The country has the largest oil reserves in the world. The main oil-producing countries of the world. World oil exports and imports

Oil is often called the black gold of modern times. Oil reserves are distributed extremely unevenly across countries. However, absolutely everyone needs this fuel today.

Oil is the No. 1 mineral

The word petroleum, which means oil in many languages, consists of two roots. One of them, "petra" is Latin, and is translated as "stone". The second, “oleum,” is Greek and translates as “oil.” Thus, literally oil is (that is, oil extracted from the earth).

It is known that oil was actively used in Ancient India (in construction), in Babylon (for embalming the bodies of the dead), in Ancient Greece (as fuel). Since the first decades of the twentieth century, it has become the main energy resource on the planet.

So what is oil? It is an oily liquid of natural origin, which consists of a combination of different hydrocarbons. The color of this substance can vary: from rich black to yellowish and even green. The smell of oil is specific and, as a rule, unpleasant, which is explained by its chemical composition.

Oil reserves are distributed very unevenly across countries. Basically, its largest deposits are confined to zones with a thick cover of sedimentary rocks.

The countries with the largest oil reserves (per capita) are Qatar, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Libya. By the way, if you recalculate the total oil reserves of Qatar in monetary terms, it turns out that for each citizen of this country there are about 6 billion dollars!

The use of oil in the modern world

Crude oil is practically never used. To obtain technically valuable products (gasoline, solvents, etc.), it must be processed in special plants.

In addition to the fact that oil is very valuable, it is also used for the production of plastics, various plasticizers and additives, dyes, and synthetic rubber.

Oil is a resource that has a number of benefits. Firstly, it has very high energy density. Secondly, oil is quite easily transported over long distances (this is done using pipelines or tankers - huge sea vessels). Thirdly, it can be used to produce a wide range of different products. All these aspects make oil one of the most sought-after commodities on the world market.

However, the reserves of this mineral are rapidly depleting. That is why some countries with significant oil reserves (in particular the United States) began to search (for oil shale, biofuels, and the like).

Features of modern oil production

Until about the mid-70s, oil was produced in the world at a frantic pace. So, if in 1970 about 2 billion tons of this energy resource were extracted from the bowels of the earth, then in 1973 - already 2.8 billion tons. In the early 1980s, global oil production decreased slightly.

Oil production on an industrial scale began in the mid-19th century. During all this time, over forty billion tons of this resource have been “pumped” out of the earth.

Leading countries in the world in terms of oil reserves

Now let's take a closer look at the geography of distribution of this valuable energy resource.

Oil reserves vary greatly across countries. Thus, some states are completely deprived of this wealth, while others are literally swimming in black gold. The top ten countries by total oil reserves are as follows (see table).

As for oil production volumes, the leaders here are the following countries:

1. Saudi Arabia.
2. Russia.
3. Iran.
4. China.

Taking into account two indicators - total oil reserves and annual oil production volumes, you can easily calculate how many years this energy resource will last for each country.

So, the least thing to worry about is Venezuela - it will have enough oil (at today's production rates) for another 235 years. But countries such as Russia, the USA, Canada, Qatar have something to think about. In particular, the United States of America will have enough oil reserves for only 11 years, Russia - for 22 years, Canada - for 26, Qatar - for 45.

Oil prices: expert forecasts

As of today, the price of one barrel of Brent is fixed at $64, WTI - $61.

Oil prices (like any other commodity on the world market) are determined based on the relationship between supply and demand for it. Today, supply for this energy resource still exceeds demand. In addition, pricing in this case is also influenced by other factors (let’s call them political). We are talking about military conflicts in Libya and Yemen, as well as the deployment of US shale projects.

Many economic experts predict that in the next two months oil prices will rise to $70, but after that the price of this resource will begin to fall again.

In the third quarter of 2015, as analysts predict, the price of oil may find its new bottom, reaching $50 per barrel.

Finally...

Oil is the most important energy resource of our time. The leading countries in terms of oil reserves (total) are Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq, and Mexico. However, scientists warn: at the current rate of oil production, this resource in most countries of the world will only last for 40-80 years. That is why some states have already begun to think about alternative energy sources.

