I have been Mr. Geometric Progression--long term prices are best described as a series of doublings, with the caveat that the price of oil is a horserace, IMO, between declining demand and a long term decline in net oil exports. However, if you had held a gun to my head in June and demanded a prediction as to whether oil prices would ever fall below $100 again, at least for an extended time period, I probably would have said no.

Having said that, the average price for 2008 was very slightly below $100, versus $72 for 2007--and $14 for 1998. The current average futures price for 2009 is right at $50, which would be an annual rate of increase of about 12%/year since 1998 (2008 prices increased at 20%/year since 1998).

In any case, the long term net oil export decline rate, IMO, is relentless and almost certainly accelerating. While the current price level will have some effect on exporting countries' consumption, consider the fact that Indonesia rapidly (80% gone in four years) exported all of its post-1996 cumulative net oil exports at an average annual oil price below $40:

By the time that oil prices crossed the $40 annual mark, in 2004, Indonesia--a founding member of OPEC--was a net importer.

The net export decline rate can be thought of as a function of 4 variables: 1)world demand for oil, 2)geologic depletion, 3)internal demand for oil from exporting nations (which could further be broken down between energy and non-energy sectors) and 4)decline rate differential between exporters and non-exporters. The 'relentless decline' in net exports, in 2009, will predominantly be due to a drop in oil demand, not the other 3 factors.

If the average price for both 2009 and 2010 is lower than avg for 2008, what would that change about your outlook? Because there is a subtle snag in your theory - if oil prices plummet (which they have), those countries whose economies are predominantly based on oil export, demand will drop MORE due to wealth effect, then the ROW which has more balanced economies (already, most oil exporters will run fiscal deficits at these prices.)

It's still too early for this to manifest in lower domestic prod #s- we shall see. (and in any case, the low cost production is virtually all located in export land, so lower prices 'hurt' them less than the producers of expensive oil - see below CERA/Horizon graph). In sum, the equation boils down to lower wealth effect on oil concentrated economies + greater reduction in expensive projects in oil importing countries. We shall see which dominates in 2009...

(If we do go into a full-on depression, oil exports are going to drop precipitously)

IMO, the following top 10 exporters are probably in long term terminal net export decline (relative to the 2005 to 2007 levels): Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway, Iran, Venezuela and Mexico (probably also Kuwait & Nigeria).

But the key metric to consider is the net export rate versus the net export depletion rate (depletion marches on regardless of whether production and exports are increasing or decreasing, in fact, higher net exports cause the net export depletion rate to increase).

Our middle case is that the top five net oil exporters--accounting for about half of world net oil exports--have already shipped about one fifth of their post-2005 cumulative net oil exports. One fifth gone, in a little more than a thousand days.

As of January 1, 2009, assuming a current net export rate of 20 mbpd from the top five, our middle case is that they are depleting their post-2008 net cumulative net exports at the rate of about one percent every 50 days. (About 100 GB left, shipping about one Gb every 50 days). For comparison purposes, Indonesia shipped about one percent of their post-1996 cumulative net oil exports about every 18 days from 1997 to 2000, inclusive.

IMO, the net export decline rate--which in 2009 will be a combination of voluntary + involuntary export reductions--will cause the decline in net oil exports to outpace the decline in demand in 2009, pushing oil prices back up.

How would a sharp drop in demand change your numbers?

It helps to keep historical analogues in perspective.

Just eyeballing a Thirties production chart, it appears that world oil consumption only fell in one year, in 1930. As "Downsouth" noted, there were three million more cars on the road in 1937 in the US than in 1929. The key difference regarding auto demand between now and 1929 is that hundreds of millions of people worldwide want to drive a car for the first time now versus millions of people in the 1929.

In the early Eighties, we obviously saw a decline in demand, but the price decline was very gradual (price decline of -6%/year from 1981 to 1985), as Saudi Arabia cut back on exports. The big price decline did not occur until Saudi Arabia boosted their production and exports in 1986 (price decline of -73%/year from 1985 to 1986):

And it remains to be seen if the 2009 average annual oil price will be below the 2008 average price.

I like to use the inflation adjusted oil price shown here:

http://www.wtrg.com/prices.htm

Of course it is a wee bit of problem trying to buy and sell in terms of inflation adjusted dollars. Commerce is done with nominal dollars.

But it's the only way that a graph that includes almost 100 years of price data can be even a little bit relevant.

Quite complicated.

1 Ignoring the economy, there is one demand at 98/b (1/1/08), less demand at 50% higher (147/b 7/08) and more demand down 50% (46/b on 1/2/09). With the economy down and employment falling, there is clearly less demand at each of the above price points than when the economy was at a higher level. US demand could be increasing already on account of lower price - too early to tell. Also, lower price is helping the economy, no doubt this helped retail sales, down a little y/y this xmas season but not as bad as some feared.

