Oil reserves in Europe. World oil reserves. Reserves in Russia
Venezuela is the richest oil country in the modern world. According to updated statistics, in 2018 its oil reserves amount to more than 297 million barrels, which is about 20% of all world oil reserves. Saudi Arabia is in 2nd place by a slight margin: its reserves account for 18% of the world's total. 
The top ten countries with the largest oil reserves today include 4 Persian Gulf countries: , and , 2 representatives - and , as well as and . Russia occupies 8th position in this list.
Oil is a very common mineral resource in nature. Over the past 50 years, geologists have identified about 600 oil and gas basins. According to various estimates, the area with promising oil and gas fields ranges from 15 to 50 million km².
The general geological estimate of the planet’s oil reserves ranges from 250 to 500 billion tons, and if we also take into account heavy oil contained in tar sands and oil shale, the value jumps to 800 billion tons.
The numbers are gigantic, but this does not mean that humanity can sleep peacefully without worrying about tomorrow’s energy resources. The fact is that the development of shale is very expensive and environmentally hazardous, so few people are engaged in its extraction. General geological reserves mean all the oil contained in the bowels of the earth, but most of it, with the current level of technological development, people cannot yet extract. Therefore, along with the concept of general geological reserve, the concept of explored or reliable oil reserve is widely used, i.e. the amount that can be extracted today with the current level of technical progress. And now 800 billion tons smoothly turn into 150 billion tons. It is this figure that is an indicator of reliable oil reserves in the world today. And when it comes to the oil reserves of a country or region, we mean reliable reserves.
However, it should be noted that any indicators related to the extraction of mineral resources, especially fuel, cannot be absolute and accurate.
Geological exploration work on the planet does not stop for a minute. Therefore, despite the fact that humanity increases oil production every year, its reliable reserves are also increasing.
Modern technologies make it possible to explore ever greater continental depths. But the real technological breakthrough was the possibility of developing offshore deposits. It is thanks to offshore development that some European countries, such as Norway and the UK, have become leaders in oil-producing countries. And Venezuela has become the world leader in reliable reserves, overtaking the traditional leaders - the Persian Gulf countries.
How was OPEC formed?
The main feature of the geography of world oil resources is that its main reserves are in developing countries, and the main consumers of oil and petroleum products are highly developed countries.
The problem of shortage of oil resources worsened back in the 70s. last century. It was during these years that the highly developed countries of the world were hit by the first wave of the energy crisis. And this was due to the cessation of the supply of cheap fuel from the Middle East.
Until now, energy prices from the Persian Gulf have been so meager that no one has ever thought of engaging in large-scale exploration of new deposits anywhere else. The sheikhs of Arab countries took advantage of this fact and united to control the world black gold market.
An agreement on combining joint efforts in this direction was signed back in 1960 in the city of Baghdad, but the participating countries gained real strength only a decade later. This is how the organization of oil exporting countries came into being, known as OPEC.
The leaders in oil reserves and production at that time were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and, as a result, they also became the leaders of the organization. These Arab countries managed to gain a decisive position in the world oil market due to the fact that 70% of all the world's reserves of this energy resource were concentrated on their territory, and the largest oil fields were located with an initial reserve of more than 1 billion tons.
How and why oil reserves statistics change
The heyday of the world oil era occurred in the 70s and 80s. last century. It was then that large oil fields were discovered in non-OPEC countries, including the Soviet Union. This includes the development of Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, the shelves of California and the North Sea, Western Siberia, and the Volga-Ural region.
The discovery of new fields has brought new players to the global oil market. Although the newly discovered oil fields were very large, no one could still compete with the countries of the Middle East either in oil reserves or in the level of its production.
Since the late 80s. all the largest and most profitable oil fields were discovered. It was no longer possible to continue to increase raw material reserves at the expense of new deposits. And then a new trend arose: it was to achieve an increase in oil reserves through additional drilling in already existing fields.
This method was primarily used by the top five richest oil powers in the Middle East, which did not want to lose their achieved status. This included Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Thanks to the new tactics, these countries held the palm for another 20 years in terms of the number of reliable oil reserves, and at the same time as the largest producers and exporters. 
But other countries, rich and not so rich, have also used the method of additional drilling, for example, Canada and Venezuela. The result was not long in coming, and by the second decade of the 21st century. The picture of the countries leading in proven reserves of black gold has changed. Having pushed Saudi Arabia to 2nd place, Venezuela has become the absolute leader in reserves. And Canada confidently took 3rd position, displacing Iran and Iraq.
