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Page added on February 23, 2015
Oil Depletion Analysis Centre
The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) is an independent, UK-registered educational charity. The centre is working to raise international public awareness and promote better understanding of the world’s oil depletion and peak oil problem. It is based in London and belongs to the New Economics Foundation.
ODAC was founded in June 2001 on the belief that an informed public debate about the likely impacts of depleting oil supplies is critically needed. A growing number of experts now predict that world oil production has peaked or will reach its physical peak within the coming decade and then start to permanently decline. The prevailing view of most energy policy-makers and institutions is that near-term oil supply is mainly an economic and geopolitical concern. Under almost any scenario, however, lead time is running short for a smooth transition to new energy systems and a less oil-dependent way of life.
Aims
ODAC aims to engage public interest, stimulate concern and create public-interest momentum for progressive change in energy policy and planning. The organisation disseminates related information as effectively as possible to news media, other opinion-formers and leaders, interest groups and the public at large. It seeks to facilitate information exchanges between and among interested parties and monitors developments in oil-depletion analysis, maintains an up-to-date information base, and offers an advisory service on oil-depletion issues.
History
The organisation was founded by Sarah Astor and Dr. Colin Campbell. In his book Oil Crisis Campbell explains that the Astor family wanted to establish and provide funds for an institute to raise awareness on this issue of oil depletion and peak oil. The first director was Dr. Roger Bentley.
Publications
In 2004, ODAC sponsored Chris Skrebowski’s report, called “Oil Field Megaprojects”, which analysed data from 68 oil production projects.
In November 2005, ODAC published a report after conducting a survey led by Chris Skrebowski, which concluded that oil supply will not meet demand by 2007 or 2008.
In June 2007, a report authored by Colin Campbell predicted that peak oil would occur within four years.
Trustees
- Christopher Patey (Chair)
Formerly Head of Public Affairs and Community Relations, Mobil North Sea Ltd, and author of a book on the history of the company’s activities, he is currently a non-executive director of Sponsorship Consulting Ltd, a marketing communications firm.
- Sarah Astor
Co-founder of ODAC and of another UK charity that helps political refugees (Asylum Aid), she was formerly a trustee of a research charity dedicated to sustainable land-use, agriculture and food systems (Elm Farm Research Centre).
- Dr. Colin Campbell
Former Executive Vice President, Fina Exploration, Norway, he is Chairman and Founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) and Visiting Scientist at Uppsala University in Sweden. He has published three books and numerous articles on oil depletion.
- Richard Hardman, CBE
Former Vice President, Exploration, Amerada Hess International, he is now an oil and gas exploration consultant. He was formerly President of the UK Geological Society, and chairman of the Science and Innovation Strategy Board of the Natural Environment Research Council.
- Roger Harrison
Formerly chairman of a media investment and property company, he was also a non-executive director of three major media companies and chief executive of The Observer newspaper. He is a trustee of several charities, including a social service charity (Toynbee Hall) and Elm Farm Research Centre.
- Chris Skrebowski
Editor of Petroleum Review, a monthly magazine published by the Energy Institute in London, he formerly edited Petroleum Economist and was an oil market analyst for the Saudis for eight years. He started his career in the oil industry as a long-term planner for BP, then joined Petroleum Times as a journalist and edited an offshore magazine in the late 1970s.
- David Strahan
David Strahan is an award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, with many years experience of popularising some of the most difficult and important stories in business and science. He quit the BBC to spend two years researching and writing The Last Oil Shock: A Survival Guide to the Imminent Extinction of Petroleum Man, published by John Murray in April 2007 (pbk ISBN 0719564247).
Advisers
- Ali Morteza Samsam Bakhtiari, Senior Analyst, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Iran.
- Brian Fleay, Institute of Sustainability & Technology Policy, Murdoch University, Australia.
- Klaus Illum, Energy Systems Analysis Consultant, Denmark.
- Jean Laherrère, Former Deputy Exploration Manager, Total Oil Company, France.
- Ray Leonard, CEO Hyperdynamics Incorporated, Houston, Texas, USA.
- Jim MacKenzie, Senior Associate, World Resources Institute, USA.
- Susanne Peters, Senior Fellow, Political Science Department, University of Giessen, Germany.
- Matthew Simmons, President, Simmons & Company International (energy investment firm), USA.
- Walter Youngquist, Geologist and Consultant, USA.
- Walter Ziegler, Exploration Consultant, Switzerland.
21 Comments on "Oil Depletion Analysis Centre"
Plantagenet on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 8:19 pm
Sounds like an interesting group. Since Colin Campbell’s prediction of peak oil by 2011 didn’t pan out, I wonder if this group has a new updated peak oil prediction to make based on the current condition of world oil reserves and world oil markets?
Speculawyer on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 9:10 pm
ODAC doesn’t even exist anymore. See below:
From 30th March 2012, the activities of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) were taken over by the New Economic Foundation (NEF).
ODAC was founded in June 2011 as an independent, UK registered educational charity on the belief that an informed public debate about the likely impacts of depleting oil supplies is critically needed. A growing number of experts now predict that world oil production will reach its ultimate peak within a few years and then start permanently to decline, while the prevailing view of most energy policy-makers and institutions is that near-term oil supply is mainly an economic and geopolitical concern. Under almost any scenario, however, lead time is running short for a smooth transition to new energy systems and a less oil dependent way of life.
For all the latest news and views on energy please subscribe to the Energy Crunch newsletter below, which has taken over from the ODAC newsletter.
