With regard to the Saudi ultimate oil supply role, the Saudi Minister of Petroleum & Mineral Resources, Mr. Al-Naimi, made the following statement in an interview (OGJ, Apr. 5, 2004, p. 18): "My firm belief is that the last barrel of oil produced is going to be from Saudi Arabia. And that's not based on wishful thinking; that's based on my relationship with the Saudi oil industry."
I do not want to discuss the above claim, but only to ask the honourable Minister: whose technologies will be applied to produce that last Saudi oil barrel? Whose money will be spent to develop these technologies, and why the outside world should believe in his claim?
Saudi Arabia has produced oil since the first half of the last century. And at least in the last 20 years at a level of almost 8 million bo/d. In comparison to this Saudi daily oil production, which makes around 10% of world's daily production, I do not see the equivalent share/contribution by Saudi Arabia to develop new, front-end, or emerging technologies—neither for the upstream, nor for the downstream side. We have seen in the last years many new technologies developedU for exploration, drilling, production, recovery, pipe lining, refining, etc. I wish some of these technologies would have come from Saudi Arabia (not at 10% as World/Saudi Arabia daily oil production ratio is, but at 1% or even less).
It is good for a minister to be optimistic with regard his country's future long-term objectives, but it is better to have the road map showing the way to get there (only wishful thinking is not enough)!
H. Murtada
Petroleum & Energy Engineering Consultant
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
