Hirsch report

modifier

As a large number of predictions have been proposed, the National Energy Technology Laboratory published a useful summary of them, keeping only the most prominent, and set them in three groups, along with their prediction periods :

Peak predictions before 2010
Name Quality Date
Pickens, T. BooneOil & gas investor2005
Deffeyes, K.Retired professor & geologistDecember 2005
Westervelt, E.T. et al.US Army Corps of EngineersAt hand
Bakhtiari, S.Iranian National Oil Co. plannerNow
Herrera, R.Retired BP geologistClose or past
Groppe, H.Oil / gas expert & businessmanVery soon
Wrobel, S.Investment fund managerBy 2010
Bentley, R.University energy analystAround 2010
Campbell, C.Retired oil company geologist2010
Skrebowski, C.Editor of Petroleum Review2010 +/- a year










  • before 2010 :









Peak predictions between 2010 and 2020
Name Quality Date
Meling, L.M.Statoil oil company geologistaround 2011
Pang, X., et al.China University of PetroleumAround 2012
Koppelaar, R.H.E.M.Dutch oil analystAround 2012
Volvo TrucksWithin a decade
de Margerie, C.Oil company executiveWithin a decade
al Husseini, S.Retired Exec. VP of Saudi Aramco2015
Merrill LynchBrokerage / Fin.Around 2015
West, J.R.PFC Energy29 (Consultants)2015-2020
Maxwell, C.T.Weeden & Co.30 (Brokerage / Financial)Around 2020 or earlier
Wood MackenzieEnergy consultingTight balance by 2020
TotalFrench oil companyAround 2020






  • between 2010 and 2020 :














Peak predictions after 2020
Name Quality Date
UBSBrokerage / FinancialMid to late 2020s
CERAEnergy consultingWell after 2030
CERAEnergy consulting"Peak oil theory is garbage”
ExxonMobilOil companyNo sign of peaking
Browne, J.BP CEOImpossible to predict
OPECDeny peak oil theory
  • after 2020 :