2. Saudi is well aware that their own increased output had a lot to do with the price crash, higher supplies coming just as demand was falling on account of high price and a slowing economy. (this increase surprised many at tod, including me, that were expecting permanent declines from the kingdom.)

3. Reducing the supply, as opec is doing, will raise price and further reduce demand. Saudi supposedly wants 75/b... there are growing reports that other members will meet the latest reduced targets. IMO opec is back in the saddle for now, and that price will rebound as time progresses and the cuts take hold. I see now as the ideal time to invest in small us e&p's.

Small US E&Ps? With the above data by CERA showing average barrel to produce in North America is between $60-$80 cost? You better pick the right ones...

For any doubters that ELM is real use this tool to quickly check 100 or so oil producing countries and regions.

Almost all exporting countries with post peak production show declines in exports while domestic consumption remains essentially the same or grows.

http://mazamascience.com/OilExport/

As I said the other day, I really developed the ELM, just a simple mathematical model, to help me understand what happens to net oil exports as production shows a long term exponential decline, with consumption generally, but not always, showing a long term exponential increase. I was, and remain, stunned by the resulting net export decline rate.

As are those of us who have followed your 'simple little model' and get it's implications. Without ELM it's just the bathtub draining w/o noticing the growing elephant standing in the tub drinking his fill. I showed the chart of Indonesia net exports to our two young professional offspring this holiday for a nice family oh shiite moment BTW.

A room full of unhappy elephants can't be wrong. It's the primary reason why I don't see demand related oil price falling much from here. With much lower price the potential for conflict will be much higher and put a floor down IMHO. Low cost producers HAVE to cut, or create tension to bring their production/price in line with the high marginal supply destruction cuts coming from the OECD. Who wants to produce their remaining net barrels for cheap printed script while gold to oil is so far out of whack and their own budget deficits grow?

A new non-bank trillion dollar stimulus (one nation only) that may actually make it's way down to the consumers (who will spend) will buy a ton of gasoline at $1.65 a gallon and these two factors provide the juice to ensure increased economic activity. And ,hey, newly reinfused GMAC will get you into a low interest two for one deal on a shiny new guzzler with a Cobalt on the side. Plenty of fuel tanks around the world to soak up the remaining 100 Gb net export barrels at 1% per 50 days.

Thanks for helping us keep it in perspective WT and a pleasant new year to you.
(It ain't gonna be dull)
I went for $75 to $100 for end 2009 but wouldn't be surprized if it went higher.

xeroid,

looking at the data for Austria in http://mazamascience.com/OilExport/ it does not seem to match up to the data supplied here http://www.indexmundi.com/energy.aspx?country=at&product=gas&graph=produ...

I read in an Austrian newspaper that they produced nearly 20% of their natural gas (sorry no link, only in print).

Here is a link where OMV wants to increase production to 20% of Austria's needs.
http://www.scandoil.com/moxie-bm2/news/omv-strengthens-security-of-suppl...

In the data browser from your link, there is no production shown for Austria. What gives?

It's good to see you are using the tool for gas as well as oil.

The article says that the OMV company intends to expand it's gas production by 20% by 2010, not 20% of Austria's usage.

I think that 0.06 million cubic metres domestic production is an almost insignificant proportion of the ~339 million cubic metres actually used in Austria ... that's about 0.02% of Austria's needs ... certainly not 20%! ... yet.

year production consumption

1980 0.075 186
1981 0.051 159
1982 0.047 154
1983 0.043 157
1984 0.045 175
1985 0.041 188
1986 0.039 182
1987 0.041 190
1988 0.044 181
1989 0.047 195
1990 0.045 215
1991 0.047 228
1992 0.051 224
1993 0.053 235
1994 0.048 242
1995 0.052 262
1996 0.053 281
1997 0.05 271
1998 0.055 279
1999 0.061 285
2000 0.064 272
2001 0.061 288
2002 0.066 291
2003 0.074 315
2004 0.069 317
2005 0.058 339

I think that 0.06 million cubic metres domestic production

Looking at this link http://www.indexmundi.com/energy.aspx?country=at&product=gas&graph=produ...

I think you will see that it is 0.06 trillion and not million.

Yes, sorry, all trillions ... production and consumption.

Production is so little it doesn't even show up at this scale.

http://www.indexmundi.com/energy.aspx?country=at&product=gas&graph=produ...

Thanks for replying.

It appears the the newspaper I read ( Kleinezeitung) picked up on the 20% increase reported by Oil & Gas and reported it as 20% of consumption. Very reassuring for it's readers, but also total mis-information.

Sorry for wasting your time. :-(

Dave