Saudi Oil: Far from Twilight

With the recent problems in the oil market, renewed attention has been focused on the theories of M. King Hubbert and a new generation of oil supply modelers, who believe that geological resources are scarce and a peak in global oil production is near. In fact, these analysts
The most recent controversy over Saudi oil has focused on assertions that the Saudis are experiencing insurmountable problems in their oil fields, that their reserves are overstated, and that their production is near a peak. A debate two years ago between Matthew Simmons and Nansen Saleri at the Center for Strategic and International Studies failed to quiet the alarmist voices, although again, the alarmists did not address the substantive issues that were raised. Colin Campbell, for his part, subsequently used some of the data provided by Saleri and ignored others (such as oil in place) and massaged some of the numbers to conclude that Saudi proved reserves data are actually original reserves