Countries that are major oil producers. Black gold: ranking of countries by oil production

We were able to develop our economy thanks to the implementation of the main resource. But the dynamic growth of indicators would have been impossible if the developing states had not united.

Oil-producing country groups

Before figuring out what organizations exist that regulate the production of crude oil and the conditions for its sale, it is necessary to understand which states are included in them. Thus, the main exporters of oil are the countries where it is produced. At the same time, the states that are world leaders produce more than a billion barrels annually.

Experts divide all countries into several groups:

OPEC members;

USA and Canada;

North Sea countries;

Other large states.

World leadership belongs to the first group.

The history of the creation of OPEC

The international organization that brings together the major oil exporters is often referred to as a cartel. It was created by several countries in order to stabilize prices for the main raw material. This organization is called OPEC (OPEC - The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries).

The main oil exporting countries, which belonged to the developing countries, united back in 1960. This historic event took place at the September conference in Baghdad. The initiative was supported by five countries: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Venezuela. This happened after the 7 largest transnational oil companies, which were also called the "Seven Sisters", unilaterally lowered the purchase prices for oil. After all, depending on its value, they were forced to pay rent for the right to develop deposits and taxes.

But the newly independent states wanted to control oil production on their territory and monitor the exploitation of resources. And given the fact that in the 1960s the supply of this raw material exceeded demand, one of the goals of the creation of OPEC was to prevent a further decline in prices.

Beginning of work

After the creation of the international organization, the oil exporting countries began to join it. So, during the 1960s, the number of states that joined OPEC doubled. Indonesia, Qatar, Libya, Algeria joined the organization. At the same time, a declaration was adopted that consolidated the oil policy. It stated that countries have the right to maintain constant control over their resources and to ensure that they are used in the interests of their development.

The major oil exporters in the world took full control of the production of flammable liquids in the 1970s. It was on the activities of OPEC that the prices set for the raw resource began to depend. During this period, other oil exporting countries also joined the organization. The list expanded to 13 members, including Ecuador, Nigeria and Gabon.

Necessary reforms

The 1980s became a rather difficult period. Indeed, at the beginning of this decade, prices have increased unprecedentedly. But by 1986 they had decreased, and the price had been set at about $ 10 per barrel. This was a significant blow, affecting all oil exporting countries. OPEC managed to stabilize the cost of raw materials. At the same time, a dialogue was established with states that are not part of this organization. Also, oil production quotas were set for OPEC members. The cartel agreed on a pricing mechanism.

The importance of OPEC

To understand the trends in the world oil market, it is important to know how the OPEC's influence on the situation has changed. So, in the early 1970s, the participating countries controlled only 2% of the national production of this raw material. Already in 1973, the states achieved that 20% of oil production came under their control, and by the 1980s, more than 86% of the total resource production became subject to them. With this in mind, the oil-exporting countries that joined OPEC have become an independent dominant force in the market. by that time they had already lost their strength, because the states, whenever possible, nationalized the entire oil industry.

General trends

But not all oil-exporting countries were part of a specialized ). Russia, which occupies a leading position in terms of the volume of production of this resource, in 1998 became an observer in the cartel.

Currently, OPEC members account for 40% of the world's oil production. Moreover, they own 80% of the proven reserves of this raw material. The organization can change the required level, increasing or decreasing it at its discretion. At the same time, most of the states involved in the development of deposits of this resource are working at full capacity.

Major exporters

Now OPEC members are 12 countries. Some states involved in the development of the resource base operate independently. For example, these are such major oil exporters as Russia and the United States. They are not subject to the influence of OPEC, the organization does not dictate to them the conditions for the extraction and sale of this raw material. But they are forced to come to terms with the global trends set by the countries participating in the cartel. At the moment, Russia and the United States occupy leading positions in the world market along with Saudi Arabia. In terms of the production of flammable liquids, each state accounts for more than 10%.

But this is not all the main oil exporting countries. The list of dozens of leaders also includes China, Canada, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates.

Now in more than 100 different states there are oil deposits, in which field development is underway. But the volume of extracted resources, of course, is incomparably small compared to those owned by the largest oil exporting countries.

