Alice Friedmann https://energyskeptic.com/2025/we-already-have-a-date-for-the-zenith-of-civilization-2025-2026/

https://www.eia.gov/pressroom/releases/press565.php Global production https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/data/browser/#/?v=6&f=A&s=0&start=1997&end=2026&id=&utm_medium=PressOps&linechart=COPR_WORLD&ctype=linechart&maptype=0&map=

Finley Cox https://www.energytrendsinsider.com/

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OIL

• Adding these together: 1,675 billion (mined) + 1,600 billion (remaining) = 3,275 billion barrels. This represents the total estimated recoverable oil originally present.

GAS

• Total Global Proven Reserves Remaining: ~208 trillion cubic meters (7,350 trillion cubic feet).

• Cumulative Gas Mined So Far: ~139.6 trillion cubic meters (4,930 trillion cubic feet).

• Total Original Recoverable Gas: ~347.6 trillion cubic meters (12,280 trillion cubic feet).

OIL DEPTH

Some key observations from the data:

1. First Commercial Well (1859):

• Drake Well in Pennsylvania was only 69.5 feet deep
• This marked the beginning of the commercial oil industry

2. Early Period (1859-1900):

• Most wells were less than 1,000 feet deep
• Located in easily accessible oil fields

3. Mid-Century (1930-1960):

• Average depths increased to 3,000-5,000 feet
• Better drilling technology enabled deeper wells

4. Modern Era (1970-Present):

• Depths commonly exceed 10,000 feet
• Some ultra-deep wells reach 30,000+ feet
• Offshore wells can be even deeper

5. Factors Driving Deeper Wells:

• Depletion of shallow reserves
• Better drilling technology
• Higher oil prices making deeper wells economical
• Need to access unconventional reserves

This trend continues today, with some modern wells reaching extreme depths, particularly in offshore drilling where wells can extend several miles below the ocean floor.

OR

Early oil era (1900-1930s):

• Most wells were relatively shallow, typically 100-1,000 feet
• Pennsylvania wells averaged 1,000-3,000 feet
• California wells often under 2,000 feet

Mid-century (1940s-1970s):

• Average depths increased to 3,000-6,000 feet
• Some wells reaching 10,000+ feet
• Offshore drilling beginning to go deeper

Modern era (1980s-present):

• Onshore wells commonly 6,000-10,000 feet
• Deep offshore wells 15,000-25,000 feet
• Some ultra-deep wells exceeding 30,000 feet
• Horizontal sections in fracking wells often extend 5,000-10,000 feet laterall

Have we already maxed out the depth?

From analyzing global drilling data and depth trends:

We have largely maxed out economically viable depths in most major oil-producing regions. Here’s why:

• Almost all new wells are being drilled at depths that have already been explored (5,000-15,000 feet)
• The industry has largely abandoned ultra-deep drilling projects (>25,000 feet) due to:
  • Extremely high costs
  • Technical challenges
  • Poor success rates
  • Better returns from shallower horizontal drilling/fracking

In most established oil regions:

• The deepest viable oil-bearing formations have been identified
• New drilling targets similar depths to existing wells
• Focus has shifted to horizontal reach rather than vertical depth
• Companies are returning to previously drilled depths with better technology

There are some exceptions:

• A few frontier basins remain where deeper oil might exist
• Some ultra-deep exploration continues in places like the Gulf Coast
• New technology might make deeper drilling more viable

But overall, the industry trend suggests we’ve reached the practical maximum depth for land-based oil wells given current technology and economics. The focus has shifted to extracting more oil from known depths rather than drilling deeper.