A
Statement of Task
The National Research Council (NRC) will hold a workshop that will explore the question of global oil production and, in particular, estimates of when global oil production may peak. The workshop will include analysts who have recently published such forecasts, which range from the conclusion that global oil production may peak within the next decade or so to those that estimate sometime in the 2030-2050 time period. In addition, it will explore options for mitigating the possible serious economic implications of world oil production peaking, and will also identify possible topics for in-depth study that could help inform U.S. government policy. It is anticipated that the workshop will be about 2 days long. Individuals will be invited that have conducted analyses on global oil production, on future oil demand, on trends in the global energy market, as well as in regional energy markets, and that have expertise in energy policy. Participants will be sought from the private sector, from government agencies, and from universities, as appropriate. The workshop will be open to the public to help bring attention of the issue to a broad set of interested individuals. A summary of the workshop will be prepared in accordance with institutional guidelines.