Other organizations

OPEC is the most significant association of oil-producing states, but not the only one. For example, in the 1970s, the International Energy Agency was organized. 26 countries immediately became its members. The IEA does not regulate the activities of exporters, but the main importers of raw materials. The task of this agency is to develop mechanisms of interaction that are necessary in crisis situations. So, it was the strategies he developed that made it possible to somewhat reduce the influence of OPEC on the market. The main recommendations of the IEA were that countries should develop optimal routes for the movement of raw materials in the event of an embargo and carry out other necessary organizational measures. This has contributed to the fact that not only the largest oil exporters can now dictate the conditions on the market.

Bauxite mining in 2005 Bauxite is one of the most important aluminum ores. Contents ... Wikipedia

Main article: Fisheries List of countries by fish catching ranked by year and volume (metric tons) an informational list of countries that are the largest catch (catch) of fish. Manufacturing Data source: Food and ... Wikipedia

Gas production This list of countries producing natural gas is based on estimates by the US CIA, published ... Wikipedia

Iron ore production (thousand tons): 500,000+ ... Wikipedia

This list of countries producing coal in 2010 is based on the Statistical Review of World Energy, published in 2011 by BP. According to the Central Dispatch Office of the Fuel and Energy Complex of the Russian Federation (CDU TEK), in ... ... Wikipedia

Natural gas is a mixture of gases formed in the bowels of the Earth during the anaerobic decomposition of organic substances. Natural gas is classified as a mineral. Natural gas in reservoir conditions (conditions of occurrence in the earth's interior) is located in ... ... Wikipedia

Sectional view of a coal mine: 1 drifts; 2 coal seams; 3 slope; 4 walks; 5 shaft shafts; 6 administrative life ... Wikipedia

- (United States of America), USA (USA), state in Sev. America. Pl. 9363.2 thousand km2. Hac. 242.1 million people (1987). The capital is Washington. B adm. relation to the territory. The United States is divided into 50 states and the federal (metropolitan) District of Columbia. Office language… … Geological encyclopedia

Europe- (Europe) Europe is a densely populated highly urbanized part of the world named after the mythological goddess, which together with Asia forms the continent of Eurasia and has an area of ​​about 10.5 million km² (about 2% of the total area of ​​the Earth) and ... Investor encyclopedia

This article or section needs revision. Please improve the article according to the rules for writing articles ... Wikipedia

Oil is the main energy resource of the planet today. It is no coincidence that it is also called black gold. Which countries are leading in oil production today in the world? You will learn about this from our article.

Worldwide oil reserves

To answer the question: "Which countries are leading in oil production today in the world?", One should clearly distinguish between the concepts of "oil reserves" and "oil production".

Scientists mean the volume of a resource that can be extracted from the earth's interior with modern technology development by global oil reserves. There are several classifications of these reserves: they can be explored, estimated, prospective, presumably estimated, etc.

There are several units of measurement for global oil reserves. So, in Russia and Great Britain, tons are used to assess this resource, in Canada and Norway - cubic meters, in many other states - barrels.

The total reserves of "black gold" on the planet are estimated today at 240 billion tons. About 70% of these world reserves are concentrated in - which united a number of oil-producing states.

The top five countries leading in oil reserves (as of 2014) look like this: Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran and Iraq.

Leading countries in oil production: the top ten

According to one of the versions of scientists, for the first time this energy resource was extracted from the earth in the eighth century. It happened on Which countries are leading in oil production in the modern world?

The famous researcher of the dynamics of world oil production V.N.Schelkachev highlighted 1979. Before this chronological milestone, the extraction of this resource had doubled every decade. But after 1979, the growth rate of planetary oil production slowed down significantly.

So, the leading countries in oil production today (the percentage of global oil production is indicated in parentheses):

• Saudi Arabia (12.9%);
• Russia (12.7);
• USA (12.3);
• China (5.0)
• Canada (5.0);
• Iran (4.0);
• UAE (4.0);
• Iraq (3.8);
• Kuwait (3.6);
• Venezuela (3.3)

In general, the listed countries produce almost 67% of oil annually.