Davy on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 9:14 pm
Geeze, Planter, what is a few short years? What if this year is peak then a miss of 4 years is bad? I hear numerous BAUtopians say peak is 30 years away. That kind of time frame is poor predictions not 4 years. Let’s see what plays out in 2015. I have a feeling we are there!
rockman on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 9:28 pm
Davy – And in the opinion of some old fart petroleum geologist (who shall not be identified) the only aspect of PO less important then accurately predicting the exact date of global PO is any criticism of an inaccurate prediction the exact date of GPO. If some truly doesn’t appreciate the full dynamics (i.e. the POD) of the depletion of fossil fuels we’ve witnessed over the last 10 years they are wasting their time and that of others on this site. IMHO, of course.
dave thompson on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 9:32 pm
At 72 – 76 million bbls per day of conventional extraction from 2004 – 2013 the overpass looks to be in the rear view mirror. The endless rail trains of paint thinner and road tar continue here along the Chicago Burlington corridor however.
Makati1 on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 10:20 pm
Dave, I would love to see a real graph of Petroleum NET ENERGY produced over the last 40-50 years. Number of barrels are only eyewash for the unthinking multitudes. About like calling 40 proof cheap vodka ’12 year old Chivas Regal’. Not even close.
We have been sliding down the energy slope for some time and seem to be picking up speed. Time to accelerate my shift to the farm, I think. Maybe have the caretaker build a Nipa Hut in case it has to be sooner than expected. ^_^
https://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=B111US91006D20131004&p=philippine+nipa+hut+images
GregT on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 10:59 pm
“the only aspect of PO less important then accurately predicting the exact date of global PO is any criticism of an inaccurate prediction the exact date of GPO. If some truly doesn’t appreciate the full dynamics (i.e. the POD) of the depletion of fossil fuels we’ve witnessed over the last 10 years they are wasting their time and that of others on this site.”
If there ever was a quote to be permanently stickied on the main page of this site, this would be the one.
Aire on Mon, 23rd Feb 2015 11:48 pm
Plant enjoys shitting on Campbell and Obama too much to ever stop! This short time in Plant’s life “The Oil Glut Age” is forever his glory days. Let the poor guy enjoy his best days.
marko on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 12:58 am
what is GPO somebody help please?
marko on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 1:00 am
is it glut peak oil?
Bandits on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 2:34 am
“Is it glut peak oil” ROFL, good one Marko
The world of oil is at its peak. There is no glut. Every barrel of quality oil is being sold and bought. Saying there is a glut of oil is like saying there is a glut of motor vehicles, when the only glut is of the overpriced, obsolete models, which nobody wants.
dashster on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 3:30 am
@Speculawyer – it was founded in 2001, not 2011.
Davy on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 4:36 am
Great, thread on POD & GPO and the planter Glut-PO nonsense. Rock, I am 100% with your POD concept as I am with shorts ETP dynamics. Even the discounting of either for various reasons still does not touch the central fact of depletion and entropic decay of the oil complex above and below ground. I had to dig at Planter and by extension others who are obsessed with dates when in reality being in the vicinity of GPO is enough systematically to cause profound changes to life as we know it. Like Rock says anyone that fails to understand the last 10 years of POD dynamics of a foundational commodity for BAU’s is off focus. This off focus is often agendas or just the garden variety lack of understanding. We have far too narrowly educated uneducated in our system. We have far too many journalist that can’t tell you really where oil comes from but they can disgorge a spew of an oil based agenda.
rockman on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 7:08 am
Marko – GPO: global peak oil. Sometimes “PO” is used for a country like the US which reached PO 4 decades ago, other countries that have hit PO in recent years and countries that will reach PO soon. But often when someone says “PO” they are typically referring to GPO but don’t qualify it as such. Thus the GPO vs PO in an effort to avoid miscommunication.
And you didn’t ask: POD = Peak Oil Dynamic. Coined by some old far geologist in an effort to get away but the fixation with predicting PO dates and focus on all the relationships ties together by the diminishing fossil fuel resource base.
rockman on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 7:11 am
Davy – “POD dynamics”: peak oil dynamics…dynamics.
Have you had that stuttering problem long? LOL. Hey, if we can’t laugh about the ultimate destruction of BAU and degradation of the humanity what can we laugh at?
rockman on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 7:22 am
Marko – “glut peak oil”. I need a second cup of coffee to try to wrap my ahead around that. I have no clue why that makes me giggle like a little girl. It might be one of the more astute phrase tossed out here recently. Or maybe you just had a small stroke. LOL.
Just teasing. But I’ll be curious to see how our band of bros here react to it.
Davy on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 8:50 am
Rock, I stutter and I drop things. When I not only misplace my keys but also forget what keys are for then I need to get worried. Not there yet
GregT on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 10:12 am
““POD dynamics”: peak oil dynamics…dynamics.”
Reminds me of ‘The DOR Department’.
The Department of Redundancy Department.
I guess some things really are worth repeating…….
marko on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 2:37 pm
rockman thank you on your explanation . It is obvious that English is not my mother language and I have some problem with the translation of it. Somehow I made a conclusion that gpo is some kind of words play with the plant.
What can I say lost in translation, but I am learning
Davy on Tue, 24th Feb 2015 5:45 pm
Marco, I love it. Glut Peak Oil. That is a perfect Planter spoof.
marko on Wed, 25th Feb 2015 5:59 am
thank you Davy, I had something like that in mind, of course I make a mistake