Since the 90s of the last century, Saudi Arabia, having reached a level of oil reserves of 260 million barrels, continues to remain unchanged at this level. Iran and Iraq at the same time reached the level of 100 million barrels. But Canada and Venezuela have made a sharp leap upward in the last 1.5 decades. Moreover, until the beginning of the 20th century. Canada had meager reserves of approximately 10-20 million barrels.
A sharp increase occurred in 2002-2003, when the development of new fields and the use of new technical means overnight increased the country's reserves to 175 million barrels. And Venezuela, for the same reasons, increased its own from 100 million barrels in 2010 to 297 million in 2013.
Thus, we can summarize. The richest country in oil is a very relative concept. The situation changes from decade to decade, and sometimes can change dramatically within 1-2 years. Exhaustibility of a mineral resource; discovery of new deposits; additional studies of deposits discovered earlier, but at that time considered unprofitable; Improvements in mining technologies that allow us to penetrate to new depths - all this leads to constant changes in statistics.
Middle Eastern countries, albeit slowly, are losing their leadership positions, and they are being replaced by new actors. Today, the top five reserves in 2018-2019 look like this: Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Iraq. Time will tell what the situation will be tomorrow.Recently, the topic of oil production has gained great popularity in Russian society. Disputes about how much the country produces, and what the black reserves are in Russia and the world, do not subside. Some politicians even call the Russian Federation a petrocarbon superpower. But is this really so?
A detailed study of the actual oil deposits in the world reveals a completely different picture. Russia is not even among the 5 countries with the largest oil fields. The largest amount of black gold is found in Venezuela, followed by Saudi Arabia, followed by Canada, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE. Russia occupies an honorable 8th place with a reserve of about 80 billion barrels, which corresponds to 5% of world oil reserves.
Thus, we can with a high probability answer the question that is often discussed by both officials and ordinary people: what will happen on the world oil market if Russia stops supplying black gold due to a trade embargo caused by economic sanctions or due to other reasons? And the answer is quite simple: the world oil market will not undergo major changes; the missing amount of oil will very quickly be compensated by increasing its production by other countries.
TOP 30 countries in the world with the largest oil reserves in 2019
| A country | Place | Reserves billion barrels |
| Venezuela | 1 | 300,878 |
| Saudi Arabia | 2 | 266,455 |
| Canada | 3 | 169,709 |
| Iran | 4 | 158,400 |
| Iraq | 5 | 142,503 |
| Kuwait | 6 | 101,500 |
| UAE | 7 | 97,800 |
| Russia | 8 | 80,000 |
| Libya | 9 | 48,363 |
| USA | 10 | 35,230 |
| Nigeria | 11 | 37,062 |
| Kazakhstan | 12 | 30,000 |
| China | 13 | 25,620 |
| Qatar | 14 | 25,244 |
| Brazil | 15 | 12,999 |
| Algeria | 16 | 12,200 |
| Angola | 17 / 18 | 8,273 |
| Ecuador | 17 / 18 | 8,273 |
| Mexico | 19 | 7,640 |
| Azerbaijan | 20 | 7,000 |
| Norway | 21 | 6,611 |
| Oman | 22 | 5,373 |
| India | 23 | 4,621 |
| South Sudan | 24 | 5,000 |
| Vietnam | 25 / 26 | 4,400 |
| Egypt | 25 / 26 | 4,400 |
| Malaysia | 27 | 3,600 |
| Indonesia | 28 | 3,230 |
| Yemen | 29 | 3,000 |
| Great Britain | 30 | 2,564 |
World statistics cannot confidently answer the question “how much oil is there in the world.” Therefore, research results and expert opinion are always called into question. This is due to the fact that currently only 25 percent of the world's oil fields are being developed.
Research results show that the world reserve is significantly reduced; analytical examinations prove that the reserve is approximately 1,700 billion barrels. This share will provide humanity for only forty years.
The statistics presented in the article are current as of the end of 2016. The ranking of countries producing the largest amounts of black energy has remained virtually unchanged over the past ten years.
Three leaders controlling the largest reserves
Oil fields are often the cause of many conflict situations between countries. For example, African countries are arguing over oil-rich territory, Libya has conflicting interests with Nigeria, Cameroon with Chad, and there are more than twenty similar disputes.
Latin American states have more than eight conflicts over oil fields, and there are also controversial issues in Europe and the Middle East.
