The Resources of the Earth - Thanatia: The Destiny of the Earth's Mineral Resources - page 151

Oil accounts for 34% of the world's energy consumption, while natural gas for
about 24%. World proved reserves of oil and gas are much smaller than those of coal.
At the end of 2010, they were estimated at 188.8 Gt and 168.4 Gtoe, respectively,
considering the conversion factor given by BP (2011) (see Figs 6.7 and 6.9).

Distribution of proved oil reserves in the world

800000

MBarrels

752,530

700000

600000

500000

400000

300000

239,438

200000

139,661

100000

132,077

74,347

45,152

0

North America S. & Cent.

America

Europe & Eurasia Middle East Africa Asia Pacific

Fig. 6.7 Oil proved reserves at the end of 2010. Values in thousand millions of barrels. Elaborated
from data included in BP (2011)

Major oil suppliers are those countries of the Middle East. With the exception
of these and certain nations of South and Central America and Africa, the rest
of the world is a net importer of oil, even if some countries like the US produce
considerable amounts themselves (see Fig. 6.8). World oil consumption at the end
of 2010 was 4,028.1 Mt (BP, 2011).
Major natural gas consumers in the world are the Asian-Pacific countries, and
for the most part it has to be imported. The most prominent producers in the world
are the Russian Federation, followed by north America, Iran, Norway and Algeria
(see Fig. 6.10). Natural world gas consumption at the end of 2010 was 2,858.1 Mtoe
(BP, 2011).
In terms of exploration, the oil industry is relatively mature and the quantity
of additional reserves that remain to be discovered is unclear (IPCC, 2000). The
general and rather pessimistic belief concerning oil discoveries is that few new oil
fields are being discovered and that most of the increases in reserves result from
revisions of underestimated existing ones (Ivanhoe and Leckie, 1993; Laherrere,
1994; Campbell, 1997; Hatfield, 1997). But in fact, new discoveries are indeed
enlarging the reserves of many minerals. A recent case has been the discovery of
the Carioca oil well in the Santos Basin just lying off the coast of Brazil, which