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Oil & Gas

Factors That Will Influence Oil and Gas Supply and Demand in the 21st Century

Stephen A. Holditch^a1 and Russell R. Chianelli^a2

^a1 Texas A&M University, USA

^a2 University of Texas at El Paso, USA

Abstract

A recent report published by the National Petroleum Council (NPC) in the United States predicted a 50–60% growth in total global demand for energy by 2030. Because oil, gas, and coal will continue to be the primary energy sources during this time, the energy industry will have to continue increasing the supply of these fuels to meet this increasing demand. Achieving this goal will require the exploitation of both conventional and unconventional reservoirs of oil and gas in an environmentally acceptable manner. Such efforts will, in turn, require advancements in materials science, particularly in the development of materials that can withstand high-pressure, high-temperature, and high-stress conditions.

Stephen A. Holditch can be reached at Department of Petroleum Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3116 TAMU-507 Richardson Bldg., College Station, TX 77843–3116, USA; tel. 979–845–2255, and e-mail steve.holditch@pe.tamu.edu.

Holditch is the head of the Petroleum Engineering Department at Texas A&M University. From 1999 to 2003, Holditch was a Schlumberger Fellow, where he was a production and reservoir engineering advisor to the top managers within Schlumberger. Holditch was president of S.A. Holditch and Associates, Inc. from 1977 to 1999. In addition, Holditch was SPE president in 2002, and he was SPE vice president of fnance from 1998 to 2000. As an SPE Offcer, Holditch served on the SPE Board of Directors from 1998 to 2003. Holditch also served as an AIME Trustee from 1997 to 1998. In 1995, he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and in 2006, he was elected as an honorary member of SPE and AIME. Holditch has published more than 150 technical papers.

Russell R. Chianelli can be reached at The University of Texas at El Paso, 300 Burges Hall, El Paso, TX 79968–0555, USA; tel. 915–747–7555, fax 915–747–6007, and e-mail chianell@utep.edu.

Chianelli is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and director of the Materials Research and Technology Institute at The University of Texas at El Paso. He received his PhD degree in chemistry and physics from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1974. From 1973 to 1996, Chianelli was a senior research associate at Corporate Research Laboratories Exxon Research and Engineering Co. He also was president of the Materials Research Society 1990. In addition, he is currently the Texas Governor of the American Bio-fuels Council. Chianelli has authored more than 145 refereed publications and 55 U.S. patents.