happens in the locations which have been pretty well explored, hence why companies have stopped making big oil discoveries...

[eclipse]

Thank you both, I'll read more when rush hour is over and the kids are in bed.

[Plantagenet]

Don't forget potential oil reserves in the oceans. Thats where most of whatever new oil provinces and supergiant fields that are there to be found are hiding. The Nigerian Delta concession area and the deep offshore in the Gulf of Mexico have both recently yielded up some new big fields.

The Arctic Ocean remains largely unexplored, as does the Antarctic Ocean.

[eclipse]

I have not found anything above that certifies what percentage of the world has already been explored, so I'm back to arguing that 54/65 most significant oil producing nations have already peaked and oil companies always try and find the best oil fields first, and they've had over 100 years to do this... the last 40 years with increasingly fantastic technology but decreasing results.

[eclipse]

That's what I thought — but do you have a source for that? Some credible quote?

Also, what about deep-ocean fields? How do they even explore for that?

[peripato]

In this article, Dr. Ali Bakhtiari discusses the potential for new oil and gas frontiers. Some excerpts;

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '.')..in its four-yearly Olympiad known as the 'World Petroleum Congress' [WPC], the oil industry used to have a major panel session dedicated to highlighting and reviewing the latest developments in such frontier areas.

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 't')he entire planet has been surveyed, most recently by satellite photography. Anticlines are apparent from space and oil regions are known.

[eclipse]

Thank you, that's a very interesting reply.

I'm still getting the general vibe — for a layperson such as myself anyway — from what you are saying that we really have found all the low hanging fruit that was easy to find. That there might be 1 or 2 low hanging apples left, just hidden behind an unusual "bough" around the next tree, basically only confirms that the majority of the "orchard" has already been searched.

So, if it's down to seismic stuff now, that must make deep sea testing quite challenging? Do they have to lower sensors to the sea floor before they set of charges? Mind blowing stuff.

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')hat there might be 1 or 2 low hanging apples left, just hidden behind an unusual "bough" around the next tree, basically only confirms that the majority of the "orchard" has already been searched.

[eclipse]

I get the impression you actually work in the industry?
If so, what's the vibe? Where are your colleagues on this topic... how aware are they even of the "Growing gap" chart, etc?

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'Y')ou seem to have confidence in missed oportunities and expensive technologies that are always 'just around the corner.'

the 'ladder' is a metaphor for new exciting technologies that seem to be constantly in development or in the prototype stage.

[rockdoc123]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hat have these exploration and production tools actually delivered other than promises?

[Plantagenet]

Hi Rocdoc:

Do you think there is any hope for methane hydrates as a major fuel source?

When do you think that might come on line?