Tuesday, November 09, 2004

More "official" word on peak oil

The public concern about peak oil production is spreading to one of the world's leading oil companies, BP (formerly British Petroleum). A senior executive at BP, Francis Harper, believes that estimates provided by the United States Geological Survey's World Petroleum Assessment are too optimistic. (See my story on peak oil for details on the debate.)

Harper's estimates imply a peak within the next decade. While BP publishes the respected Statistical Review of World Energy each year, the company makes no official forecasts. So, strictly speaking, Harper is speaking for himself. But, it is notable that someone this deeply embedded in a major international oil company is now sounding the alarm on peak oil production.

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