Oil is a modern economic force, an indicator of the “health” of the entire world economic system. For the first time in the history of mankind, there did not appear a stronger and at the same time dependent on it natural tool/resource, wealth and power. The modern world is fighting for oil. Some countries are luckier - their territories are enriched with huge reserves of black gold, and some of them are creating reserves. Most of the world's reserves are found in the Middle East, the Gulf of Mexico and several other places around the globe, with individual countries benefiting from incredibly high concentrations of oil.

In 2008, the US government suggested that the world's total oil reserves reached 1.360 trillion barrels; net volume of oil fields. Extraction and export allow countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE to prosper economically and create prosperity and security for their societies.

According to the Energy Information Administration, this article lists the 10 countries with the largest proven oil reserves.

10. Nigeria

Proven oil reserves: 36.2 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 2.168 million barrels
Crude oil production: 2.165 million barrels
Power consumption: 286,000 barrels
Export to USA (2007): 1.13 million barrels

9. Libya

Proven oil reserves: 41.5 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 1.88 million barrels
Crude oil production: 1.74 million barrels
Power consumption: 273,000 barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 117,000 barrels

8. Russia

Proven oil reserves: 60 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 9.790 million barrels
Crude oil production: 9.36 million barrels
Power consumption: 2.9 million barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 414,000 barrels

7. Venezuela

Proven oil reserves: 87.030 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 2.640 million barrels
Crude oil production: 2.39 million barrels
Power consumption: 760,000 barrels
Export to USA (2007): 1.36 million barrels

6. United Arab Emirates

Proven oil reserves: 97.8 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 3.05 million barrels
Crude oil production: 2.68 million barrels
Power consumption: 463,000 barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 10,000 barrels

5. Kuwait

Proven oil reserves: 104 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 2.74 million barrels

Power consumption: 325,000 barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 181,000 barrels

4. Iraq

Proven oil reserves: 115 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 2.39 million barrels
Crude oil production: 2.38 million barrels
Power consumption: 638,000 barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 484,000 barrels

3. Iran

Proven oil reserves: 138.400 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 4.170 million barrels
Crude oil production: 4.050 million barrels
Power consumption: 1.8 million barrels
Export to USA (2007): 0

In the photo: Refinery and petrochemical complex, Mahshahr, Iran

2. Canada

Proven oil reserves: 178.590 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 3.350 million barrels
Crude oil production: 2.59 million barrels
Power consumption: 2.26 million barrels
Exports to USA (2007): 2.45 million barrels

1. Saudi Arabia

Proven oil reserves: 266.700 billion barrels

Daily indicators:
Total oil production: 10.7 million barrels
Crude oil production: 9.26 million barrels
Power consumption: 2.29 million barrels
Export to USA (2007): 1.49 million barrels

[:RU]Politicians and activists love to talk about renewable energy, but in today's world, fossil fuels are still king. Using British Petroleum's 2013 Statistical Review of World Energy Data, we counted the countries with the largest fossil fuel reserves - oil, coal and natural gas.

It is possible that some of the data may not be accurate enough, but the ranking still shows which countries control the majority of the Earth's energy reserves.

12.2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves

4.4 trillion cubic meters meters of proven natural gas reserves.

Algeria is Africa's largest producer of natural gas and second largest oil producer. Oil production has remained stagnant in recent years, while natural gas production has declined. In recent years, the Algerian parliament has introduced tax incentives to attract foreign companies, particularly in offshore exploration and shale gas production.

48 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.

1.53 trillion cubic meters meters of proven natural gas reserves.

Libya has the largest proven oil reserves and the fourth largest proven natural gas reserves in Africa. The civil war in 2011 significantly affected oil production and exports. Oil and natural gas account for about 96% of total government revenue.

5.7 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.

1.3 trillion cubic meters feet of proven natural gas reserves.

60.600 million tons of proven coal reserves

India is the world's fourth largest energy consumer, behind only the United States, China and Russia. India is currently unable to sustainably meet domestic energy demand, making energy resource protection a top priority for the Indian economy.

15. Kazakhstan

30 billion barrels of proven oil reserves

1.28 trillion cubic meters meters of proven natural gas reserves.

33.600 million tons of proven coal reserves.

Kazakhstan produces about 1.64 million barrels of oil per day. In recent years, production has continued to grow due to the development of the Tengiz, Karachaganak and Kashagan fields. Since Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, there has been an influx of foreign investment.