- Venezuela– produces just over three percent of the world. Experts estimate that oil in Venezuela will run out no sooner than in 120 years. The country's oil potential is more than 290 billion barrels or 17% of world reserves. However, the oil of the Latin country has its own characteristics - it is heavier and more difficult to extract. The country ranks tenth in the world in oil production.
- Saudi Arabia- the main extractor and producer of the world's oil potential. Oil reserves amount to more than 265 billion barrels(more than 15% of the world). According to experts, the oil fields in the state will currently provide the country with fuel for more than eighty years. Arabia is the largest producer and supplier of black gold.
- Canada– the share of oil reserves in the country is over 173 billion barrels(more than 10%) mainly due to hard-to-recover oil from sands. The profitability of producing such oil is approaching $90 per barrel. Canadian companies are the main suppliers of oil to America.
The potential of “black gold” in other countries
Most states spend very impressive sums, tens of billions of dollars annually, on the development of oil fields. 
- Iran– produces about 4% of the world's oil resources. However, according to researchers, Iran's black gold reserves may run out in seventy years. Iran's share is more than 150 billion barrels (about 9%). Production in the country has been growing since sanctions were lifted and could grow even more in the coming years.
- Iraq. Iraq's largest field, Rumaila, accounts for the majority of the country's production. Iraq's reserves account for about 150 billion barrels, more than 8% of the world's total.
- Russian Federation– produces about 12.5% of oil, having 6% of the world's proven reserves. Experts' forecasts for the availability of oil are disappointing; Russian oil from present deposits may run out within twenty-five years. One of the reasons for this period is considered to be unreasonable government policy. Despite this, the Russian share is 89 billion barrels. However, it is worth considering that Russia still has a lot of hidden reserves - in the Arctic (according to experts, about 90 billion barrels), as well as in shale formations (about 75 billion barrels of recoverable reserves). Developing tight oil reserves requires large investments and high oil prices. The state's economy is mainly built on the export of produced gas and oil.
- Kuwait- about 6% of the world's deposits. Just like in the UAE, oil production can last for about a hundred years. Kuwait's potential is 101 billion barrels.
- United Arab Emirates– the share of the world is comparable to Kuwait - about 6%. Research shows that oil production in Arab fields can last for more than a hundred years. The country holds about 97 billion barrels. Despite the growth of global tourism in this country, much of the economy is supported by energy production and resource extraction.
- USA– produce about 12% of oil, but own only 3%. Moreover, America's oil reserves may run out in the next ten years. The share of oil potential is 34 billion barrels of traditional oil and another about 60 billion of shale oil. America is the second country in the world in terms of consumption of natural energy resources. Moreover, its consumption accounts for more than twenty-five percent of the global level. Due to the introduction of new technologies, the country is increasing shale oil production.
Percentage distribution of world reserves confirmed by analysts and researchers in this field. The remaining countries involved in oil development and supply account for about twelve percent of the world's reserves.
The world's total reserves are approximately 1.7 trillion barrels However, actual reserves may be much larger, due to still unexplored deposits - mainly shale oil, as well as on the shelf.
Countries with relatively small oil reserves
- Libya– the share of oil potential is 3%, although forecasts state that oil production in Libyan fields can be carried out for about sixty years. Proven oil reserves are 47 billion barrels. Libya is in 4th position in gas and oil development on the African continent. The country's economy is based on oil production and exports, which accounts for more than ninety percent of the treasury.
- Nigeria– the country’s share of oil is just over two percent. Nigeria's current oil reserves will run out in 35 years. The potential is about 37 billion barrels. The country is very dependent on the export of black gold - about 80-90% of all budget revenues. The state has the largest deposits on the African continent.
- Kazakhstan– the amount of oil reserves is thirty billion barrels(1.8% of world reserves). After gaining independence, Kazakhstan began to attract global investors. At the same time, the flow of foreign investment into the state’s oil industry has increased significantly.
- Qatar. Natural raw materials in Qatar are extracted from large deposits. The oil industry's potential is more than 25 billion barrels. Reliability in the oil industry ensures the prosperity of the state. Qatar is in fourth place among countries in the ranking for supplies of dry blue fuel.
- China– produces more than 200 million tons at its fields. oil per year. Market share - 5%. Residual reserves in the depths of China 18.5 billion barrels(about 1% of the world). The most populous country has the fastest growing economy. China is the world's leading energy consumer. Every year companies increase the production of natural fuels, but still the main source of energy for China is coal.
