The future: How much is left?

Since crude oil is a naturally occuring product and has not yet been produced in chemical laboratories, we are down to a limited supply and will eventually run out. Some predict that at the rate in which we are producing and consuming crude oil now, we will run out by the early 2000's.  The conservation of oil has become a necessity for all nations, and particularly the nations that use the most.  The US, for example, has been estimated to currently be using 25% of the oil produced in the world.  With a conservation program, the US could cut the current use of oil almost in half.  For example, consumers could travel less by car, and convserving heat ( by lowering furnistat settings for example). There are many other ways in which consumers have learned to conserve energy to lower the supply of fuel used.

The oil industry has made an effort to conserve oil.  In most states in the Unite States and in Canada there are commissions to regulate the production of oil in the industries. One job of the commissions is to be sure that the companies are recovering the oil efficiently.  Without these commissions the oil fields would soon become over used and oil could potentially be wasted.  This is classified as oil-field conservation.  If two companies are sharing the same oil field, they agree to work as a unit in order to extract the maximum amount of oil.  Refinery conservation is another classification of conservation by the oil industry.  In this aspect, companies aim at reducing the amount of heat energy used in refining.  Most refineries have rigs called heat exhangers which are devices that recycle heat from the refining processes.  Many plants use computers to regulate heat and furnaces.  Insulating pipes, tanks and other refinery equipment are also used in conserving heat energy.

The car pictured to the left is a general motors electric car, which plugs into a standard 110 volt outlet.

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