14. Nigeria

37.2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves

5.1 trillion cubic meters meters of proven natural gas reserves

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and the world's fourth largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. It also has the largest natural gas reserves in Africa.

13. Australia

3.9 billion barrels of proven oil reserves

3.7 trillion cubic meters meters of proven natural gas reserves

76400 million tons of proven coal reserves

Australia is rich in lucrative resources such as fossil fuels and uranium. Australia's political stability, as well as its proximity to Asia, makes it very attractive to foreign companies. Foreign investment will contribute to the development of energy infrastructure and create more efficient energy production.

12. Turkmenistan

10600000000 barrels of proven oil reserves.

17306800000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

Despite Turkmenistan's large natural gas reserves, its development has been limited due to insufficient pipeline infrastructure.

11. Kuwait

101500000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

1764000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

17300000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

3060000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

11.4500 million tons of proven coal reserves

The most populous country in the world and the fastest growing economy in the world. China is the world's largest energy consumer and producer. The country's natural gas production is growing, but coal remains China's main source of energy. China currently accounts for almost half of global coal consumption.

9. United Arab Emirates

97800000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

6000000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

The United Arab Emirates currently produces an average of 2.8 million barrels of crude oil per day. The UAE is making progress in diversifying its economy into tourism and manufacturing, but the energy sector still dominates the economy.

23900000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

24800000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

Qatar has prospered in recent years thanks to its reliable energy sector. As the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and the world's fourth largest supplier of dry natural gas, Qatar earned $55 billion from oil exports in 2012, or about 60% of the state's total revenue.

150000000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

3550000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

173900000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

1960000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

6582 million tons of proven coal reserves

Canada is one of the world's five largest energy producers. Canada is a major energy supplier to the United States.

35000000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

8400000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

237295 million tons of proven coal reserves

The United States is the world's second largest energy consumer. The country consumes 25% of the world's oil consumption, while producing only 6% of the world's annual oil supply.

4. Saudi Arabia

265900000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

8140000000000 cubic meters of natural gas

Saudi Arabia has almost a fifth of the world's proven oil reserves and is also the largest oil producer and exporter. Saudi Arabia also has large natural gas reserves that remain relatively untapped.

3. Venezuela

297600000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

5500000000000 cubic meters of proven gas reserves

479,000,000 tons of proven coal reserves

Venezuela is currently the 8th largest oil exporter and has the largest number of proven oil reserves in the world.

157000000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

0.03 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves

87000000000 barrels of proven oil reserves

32.5 trillion cubic meters of proven gas reserves

157 million tons of proven coal reserves

Russia is currently the second largest producer of dry natural gas and is second only to the United States and Saudi Arabia in oil production. Economic growth in Russia relies heavily on energy exports, and oil and gas revenues account for 52% of the federal budget.

Answers to technical questions: what malfunctions do pressure gauges have, how pressure gauges are checked, timing for checking pressure gauges - can be found on the portal www.otroke.ru/[:]

Based on data provided by Barclays, a ranking of the 10 countries with the largest proven oil reserves was compiled.

10. Nigeria

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 37.14 billion

Oil has become the main source of government revenue since the 1970s. However, as a result of falling oil prices last year, the country found itself in a difficult economic situation.

And now, according to some experts, Nigeria will face stiff competition when Iranian oil re-enters world markets.

Currently, more than 300 oil and oil and gas fields have been discovered. The largest deposits are Bomu, Imo River, Okan, Meren, Delta South, Ekpe, Yokri, etc.

Oil production is carried out by joint ventures of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) and transnational corporations Shell (controls up to 52% of production), ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Total and Addax.

9. Libya

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 48.47 billion

Libya's economy is almost completely dependent on energy. Oil and gas sales fell sharply in 2014 due to protests at oil ports.

The oil and gas industries are under state control. Oil production is managed by the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC). Issues of international investment in projects are supervised by Oilinvest.

The main foreign oil companies operating in Libya are Agip-ENI (Italy), Canadian Occidental, Lasmo (UK), Lundin Oil (Sweden), Nimr Petroleum (Saudi Arabia), OMV (Austria), Pedco (South Korea), Petronas (Malaysia), Red Sea Oil Corp. (Canada), Repsol (Spain), Total (France), Veba and Wintershall (Germany).

