The map above shows the top producers of crude oil and NGPL (Natural Gas Plant Liquids). Only countries where total oil production exceeding one million barrels per day in 2004 are listed/displayed. (Data provided by the EIA)
To take a closer look at a region or country simply click and drag over the area of interest or select the location from the drop-down list.
Many more countries are oil and gas producers, in fact a total of over one hundred are officially classified as oil or gas producing nations. The Oil and Gas industry truly is a global business and where the demand for its products continues to grow as the world economy expands.
World Crude Oil Production, 1973-2004 Million Barrels per Day
The oil industry operates on the petroleum market. Petroleum is vital to nearly all other industries, if not industrialized civilization itself, and thus is critical concern to many nations.Oil accounts for a large percentage of the world’s energy consumption, ranging from a low of 32% for Europe and Asia, up to a high of 53% for the Middle East. Other geographic regions’ consumption patterns are as follows: South and Central America (44%), Africa (41%), and North America (40%). The world at large consumes 30 billion barre ls (4.8 km³) of oil per year, and the top oil consumers largely consist of developed nations. In fact, 24% of the oil consumed in 2004 went to the United States alone.
Infrastructure
The petroleum industry can be divided into two broad groups: upstream producers (exploration, development and production of crude oil or natural gas)and downstream transporters (tanker, Pipeline transport), refiners, retailers, and consumers. Oil companies are generally categorized as "supermajors" (BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Shell and Total S.A.), "majors," and "independents" or "jobbers." Most upstream work in the oil field or on an oil well is contracted out to drilling contractors and oil field service companies.
Environmental effect and future shortages
As petroleum is a non-renewable natural resource the industry is faced with an inevitable eventual depletion of the world's oil supply. The BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2001 predicted the reserve/production ratio for proven stores world wide. The study placed the prospective life span of reserves in the Middle East at 88 years, Latin America at 37 years and North America at only 16 years. Oil exploration alone will not prevent future shortages of the resource. Resource economists argue that oil prices will rise as demand increases relative to supply, and that this will spur further exploration and development.However, this process will not increase the amount of oil in the ground, but will rather temporarily prolong production as higher prices to make it economical to extract oil that was previously not economically recoverable. The Hubbert peak theory, also known as peak oil, is an influential theory concerning the long-term rate of conventional oil production and depletion. Oil is a Fossil fuel. Burnt fossil fuels release Carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth's atmosphere and thus contribute to Global warming.
