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Below you will find some interesting information on oil, gas and ocean environment. Click on the links provided to go directly to the source of information.

What is the future of oil production?
EIA estimates that, based on recent USGS estimates of the global oil resource base, worldwide oil production is likely to continue increasing for more than three decades.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/
presentations/2000/long_term_supply/sld020.htm

How much oil is there in the world?
In 1996 there were 1,047,200 million barrels of proven crude oil reserves, of which 76.6 per cent was in OPEC Member Countries.
(from OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin: 1996).
http://www.opec.org/faqs.htm

How much oil do the top oil producers produce a day?
Amount of oil produced per day:

• Saudi Arabia* - 8.1 million barrels per day;
  *Including share of production from the Neutral Zone
• Former Soviet Union - 6.9 million barrels per day;
• United States - 6.5 million barrels per day;
• I.R. Iran - 3.6 million barrels per day;
• China - 3.2 million barrels per day.

(from OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin: 1996).
http://www.opec.org/faqs.htm

Which countries use the most oil and gas?
The top oil user is the USA (17 million barrels per day) and top gas user is the former Soviet Union (23,000 billion cubic feet per year)
http://www.lib.kth.se/~lg/envsite.htm

How much oil does the world consume each day?
The total world consumption of crude oil in 1996 was 71.7 million barrels per day (there are 42 US gallons in a barrel, or 159 litres). OPEC estimates that total world oil consumption could reach around 100 million barrels per day by the year 2020.
(From OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin: 1996, OWEM Scenarios Report: 1998.)
http://www.opec.org/faqs.htm

How much oil enters the ocean?
The amount of petroleum products ending up in the ocean is estimated at 0.25% of world oil production: about 6 million tons per year.
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/
OCDST/shuttle_oceanography_web/oss_122.html

How much oil enters the oceans with oil spills?
Oil spills account for only about five percent of the oil entering the oceans. The Coast Guard estimates that for United States waters sewage treatment plants discharge twice as much oil each year as tanker spills.
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/
education_threats.html
During the last decade, more than one billion gallons of oil spilled worldwide.
http://www.marinergroup.com, see also http://www.marinergroup.com/oil-spill-history.htm

What is 'the number one' oil spill in terms of damage to the environment?
The Exxon Valdez spill is widely considered the number one spill worldwide in terms of damage to the environment. It is also the largest ever spill in the United States, but ranks around 34th largest worldwide.
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/history/history.htm

What are the world largest oil spills?
The three world largest oil spills are:

1. 26 January 1991; terminals, tankers; 8 sources total Sea Island installations; Kuwait; off coast in Persian Gulf and in Saudi Arabia (240.0 millions of gallons);
   
2. 03 June 1979; exploratory well Ixtoc I well; Mexico; Gulf of Mexico, Bahia Del Campeche, 80 km NW of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche (140.0 millions of gallons);
   
3. 02 March 1992; oil well; Uzbekistan; Fergana Valley (88.0 millions of gallons)

(from International Oil Spill Statistics: 1997)
http://www.cutter.com/osir/biglist.htm

How much oil was spilled during the Exxon Valdez?
The amount of spilled oil was 10.8 million gallons or 257,000 barrels or 38,800 metric tonnes. This amount of oil can fill up about 125 olympic-sized swimming pools.
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/history/history.htm

What are the most polluted ocean areas detected from space?
Widespread manmade pollution of the sea that can be detected by current spaceborne systems is concentrated in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/CAMPAIGN_DOCS/OCDST/
shuttle_oceanography_web/oss_122.html

What are the largest world oil ultimate recovery estimates?
The largest world oil ultimate recovery estimates are the newly released USGS estimates. The USGS 95 percent probable value is 2,248 billion barrels (meaning there is a 19 out of 20 chance that the value will be greater than 2,248 billion barrels). Similarly, the USGS says there is a 5 percent probability (1 chance out of 20) that the value will exceed 3,896 billion barrels. The USGS mean estimate (the expected value) is 3,003 billion barrels.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/
presentations/2000/long_term_supply/sld020.htm

Which countries have the world's largest proven crude oil reserves?
Countries that have the world's largest proven crude oil reserves are (1996):

• Saudi Arabia (261,444 millions of barrels);
• Iraq (112,000 millions of barrels);
• United Arab Emirates (97,800 millions of barrels);
• Kuwait (96,500 millions of barrels);
• IR Iran (92,600 millions of barrels).

(From OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin: 1996).
http://www.opec.org/faqs.htm

What is the role of oil and natural gas in the economy of different countries?
Oil supplies the US with 30% of its energy, 50% for the UK, 10% for Japan, 22% for India and 90% for Nigeria
Natural gas supplies the US with 26% of its energy, 18% for the UK, 4% for India and 3% for Japan
http://www.lib.kth.se/~lg/envsite.htm

Will oil remain the most important source of energy?
Yes, OPEC forecasts that oil demand will continue to grow strongly and oil will remain the world's single most important source of energy for the foreseeable future. OPEC forecasts that oil's share of the worldwide energy market will fall from almost 40 per cent in 1995 to less than 37 per cent in 2020. But oil will still be the world's single largest source of energy. The reduction in oil's market share is largely due to the stronger growth enjoyed by other forms of energy, particularly gas. The amount of oil demanded worldwide is actually expected to rise, from around 70 million barrels per day in 1995 to about 100 million barrels per day in 2020.
http://www.opec.org/faqs.htm

What is the role of coastal areas for the US and world economy?
Although coastal areas comprise one-fifth of the land area of the contiguous 48 states, they account for more than a half of the nation's population and housing supply. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that America's coastal waters support 28.3 million jobs and generate $54 billion in goods and services every year. Over 180 million Americans visit US coasts every year. The commercial fish and shellfish industry contributes $45 billion to the economy every year, and recreational fishing contributes $30 billion.
http://www.coastalcoalition.org/facts/coastalregions.html

Within thirty years a billion more people will be living along the coasts than are alive today.
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/
education_threats.html

What are the US States with the longest coastline?
US States with the longest coastline are:

• Alaska (33,904 miles);
• Florida (8,436 miles); and
• Louisiana (7,721 miles).

What are the US States with the largest population?
Coastal states with the largest population are:

• California (21,859,530);
• New York (15,026,340); and
• Florida (12,356,550).

(Statistics compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
http://www.coastalcoalition.org/facts/statistics/stats.cstate.html

How deep is the ocean?
The depth of the ocean is remarkably variable, from the surf zones at the world's beaches to the deep ocean trenches. The deepest point in the ocean is generally believed to be in the Marianas Trench in the Western Pacific Ocean at approximately 36,160 feet [11,021 m], according to the Rand McNally Atlas of the Oceans (1977).
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-oceanfaq.html

Where is the Exxon Valdez now?
The Exxon Valdez was repaired and renamed the Sea River Mediterranean. It is used now to haul oil across the Atlantic. The ship is prohibited by law from returning to Prince William Sound.
http://www.oilspill.state.ak.us/history/history.htm

"Sponges grow in the ocean. I wonder how much deeper
the ocean would be if that didn't happen."
Steven Wright