The world could run out of oil in 20 years. This grim scenario is not the prediction of environmentalists, but of Michel Mallet, the general manager of French energy giant Total’s German operations. In an interview, Mallet calls for a radical reduction in gas consumption and a tax on aviation fuel.
Some statements from Mr. Mallet in a recent interview in Der Spiegel:
There are hardly any readily accessible oil fields anymore. The fields on the floor of the North Sea, for example, are practically empty. New reserves are only being found deep in the ocean, in remote regions of Kazakhstan or the form of oil sands. None of this is cheap to produce.
About 87 million barrels a day are produced worldwide. In the past, it was believed that this number could be increased to 130 million. I consider that illusion. Realistically, the capacity is less than 105 million barrels.
Read the full interview here: Der Spiegel Online