At the same time, Libya’s oil industry has recently been seriously damaged by the activities of ISIS militants. Thus, since the beginning of February, there has been information about a blockade by Islamists of the al-Mabrouk oil field south of Sirte.

The well is being developed jointly by the French company Total and the Libyan state-owned National Oil Corporation, but its work has been suspended since mid-December due to the civil war.

8. Russia

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 80 billion

Despite the fact that Moscow did its best to achieve an agreement for Iran and the signing of such an agreement was a victory for it, analysts believe that Iran’s entry into the world oil market could become a problem for Russia, since Iranian oil will become the main competitor to Russian oil in European markets.

Ed Morse, director of global commodity market analysis at Citigroup, speaks about this in an interview with Bloomberg: “Iran will compete in Europe with Russia.”

To date, several dozen oil and gas fields have been discovered in Russia. The bulk of them are concentrated in the depths of the Arctic seas, where their development is complicated by difficult climatic conditions.

There is also the problem of delivering oil and gas to their processing sites. Development is carried out on the Sakhalin shelf, as well as on the Russian mainland, where there are quite rich oil, gas and oil and gas fields.

In mainland Russia, most oil and gas fields are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

7. United Arab Emirates

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 97.8 billion

The UAE is another country whose economy depends on energy. The modernization of the country's economy began more than 30 years ago, after the discovery of oil. After markets saw a sharp decline in oil at the end of 2014, the UAE, which is one of the largest players in OPEC, began producing record amounts of oil.

The predominant number of deposits have been identified in Abu Dhabi: 25 oil and 4 gas and oil fields. Dubai has 3 oil, 1 gas-oil and 1 gas-condensate fields.

Sharjah has 1 oil, 1 gas and 1 gas condensate field. In Ajman - 1 gas condensate station.

The emirates of Pac al-Khaimah and Umm al-Quwain have one gas condensate field each. The largest deposits on land are Murban Bab, Murban Bu Xaca, Asab, Sahil; on the continental shelf - Umm Shaif, Zakum.

6. Kuwait

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 104 billion

Oil accounts for more than half of Kuwait's GDP, and the country plans to increase oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020.

After sanctions were imposed on Iran in 2012, Kuwait (along with Saudi Arabia) took almost the entire share of Tehran's “Asian trade”.

There are 1.6 thousand oil wells operating in the country. In addition to the reserves located in Kuwait, there is also the so-called Neutral Zone between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, containing an additional 5 billion barrels. oil, half of which belongs to Kuwait.

The largest part of oil reserves (70 billion barrels) is concentrated in the Greater Burgan region, which includes the following oil structures: Burgan, Magwa and Ahmadi.

The reserves of Kuwait's major fields, such as Rawdhatein, Sabriyah and Minagish, are estimated at 5.1; 4.3; 3.3 billion barrels of oil, respectively. These fields mainly produce medium-sulfur and light oil.

The reserves of the South Magwa field, explored in 1984, are estimated by experts to be about 25 billion barrels of light oil.

5. Iraq

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 140.3 billion

Iraq's economy is state-run and the main source of income is oil. Accordingly, when oil prices began to decline sharply in 2014, government revenues fell by 30%.

As of 2015, Iraq, being one of the largest oil-producing countries, demonstrates record production levels.

At the same time, the country's economy and, in particular, the oil industry are facing great problems due to the activities of ISIS militants.

Thus, at the beginning of June 2014, militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group began an attack on a number of cities in northern Iraq. On June 17, 2014, the Baiji oil refinery, 40 km from the capital Baghdad, one of the largest in Iraq, was attacked.

In this regard, some foreign companies, in particular, ExxonMobil, British Petroleum, announced the evacuation of personnel or plans to remove employees in the event of an escalation of the situation. On June 19, government forces managed to recapture the plant.

4. Iran

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 157.3 billion

Now Iranian oil has become the main issue for discussion. Analysts believe that the return of Iranian oil to the world market could lead to a further decline in oil prices. In addition, this could lead to increased tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and, according to analysts, between Iran and Russia.

All known industrial oil accumulations of Iran are located in the oil and gas basin of the Persian Gulf.

Almost the entire oil sector of the Iranian economy is completely controlled by the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (Sharkat Malli Naft Iran; National Iranian Oil Company, NIOC).

