Oil

Production, consumption and proven reserves of crude oil. Production and consumption are given in thousands of barrels per day (kb/d), reserves in billions of barrels (Gb). Oil remains the world's leading source of primary energy and the largest commodity in international trade: its geography explains a great deal about alliances and crises since 1945.

Statistical Review of World Energy from the Energy Institute, which took over BP's historical publication, from 1965 to 2024. "Proven reserves" is an economic notion, not a geological one: it denotes the oil recoverable under current technical and price conditions. Reserves therefore rise when prices rise, and several producing states declare them without independent audit.

Comparing the three views is the whole point of the map. Production draws the rent; consumption draws the dependency; the gap between them draws the flows and the balance of power. Reserves indicate who will still matter in thirty years.

Three countries each produce more than ten million barrels a day — the United States, Saudi Arabia and Russia — and together supply close to 40% of world output. The shale revolution made the United States the world's leading producer from 2018, after forty years of import dependence. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven reserves while producing very little: the resource does not make the power.