will oil run out in 50 years time?
474948
Well, it won't run out completely, but it is projected that demand will outpace production within that time frame.  This is based on Hubbert's Curve and if you're interested, try researching Peak Oil.  Regardless, when demand outpaces consumption, expect the price of gasoline, and anything else associated with petroleum, to increase in price drastically.
299625
This country needs to start becoming more self sufficient when it comes to oil supplies.  We have vast oil reserves both in Anwar and other places in the USA.  Sooner or later we must lose our dependency on fossil fuels completely but until then we at least need to end our dependency our foreign oil.  We stopped drilling during the 70s because of concerns with the environment.  Our technology has advanced enough now that I am sure we could drill and refine oil with out destroying our country.
501040
I SAW A SPECIAL (I THINK IT WAS ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL) AND THEY SAID WE WOULD IN LESS THAN 100 YEARS.\nI KINDA BELIEVE IT BECAUSE IT CAN NOT LAST FOREVER AND IN THIS TIME AND DAY YOU KNOW WE USE WAY TO MUCH! WE ARE A GREEDY PEOPLE AND SOON WE WILL RUN OUT. BUT IT WONT BE LONG UNTIL THEY ALLOW OTHER COMPANIES TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GAS (LIKE GAS FROM CORN)!   ITS KINDA FUNNY HOW THEY HAVE HAD THAT IN THE WORKS ALONG TIME AGO BUT BECAUSE OF BIG OIL COMPANIES (WITH THEIR TIES WITH POLITICIANS...ESPECIALLY BUSH) THEY WONT ALLOW IT.HELL...THEY COULD HAVE MADE THE HYBRID ALONG TIME AGO OR JUST PLAIN ELECTRIC!   BUT THEN BIG BUSINESS WOULDNT BE ABLE TO SEND THEIR KIDS TO COLLEGE AND BUY THEIR MISTRESS'S NICE CARS AND FURS!\n\n\nBUT THE ANSWER IS YES...IN ABOUT 100 YEARS OR LESS!
1100733
How old will you be fifteen years from now? That's how long it'll take to build up a substantial, nuclear infrastructure if all the global developers start today. China currently expands its conventional oil industry at a breakneck pace and PTR sells at an attractive price. An interest in advancing nuclear technology benefits the world's future, but old fashioned, bubbling crude remains king for our lifetime.  A small investment in WGII might reasonably satisfy a need to buy into science fancy, but focusing on oil puts the stock holder in the same position as the oil companies who get accused of making money hand over fist--why not you?
565652
In school they teach that decaying matter over millions of years turns into oil.  \nThere probably isn't infinite amounts, but there is tons of it.  I honestly don't think we could ever run out.  The problem is getting to it.  We can't drill anywhere without ticking a bunch of people off, so it can be hard to actually obtain it.
365479
At some point (are we already there?) we will hit what is called peak oil, meaning we will pump more oil that year than was ever pumped or will ever be again.  Then, unfortunately, things will get scary as we are compteting with India and China for oil.  What happens if China makes a move on the oil fields in the middle east?  Are we going to go to war for it?  This doesn't have to come about if our government actually plans for this by funding research into alternative fuel sources.  We can't wait for government, though.  We can change the way we live - enough with the SUVs, turn your heat down, ride (God forbid, if you're an American!) your bike to the store, ect.  Small changes can actually add up if we all do it...or even if 10% of us do.  The key is starting now...not when its already a crisis.
358134
Although there's a lot of oil left in the world, and we agree that there's roughly 900 to 1,000 gigabarrels of oil left in the world, you need to put that in context. Up until the Carter years, every decade, we used as much oil as had been used in all of previous history. Now, with exponential growth, if you're at about a 7 percent growth rate, and we were using oil at about 7 percent more per year, the world was, that explains how we got on that curve. Now, the fact that we have about half of all the oil that was ever in the world still there, doesn't mean that the next 50 years, 100 years are going to be like the last 50 years, 100 years, because the world is now demanding a whole lot more oil. Last year, China increased their use probably 25 percent. In less than three years, that doubles their use of oil. They probably won't continue on that growth path, but India's increasing. China's now the No. 2 importer in the world. What are the consequences of this? Boy, economic and geopolitical. When the world recognizes that there's only so much oil that can be produced, and we need more oil -- by the way, if our economy doesn't grow at least 2 percent a year, we can't service our debt. And if we don't think the economy's growing at 2 percent a year, the stock market starts tanking. You know, we have to get used to the fact that there is not going to be oil in the quantities there have been in the past available in the future, and we should have started a long time ago, 'cause we knew -- the world knew -- by at least 1980, that M. King Hubbert was right about our country. If he's right about the United States, why shouldn't he be right about the world? And we should have been doing some things that we've now blown 25 years, that we could have been doing some very meaningful things to prepare for this time when the world reaches its peak ability to produce oil. We didn't do those things then. We really need to start doing them now.
842740
On current estimates we have now reached the peak of oil production. That means that we will not be able to sustain the current levels of extraction for much longer. Established Oil fields such as Texas and North Sea (Brent) are now coming to the end of their life, with perhaps 20 years of oil remaining. New offshore developments especially offshore Brazil, offshore Nigeria and Java (Brunei & Malay) have longer, probably 60 years. Research is being heavily funded by the large oil companies to develop more advanced extraction methods (pumping down carbon dioxide or water) to release the remaining oil from older fields, which may extend the life of some of these reserves but by a range not exceeding 5% of the reserves remaining. New offshore and onshore fields are currently being sort, offshore Cyprus and regoins of the wider Middle East. I have an optimistic outlook to the reserves of oil. Many predict ranges of 40 to 100 years of current usage being sustainable. That, however, doesn't take into account the 'cusp' that we rest upon with regards to China and India's industrial revolution, which may tip the balance.