Organizationally, oil exploration, production and refining are carried out through subsidiaries, some of which allow access to private capital, including foreign capital: National Iranian South Oil Company, Central Iranian Oil Fields Company, National Iranian Central Oil Company, National Iranian Offshore Oil Company, National Iranian Drilling Company, Khazar Oil Exploration and Production Company, North Drilling Company, Iran Petro Development Company, Pars Oil and Gas Company, Petropars, etc.

However, now, in connection with the upcoming lifting of sanctions, Iran is seeking to invite as many large international oil and gas companies as possible to develop Iranian fields.

3. Canada

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 173.2 billion

Canada exports oil to the US and Europe. Overall, it is the largest foreign supplier of oil to the United States.

However, recent reports suggest that oil produced from Canada's oil sands is nearly 20% more carbon-intensive than other types of oil.

This means that “if Canada exports more oil to the United States over time, greenhouse gas emissions from American vehicles will rise even if gasoline consumption remains the same,” OilPrice.com notes.

Oil fields in Canada (more than 95%) are located in Alberta - in the tar sands, where exploration of these lands requires large amounts of fresh water and energy costs.

2. Saudi Arabia

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 268.4 billion

Saudi Arabia was the largest player in the oil market last year.

Last November, Saudi Arabia, like other OPEC members, refused to cut oil production quotas after oil prices began to decline.

In addition, Iran wants to “double oil exports immediately after sanctions are lifted and is pushing other OPEC members to review the organization's quota system,” which could significantly impact Saudi Arabia's oil industry.

The natural conditions of the location of oil reserves make it possible to produce oil at perhaps the lowest unit costs in the world. In view of this, in this country, activities for the exploration and development of new oil resources are constantly ongoing.

The Saudi Aramco company, as part of a large-scale program, is successfully carrying out geological exploration work to search for oil reservoir deposits in the coastal area of ​​the Red Sea.

1. Venezuela

Proven oil reserves (barrels): 297.7 billion

“Venezuela remains heavily dependent on oil revenues, which account for approximately 96% of export earnings, about 40% of government revenues and 11% of GDP,” according to the CIA Factbook.

Accordingly, the decline in oil prices in 2014, as well as the recession, led to a decline in the Venezuelan economy. And now the country is looking for allies among other OPEC member countries in the hope of stabilizing oil prices.

About 20% of Venezuela's oil comes from fields in the Gulf of Maracaibo. The country's largest oil fields are Lagunillas, Bachaquero, El Furrial, Centro, Mulata, Lama.

The main energy resource on a planetary scale is still oil and gas. Even despite the development of technology and the improvement of technical devices, alternative sources cannot yet satisfy humanity’s need for energy. Hundreds of thousands of drilling rigs pump out several million barrels of oil every day.

Scientists monitoring the situation with the world's hydrocarbon reserves are inclined to believe that the explored oil reserves will last for about a century, after which humanity will have to look for new ways to extract “black gold” or switch to other types of energy resources.

Rating of countries by oil reserves

The main suppliers of hydrocarbon energy resources to the world market are ten countries, including the Russian Federation. The list of main exporters also includes: Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and the USA. The main reserves of raw materials are concentrated in the bowels of the Russian Federation, the USA and the United States. These countries collectively supply the market with up to 2/5 of the total export volume.

Bloomberg experts have compiled a consolidated rating of countries making a significant contribution to the production and sale of hydrocarbon resources. The reserves of these particular states are considered by scientists to determine the period for which the oil in the developed fields will be sufficient:

Reserves in Russia

The state became the leader in oil production in 2017, increasing the figure to 10.5 million barrels. Currently, production has increased to 11.5 million barrels. Up to 90% of all state reserves are concentrated in unexplored and unexploited deposits, and only 10% are reserves that should be sufficient for the next century. In general, we are talking about a volume equal to 11-15 billion tons of hydrocarbon raw materials suitable for processing and available for production.

Reserves in Saudi Arabia

The main exporter of petroleum products and raw materials to Asian and American countries. The sandy “ocean” allows the production of up to 10.4 million barrels daily, and the cost of raw materials is much lower than in other countries. The economy of this country is almost 100% dependent on the sale of oil, and it will last for at least another century.

