Thoughts on The First Day From Roger Bentley

Some thoughts on ASPO-5:

Dr. Ugo Bardi and his colleagues have done an excellent job in organizing the 5th ASPO conference. As previously, we have presentations from some of the world's most knowledgeable people on the topic.

As I have recently come to realize, oil peaking is counter-intuitive. In my view, it is this - rather than more sinister explanations - that is the primary reason for the topic not being better understood. Oil peaking in a region occurs when the region still has large reserves in the ground, when technology is expected to raise the recovery factor of these reserves, when new fields are still being discovered, and when more oil is known almost certainly to await discovery.

Thus the lack of attendance, one again, at an ASPO meeting of a significant number of representatives from mainstream energy organizations reflects the fact that oil peaking is not obvious; the concept has to be explained and thought about before it becomes understood.

In this regard, ASPO-5 is making a considerable contribution in explaining peaking, and in setting out the sort of hydrocarbon future we face.

Roger Bentley