900566
Hey, how is it going? I'm not an specialist in oil research, but I had to do a report on the increment of city revenues - the main source it's a oil refinery.\nThere are two good websites: World Energy Outlook and the Energy Information Administration (EIA).\nThe reports on the EIA are much more comprehensive and have projections until 2030. There's also access to previous reports.\nI hope that information will help you!
322703
well they say in 2050 about 3% of species will die from the global warming, and about the same with plant species. probably gas will cost 20.00 a gallon lol. and more and more cars and trucks will not be running off of gas. which i hope actually will be true! and ill be 40 around that time wow!
871950
what about it? after millions of years it becomes oil...
12071
Depends on what type of fossil fuel you're talking about. According to the source below, which bases its figures off of the United States Department of Energy, here's what I've found:\n\nConventional oil: 90 years\nNatural gas: 42 years (craaaap)\nCoal: 93 years
980107
YES it is all about oil. It will not change unless there is a revolution or Revelation. Our children will continue to DIE to support the "status quo" failed petroleum policy of GWB and Company.\n\nRead the White House energy policy signed by Dick Cheney. Not much about getting out of the Oil Economy here:\nhttp://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/summaries.pdf
428048
I heard on the discovery channle not to long ago that if we keep using oil at the pace we are.. we'll run out in about 20-25 years.\n\nThat is if they don't find anymore oil to put wells on
193951
Oil officials 10, 20, 30, and 40 years ago said AT THAT TIME that we were going to use up what was known to be total global "proven oil reserves." We keep finding more total oil reserves every few years than was thought to exist worldwide a few years previous - kind of funny logic, isn't it? If we keep finding more oil that exceeded known reserves just a few years back, then what are we so concerned about? Interestingly enough, at the same time we keep finding more proven oil reserves, people keep screaming more and more that we are running out of oil - who is right? History says we can keep finding oil, so maybe there is a regenerative process unknown to the scientific community - they can't possibly know everything about everything. \n\nOnly one thing is certain in SCIENCE: it IS ALWAYS CHANGING. Geologists have been getting better year after year at locating oil reserves, and yet so little is known about oil reserves other than location. What is understood to be fact now will be ridiculed in the future by new theories - which have already happened. They thought we couldn't use most crude oil in the early 20th century because nobody knew about cracking or synthesis of crude products, so they just dumped unusable crude products that were not immediately usable as gasoline or diesel. We have come very far since that time in chemistry alone. \n\nIsn't it interesting that what is vaguely understood by a few scientists is continuously spouted as "truth" by those who know far less. SCIENTIFIC FACT IS CHANGEABLE, meaning it can be tested, and if a different result occurs, then the theory changes, resetting what is known as "fact." Oil may be replenishable, and may not necessarily only come from prehistoric plants and animals as current thought suggests. You raise an interesting argument about oil resources, and only the future will let us know for sure - but there will be a definitive answer. Now, who is ready for the truth?
1107645
Quite simply NO that is not true.  There is plenty of oil and gas left.  Enough to last your lifetime and probably most of your kids lifetime.  However, the rate at which countries like China and India and other emerging economies are growing there is going to a strain on current levels of production.  This is why there is a huge amount of activity in the exploration and drilling sector right now, we see this future demand and are working to compensate.  However there are countries like the USA and Britian that consume much more than they produce, and the majority of their fields are depleted or on the down hill slope.  This is why they must forge alliances, you didn't think they fight these wars just in the name of freedom, but that's another question.  This is also why Bush has given the go ahead to drill in Alaska.  We know where almost all the oil and gas is, now it's just a matter of getting it out of the ground.  But we don't want to flood the market, because then everyone will think they can use as much as they want.  Then there is the politics, pipelines,environment,etc.  It's a delicate balance.  Any way, Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of hydrocarbons and still has the largest reserves.  Canada has the second largest reserves, but it is hard to produce because it is mostly tar sands.  Iran is third(friendly with China), Kuwait is fourth, Iraq is fifth(soon to be friendly with USA) others among top ten Nigeria, Venesuala, and others I remember off the top of my head.  In the future alternative fuels will have to be researched and put into common use.  Some of these we see already, such as hybrid cars, fuel cells, corn oil,processed fish fat can burn in diesel engines.  Nuclear fuel will be used for everyday power, solar power is not practical, takes up to much room, wind power is only practical on a small scale, and they need to be where it's windy, and since you lose power when it travels down lines, only windy places can utilize wind turbines.  My personal favorite is hyrogen power.  Although to volitile with current technology, it is abundant, powerful, and emission free.  By product is pure water.  All these will come to be as future governments covet what's left of the natural resources and we think about the environment a little more.  But there will be oil and gas to heat your homes and run your cars for many years to come.  So long as you got the money to fill the tank.
346998
The almighty dollar is more important now than what will happen in the future.\n\nIt's like the oil companies.  We'll be out of oil in 50-60 years, but right now, we can make money off of it, and we'll just let the younger generation take care of it.\n\nWell, I AM the younger generation.  About the time I retire, the world will have almost NO oil left.  That will be a catostrophic event.  Homes will go cold, tractors will not run, and no one will be able to get to work.  They need to fix this now.\n\nIt's the same with Global Warming.  Except it's a LITTLE further off...hopefully.\n\nI'm sorry for getting a little off topic.  I;'m using it as a point, and I hope everyone understands.  I'm not one of these crazy, neo-enviromentalists; I actually am interested in politics.  And all this has to do with politics.