US stocks

The state is actively producing, purchasing, processing and consuming hydrocarbon raw materials. Unlike Russia, the United States contains mainly light oil, the main volumes of which are concentrated in Texas, Alaska and California. Average daily US production is about 8 million barrels and this figure will increase if the policies of the current administration do not change. In addition to production, the United States is actively purchasing hydrocarbons, creating strategic reserves in underground storage facilities. The accumulated reserves will last the States for several decades.

Reserves in China

Chinese enterprises produce about 4 million barrels per day, which only partially satisfies the country’s internal needs. The state is one of the largest consumers of imported oil, with the largest volume of supplies coming from the Russian Federation.

Reserves in Iraq

The once prosperous oil power, which owned the vast majority of the Middle East's fields, now produces less than 4 million barrels per day. The reason for the decline in oil production is the ongoing conflict. After the fall of Hussein's regime, Iraq's neighbors began to actively develop nearby fields and modernize their own technical resources.

Reserves in Iran

One of the world leaders in hydrocarbon reserves (Iranian oil will last for more than a hundred years). There is a low production rate, only about 3 million barrels. per day, affected by several decades of export restrictions imposed by Western countries. Currently, some restrictions have been lifted and Iran is allowed to trade raw materials. Experts believe that very soon this Middle Eastern country will take its rightful place next to the largest exporters of raw materials.

Reserves in Canada

A country where half of its area is unsuitable or completely unsuitable for life. It should also be noted that there are difficult conditions for the extraction of raw materials, most of which are located in hard-to-reach areas. Canada was one of the first countries to begin searching for alternative mining methods, both on land and at sea. The oldest and largest field is located in the province of Alberta; development here began during the years of the British Dominion. Canadian oil is characterized by high production costs due to the use of complex technologies and expensive equipment; this country is suffering more than others from falling energy prices. But at the same time, the reserves are enough to provide a comfortable life for ten generations. About 2.9 million barrels are produced. daily.

Reserves in Kuwait

The country has largely recovered from the destruction of its entire oil-producing infrastructure by Hussein's retreating forces in the 1990s. Kuwait produces about 2.8 million barrels. per day. The “black gold” reserves of this Middle Eastern country will last for many decades. In addition, the extracted raw materials are of light grades, that is, they have a low cost. Development in Kuwait is carried out by both national and international companies; a large percentage of the market belongs to American oil producers.

Reserves in Venezuela

Occupying one of the bottom lines of the list of ten largest oil producers, this Latin American state tops the ranking of countries with the richest oil and gas reserves. In the depths of Venezuela lies up to 46 billion tons of “black gold”; no other region can boast of such volumes. It will take more than a century to exhaust the region’s reserves, especially given the low production rates of only 2.8 million barrels. per day. According to experts, Venezuelan oil is enough to fill all the world's storage facilities several times over. The state's economy is entirely dependent on world prices for hydrocarbon raw materials; the budget is formed from sales revenues of almost 96%.

Reserves in the UAE

The Arab state serves almost 4% of the world market, with daily production of no more than 200 thousand barrels. Such low volumes, compared to the leaders of the rating, fully satisfy domestic needs and make it possible to build a prosperous state. The main consumers of Arab oil are Asian countries, in particular Japan and India. At the current rate of oil production in the UAE, there will be enough oil for more than a century. According to company reports, the main production capacities are concentrated in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which supplies 95% of the market segment served. It should be noted that the raw materials mined in the region are of light grades.

Conclusion

This rating is periodically updated; countries reduce or increase volumes depending on various factors, be it price, the emergence of new technologies, or the aggravation of geopolitical conflicts. Regardless of the composition and location of the countries, the list will be relevant for a very long time. It is enough to add up the existing indicators of global hydrocarbon reserves and subtract the amount of extracted raw materials from the resulting value to see that it will be enough for more than one generation of people, or even ten.

Skeptics who talk about the depletion of world reserves do not take into account the volumes of raw materials that are located in hard-to-reach regions of Russia, Canada and South America. If necessary, humanity will find a way to gain access to these deposits located in undeveloped deposits. It is possible that before then, markets will see significant fluctuations in the price of raw materials, caused by shortages or surpluses (at different times). But as for today, there is no need to fear a sudden depletion of sources.

Recent scientific research allows us to classify oil as a renewable resource. Of course, its volume is not restored as quickly as trees grow, but the fact of regeneration of deposits has already been proven.