ENERGY FROM FOSSIL FUELS HUBBERT 



259 



The world production of petroleum is shown graphically in figure 

 2 (3). The first commercial production of petroleum was begun in 

 1857 in Rumania. Two years later the first oil well in the United 

 States was completed. From these beginnings, with only an oc- 

 casional setback, the world production of petroleum has increased 

 spectacularly, reaching, by the end of 1947, an annual rate of 477 



WORLD PRODUCTION OF PETROLEUM 



600 



E — 



«? 2 400 



o -^ 



a> 



E 



3 t> 



300 



200 



2 = 



100 



I860 1880 1900 1920 1940 



Time (years) 



FlGtTRE 2. 



I960 



1980 



million cubic meters (3 billion United States barrels). From 1860 

 to 1929 the rate of production doubled, on the average, every 7i/2 years, 

 or at an average annual rate of increase of slightly more than 9 per- 

 cent. Since 1929 the rate of increase has declined somewhat and 

 the doubling period increased to about 15 years. 



Again, to appreciate the brevity of time during which most of this 

 has occurred, the cumulative production by the end of 1947 was 9.17 

 billion cubic meters (57.7 billion United States barrels). Of this, 

 one-half has been produced and consumed since 1937, and 97 percent 

 since 1900. 