- Algeria– the share of global potential is 0,7% (just over twelve billion barrels). A major producer and extractor, Algeria is in second position among African oil production countries. The state parliament attracts investment by reducing taxes for developers of the gas industry and fields.
- India– the share of oil potential is five and a half billion barrels. Fourth place in consumption and import of natural fuel. At the moment, the state is not able to satisfy the need for energy resources within the country. The country's priority has been to increase fuel reserves.
- Australia– 3.8 billion barrels. The continental country attracts global mining companies with its political stability and proximity to Asian countries. The influx of cash from foreign companies has a positive effect on field development. The continent is rich in uranium reserves.
Geographical distribution of oil industry reserves
According to statistics over the past ten years, the Middle and Near East have seen the largest growth. In these areas, oil reserves have increased by one and a half times.
Canada and the South of North America are in second place in the development of oil fields.
Educational information
The absurdity of the situation in the Russian Federation still dismays some analysts. The country with the highest oil production has an inflated cost of gasoline and diesel fuel. However, if we take oil production per capita, Russia is far from the leading position.
In countries whose main budget depends on the oil industry, for example, the United Arab Emirates, the price of gasoline does not exceed six rubles, but per capita oil in such countries is much more than in Russia. It turns out that 60 percent of the price for gasoline consists of various fees, excises and taxes.
Recently, all the media have been talking about only one thing - an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, as a result of which sanctions on the country will be lifted. And one of the most obvious consequences of such an agreement is the return of Iran to world markets, in particular to the world oil market.
It is interesting that Iran, although it has huge oil reserves, is not even among the top three in terms of its proven reserves. Based on data provided by Barclays analyst Michael Cohen, a ranking of the 10 countries with the largest proven oil reserves was compiled.
10. Nigeria
: 37.14 billionOil 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
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
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 also 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
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
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 a 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
Iraq's economy is state-run and its 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
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
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
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 its 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
“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.
Oil is a strategically important resource throughout the planet. This hydrocarbon raw material is familiar to everyone. It is used in many areas of life. It accumulates in layers of various rocks, serving as a kind of collector and protection from the harmful effects of the external environment. Despite all the fame, the importance of oil in the modern world can hardly be overestimated, since it is one of the main keys to the growth of the world economy. However, for some countries this is the main source of budget, because oil is in demand, and there are many countries willing to purchase it. For this reason, there was a shortage of raw materials. The world's proven oil reserves are being depleted, and new deposits have to be found so as not to cause an energy crisis.
Oil composition
What does this type of mineral consist of? Oil contains many substances. Among them, 90% are hydrocarbons, which indicates its organic origin. Atoms also contain hydrogens and carbons, and in small quantities almost the entire table of chemical elements.
Properties of oil
"Black Gold" is an oily substance ranging in color from red, slightly brownish to dark black. Oil is an excellent flammable substance. Some varieties have amazing properties. For example, some may be liquid in Siberia, but in Africa they will be solid. Oil is dangerous for the environment.
Origin of oil
Scientists are puzzling over many dilemmas. One of these perennial, controversial problems is the scientific basis for the origin of oil. The great Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov was the first to guess about its existence. But so far no one can give an exact formulation. Some come up with fabulous hypotheses. Others believe that oil is a substance of biological origin. However, even this logical and universally accepted point of view has its opponents, who believe that it was formed through the hydrocarbon cycle. If we adhere to the popular theory, then oil originates from the remains of organic matter - these can be animals, plants that have outlived their time. But it is worth noting that its composition differs in different regions of the world, which indicates that it was in different conditions and a kind of “traps” that did not allow it to mix with other impurities.
What is made from oil?
"Black blood" of modern civilization is used in many spheres of life. But oil as such is not used in its pure form. First it is cleaned and processed. During the initial processing cycle, it is divided into fractions. The main component of oil includes various types of fuel: gas, kerosene, gasoline for automobiles and aircraft, as well as diesel fuel. Secondary fuels include fuel oil and products of its further processing: paraffin, bitumen, oil, liquid fuel for boilers.
Application
All proven oil reserves in the world have practical applications, not only as fuel for equipment. Oil is also used as road surfaces, that is, by mixing bitumen with minerals, asphalt concrete or tar is obtained. No less popular is the use of petroleum products as fuel for heating premises.
