This report examines the methods for estimating the size of oil resources in a region, focusing in particular on the extrapolation of historical trends. It also summarises and evaluates the estimates that have been produced for size of global resources and assesses their implications for future oil supply.
This report forms part of the TPA’s assessment of evidence for near-term physical constraints on global oil supply. The assessment addresses the following question: 'What evidence is there to support the proposition that the global supply of ‘conventional oil’ will be constrained by physical depletion before 2030?'