There is information that the largest oil producing countries on this list may soon swap places. So, in May 2015, the Russian Federation extracted 500 million barrels more from the earth's bowels than Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia's oil industry

Many of the world's leading oil production countries are located in the Middle East. One of them is Saudi Arabia. Oil was first discovered here in 1930. After this event, this Arab state was qualitatively transformed.

Today the entire economy of Saudi Arabia is focused on the export of this energy resource. All deposits of "black gold" in this state are controlled by Saudi Aramco. Oil supplies to the world market bring Saudi Arabia up to 90% of total revenues! Such high volumes of oil production gave impetus to the development of many other countries.

The main consumers of Arabian oil are the United States, as well as the states of East Asia. Despite the fact that Saudi Arabia is the absolute leader in oil production in the world, the standard of living of people in this country is still not high enough.

Features of the oil industry in Russia

Russia is the richest country on the planet in terms of reserves of various minerals. In addition to oil, natural gas, coal and non-ferrous metals are mined here on a huge scale.

In Russia, "black gold" is not only mined, but also actively processed, producing a whole range of petroleum products: gasoline, fuel oil, diesel fuel, etc. However, the quality of these products is still not high enough, which is a major problem for their successful export to the world market. ...

In recent years, the situation in Russia has improved somewhat. In particular, financial injections (investments) in this industry have increased. The depth of oil refining is also gradually growing - today this figure in Russia is about 71%.

Oil production and refining in the USA

The United States of America is one of the three largest global producers of oil and petroleum products. At the same time, the state not only exports "black gold", but also actively buys it from other countries. Surprising fact: the United States consumes 4 times more oil annually than it produces.

1,761 - this is the number of drilling rigs operating in the United States today. 56 of them extract crude oil from the offshore shelf.

In American oil production, first of all, three states should be distinguished: these are Alaska, California and Texas. In addition, the United States has a so-called Strategic Petroleum Reserve - a strategic oil reserve, which should be enough for the country for 90 days (in case of unforeseen situations). This reserve is dispersed throughout the United States and is stored in underground salt domes.

Finally...

So, the leading countries in oil production on the planet are Saudi Arabia, Russia, as well as the United States. These states extract from the land about 37% of the world's total production of this resource.

Despite the development of alternative types of energy, petroleum products remain the most important resource on the planet. Hydrocarbon raw materials are used for the manufacture of motor and turbine fuels, lubricants, solvents, plastics, dyes, additives and other products.

Countries on all continents are involved in the production and refining of oil. Exploration activities have shown where the most hydrocarbon-rich deposits are located. Let's talk about extracting valuable raw materials from the bowels and present a rating of countries in terms of oil production.

Features of oil production in different countries

Black gold mining is a technologically complex process. To do this, it is necessary to explore the field, drill a well and build everything that is necessary for long-term production. At least three methods of extracting oil products from the bowels are known:

• artificial lift by gas lift method;
• gushing method based on pressure difference;
• using pumping equipment.

A number of fields are characterized by high pressure, due to which it is easy to lift hydrocarbons. As a rule, natural pressure allows producing up to 15% of the well volume. This is how the well is developed using the primary method. When natural forces can no longer lift hydrocarbons to the surface, a secondary method is used. It consists in pumping gas or water into the well, under the pressure of which the oil is pulled out.

Sample of produced oil

Viscosity plays a huge role in the mobility of raw materials. The lower it is, the easier the mining process is. In the case of high viscosity, the tertiary method is used, which consists in heating the resource or in the introduction of surfactants.

The use of the latter method is the most costly, therefore, specialists make calculations of the profitability of oil production before starting work. These methods are used only when others are completely exhausted.

Consider the leaders of the hydrocarbon raw materials market, evaluate the data on the cost of oil production by country.

Ranking of countries in terms of oil production

Despite the fact that in some countries the deposits are empty, these raw materials continue to play a leading role in influencing the global economy. We present the top 10 countries in oil production, tell you about the peculiarities of their economies, the cost of raw materials at the exit and the impact of production on world processes.