Cosmetic use is known to many. Everyone knows the fact that oil is made from oil, on the basis of which ointments and creams are produced. Wax, toxic chemicals, plant fertilizers, dyes, solvents, paints and varnishes, dishwashing detergents, polymer films, plastic products, rubber, rubber, synthetics, fabrics - all of these are post-processing products. Vaseline is used to make a base for shampoos.
Look around, many people don’t even think about the great variety of objects of petroleum origin that surround us. Take the same toothbrush, keyboard, toys, even the exterior trim of cars, shoes. Metallurgists use such "unnecessary" elements of oil as coke residues, which are suitable for creating electrodes. Chemists obtain sulfuric acid from the “black liquid” and sulfur. But, despite all the usefulness of this raw material and its applicability in many areas, Mendeleev believed that the way oil is used is stupid. He was inclined to think that it needed to be used correctly, because burning it was unprofitable.
Varieties
Like plants, oil also has its own classification. It is divided according to various criteria: lightness, quality, uniformity. All oil reserves in the world have different compositions, and therefore have their own names and values. The standard of quality and cost is the Brent brand. Other companies adapt to it, making the price lower, because the other variety is heavier and contains impurities.
Sulfur is the main enemy of cars and engines, as it disrupts their functioning. Therefore, its content in oil should be less so that the fuel is not of low quality. The more sulfur is included in the composition, the lower the price. Unfortunately, Russian oil reserves are in little demand for this reason. There is no variety in the world that does not contain sulfur at all. But despite this, fuel requirements are becoming more stringent in this aspect. However, for Russia, not everything is so hopeless. The government is taking a number of actions to create conditions for improving the quality of oil and its ability to compete. In the meantime, its cost is slightly inferior to Brent brand products.
World oil reserves by country
There are oil fields in various countries. Where is the largest amount of this raw material?
How long will oil last? Venezuela possesses almost a fifth of all world reserves of this raw material. These are the largest oil reserves in the world. This country is also a leader in its production. But the palm in consumption, and this impressive number - 20 million barrels per day, is confidently held by the United States of America.
It is quite difficult to accurately answer the question of how much oil reserves there are in the world. Although, according to statisticians, this figure is approximately equal to 3000 billion barrels or 400 billion tons.
Russia has very impressive reserves, and in the near future there will be no need to purchase this product from other states (even if we do not have the largest oil reserves in the world). How long will this raw material last? Experts answer this question with caution. The study of the territory leaves much to be desired, but this gives an advantage, because it is unknown whether other large oil fields will be discovered on our native land. In addition, mining is carried out not only on land, but also at sea.
If you imagine how many barrels of this fuel are produced, your head will spin. But everyone understands that everything does not last forever, even no matter how huge the oil reserves in the world are. It is not known exactly how many years it will last, but according to conservative calculations by analysts, the raw material will run out after half a century of use. This takes into account the fact that oil consumption will not increase every year. But recently there has been a clear trend towards increasing the use of this hydrocarbon. Unfortunately, not all countries have oil reserves in the world, which also leads to its consumption in large quantities.
Self-healing theory
Along with the accepted explanation for the appearance of oil, there are other understandings of this process. One of these theories was proposed by the famous chemist Mendeleev. He believed that the world's oil reserves are formed not in millions, but in several hundreds and even decades, thanks to the regeneration of hydrocarbons in already depleted wells. This is proven by the fact that fields that have dried up are producing oil again. But this theory is always hushed up, and this raises suspicions. After all, there are interested parties in this, such as the owners of large mining companies who will control oil prices and sing praises that it will soon end.
Only future generations will be able to give us an exact answer. Perhaps the current theories are incorrect, and in the near future someone will discover the mystery associated with the appearance of oil and the processes that accompany this transformation. Naturally, the statement about its inorganic origin is more favorable for humanity; it gives hope that the main resource of the planet will not be depleted at all. But this theory says that carbon and hydrogen seep into the bowels of the Earth after tens or hundreds of years. Therefore, based on these arguments, people will have to create a work schedule at oil wells, as well as calculate all the nuances associated with restoration periods.
Conclusion
A final decision regarding the dispute over the occurrence of this hydrocarbon has not yet been made. Although there is a heated debate on this issue, since the facts confirm both positions to the same extent.
Despite the difference of opinion regarding the origin, people understand that whatever the world's oil reserves, humanity will one day have to look for alternative sources like it. And now scientists are racking their brains to create a prototype, that is, synthesized oil, as well as substances similar to it in properties and composition.
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