Data Bases

The following are the main sources of information:

  1. Petroconsultants in Geneva
  2. This company maintains the most authoritative database on production and reserves as well as important drilling statistics for the world outside the United States and Canada, but it is available only on subscription. It also publishes reports on future supply and depletion built on its database and unrivaled knowledge. It is extensively used by the oil companies who contribute their knowledge to it. Access is however costly reflecting the large investments involved, which puts it out of range for most individuals or scholars.

  3. The Oil and Gas Journal
  4. This journal has published for many years reserves and production by country normally in one of the last issues of the year. It is one of the most widely used sources of information, and particularly useful because of the long history of consistent reporting. As a trade journal it cannot however interpret the validity of the data provided to it.

  5. World Oil
  6. This journal likewise has published similar data over the years, usually in an August issue. In many cases, its numbers are the same as those in the Oil and Gas Journal, although there are also significant differences.

  7. BP
  8. This major oil company publishes the same type of data in its annual Statistical Review of World Energy, but the reserve data are simply reproduced from the Oil and Gas Journal and do not reflect the company's own assessment.

  9. US Geological Survey
  10. This government department publishes useful data at three year intervals at World Petroleum Congresses, but it is important to understand that it has its own reserve definitions that need to be decoded before the material can be used profitably.


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