In the countries that occupy leading positions, the cost of raw materials extracted from the subsoil can differ significantly. The difference of $ 4-5 per barrel of oil is considered significant because:

• at a high cost, income from profits falls;
• the lower the amount of costs, the easier it is to extract from the technological point of view.

Everyone who follows the news has heard of shale oil at least once. This is a good case in point, as the exploration companies are on average 3 times more expensive than those with conventional raw materials.

Shale hydrocarbon exports are not profitable if the average price per barrel is below USD 70-80. We present a list of countries with the largest oil production in the world.

10th place - Venezuela

The economy of this country is built on the extraction of black gold. In addition to revenues from oil exports, there is a clear disadvantage in this: 95% of revenues from external sales were the cause of the global crisis with falling prices for raw materials. It is noted that the inflation process was not stopped by the government, and today it amounted to 1,300,000%. The results are disappointing:

• citizens' incomes fell;
• a political crisis has arisen;
• imported goods were in short supply, there was a threat of hunger.

Hyperinflation Indicators in Venezuela

Problems arose in the state, where the cost of hydrocarbon production is $ 30-45. Work is underway in the Orinoco Basin, where heavy bituminous oil is concentrated. Venezuela is a member of OPEC, the organization controls almost 2/3 of its raw material reserves.

The country has the largest deposits of black gold in the world (about 300 billion barrels), producing only 124.1 million tons per year.

9th place - Kuwait

A small Asian state is a member of OPEC, has 9% of the world's black gold reserves. Due to the fact that the countries of the Persian Gulf, including Kuwait, have a small population, they do not feel an acute crisis when prices for hydrocarbons fall.

Main oil fields:

• Big Burgan;
• Rumaila (shares with Iraq);
• Raudhatine;
• Safania-Khafji (shares with Saudi Arabia).

Oil refinery in Kuwait

The country's annual production is 152.7 tons.

8th place - United Arab Emirates

The discovery of light hydrocarbons in the UAE has transformed the country from least developed to prosperous in two decades. The Arabs staked not only on the extraction of raw materials, but also on its processing, foreign trade, and the development of ports. The crisis of 2014, with a fall in the cost per barrel, had almost no effect on the country with a population of 5.5 million people.

UAE cities were built on funds received from the sale of black gold

Most of the reserves are concentrated in the Abu Dhabi region. The cost of 1 barrel is $ 4-5. The UAE annually extracts 182.4 million tons, occupying one of the leading places in oil production.

7th place - People's Republic of China

China discovered reserves of black gold at the beginning of the 20th century, having started mining in a primitive way. Despite the fact that work in the 80s was carried out at an active pace, in 1993 the PRC began to import raw materials and products from it.

The location of the largest oil field in the PRC is highlighted in yellow

The PRC is the owner of the world's largest strategic hydrocarbon reserves. The main volumes are concentrated in the east of the country in the foothills of the Tien Shan. The PRC extracts 199.7 tons per year, no official data on the cost of the work has been provided.

6th place - Canada

The main importer of Canadian crude oil is its neighbor, the United States. Canada is the largest holder of proven reserves of black gold. In this rating, it ranks second after Venezuela with an indicator of 178.9 billion barrels.

The cost of production is $ 16-20, they are carried out in the sands of Alberta, where the oil is heavy, bituminous. This is the reason for the high cost. In order to raise the oily mixture to the surface, a large amount of fresh water is used. Almost half of light raw materials from the provinces of Labrador and Newfoundland were produced by 2018.

Aerial view of drilling sites and roads to them in the province of Alberta

Estimated volume of extracted black gold - 216 million tons per year.

5th place - Iran

Iran is one of the largest exporters of OPEC oil. Work in this country remains profitable even at extremely low prices for raw materials, since the cost does not exceed $ 6.

Despite the sanctions pressure from the United States, it is the largest economy in the Middle East. Only 45% of Iran's income comes from oil exports, extracting 218 million tons from the bowels annually.

4th place - Iraq

The oil and gas basin of the Persian Gulf could make Iraq one of the richest countries in the world. This was hindered by the policy of the authorities, the war in Iraq and the subsequent expansion by terrorist groups that had been controlling the oil fields for a long time.

Refinery in Iraq

The largest field is Er-Rumaila, according to geological exploration data, the reserves amount to almost 5.2 billion tons. Today, the largest pools have been returned to the government's control, Iraq is pursuing an active policy in the world oil market, either reducing work or increasing it. The official data on the extraction of reserves is 218.9 tons.

3rd place - USA

The largest black gold deposit in the United States is located in Alaska and is called Prudhoe Bay (volume - 3.5 billion tons). As the largest economy in the world, the country is almost independent of world energy prices. The country is a leader in the production of paper, cars, airplanes, helicopters.

A number of companies in the country are experiencing difficulties in connection with the drop in oil prices, as they are exploring for shale oil. This product was formed in the layers of the earth's crust as a result of decay of plant and animal remains. Extraction is a complex hydraulic fracturing process. The main reasons for the high cost price:

Major regions of shale oil production in the United States

The price of the work is estimated at $ 40-60. Developed industries allow the country to import raw materials from Canada, process them and export finished products around the world.

2nd place - Russian Federation

The mining industry accounts for 9.1% of the Russian economy. It is consistently ranked among the leading countries in oil production. The largest deposit in Russia is Samotlorskoe in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (6.2 billion tons). The total reserves are 80 billion barrels.

Production at the Samotlor field

According to the IMF estimates, the profitability of the Russian economy from the extracted part of oil does not exceed 40%. The country is trying to rebuild its economy so that it does not depend on the prices of petroleum products. Nevertheless, today it lags far behind in the rates of industrial development and the availability of machine tools. The annual production rate is 554.3 million tons. The cost price ranges from $ 6 to $ 30.

1st place - Saudi Arabia

The first place in oil production is occupied by Saudi Arabia, annually extracting 585.7 million tons from the subsoil. She also owns its huge reserves, estimated at 268.3 billion barrels. It is noteworthy that the reliability of the information was denied by WikiLeaks.

Saudi Arabia is the world's leading oil producer

The country's strong dependence on the prices of petroleum products caused a serious crisis in the late 1990s. Saudi Arabia is the main player in OPEC, which from time to time tries to negotiate with Russia to reduce the rate of extraction of raw materials.

Control over the fields is held by the main oil market company of the country, Saudi Aramco.

Is a valuable mineral that has a huge impact on the world economy. Oil prices are a determining factor for the formation of the budget of many countries, and some countries in the Middle East are entirely dependent on the export of "black gold".

Types and classification of oil

Crude oil is the main raw material for the production of motor fuels. The share of oil consumption in the total world energy consumption is 34%. In addition, oil is used to obtain synthetic rubbers, plastics and plasticizers, various additives and dyes. About 9% of all oil produced in the world is spent on the production of these materials.

The quality of crude oil depends on its composition and chemical characteristics. Oil is a mixture of about a thousand different substances, most of which, approximately 80-90%, are liquid hydrocarbons. Crude oil also contains water, about 10%, which is separated during the refining process.

The quality characteristics of crude oil are density, sulfur content and particle size distribution. These indicators determine the grades of oil and affect the quality of the oil products obtained from it.

Density is the most important quality characteristic. It depends on the amount of paraffinic carbons and resins in the crude oil. The density of oil is measured in g / cc. see, as well as in special units - API degrees. API degrees were developed in the USA by the American Petroleum Institute.

This value characterizes the ratio of the density of oil to the density of water at the same temperature. API degrees are inversely proportional to relative density - the higher the API degrees, the lower the oil density. If the API value is less than 10, oil sinks in water, if more than 10, it floats on its surface. The relative density of oil ranges from 0.73 to 1.04 g / cu. see According to density, oil is classified into the following types:

• Extra light - density 0.78 - 0.82 g / cu. cm (41.1 - 50 degrees API);
• Light (light) - density 0.82 - 0.87 g / cu. cm (31.1 - 40 degrees API);
• Medium - density 0.87 - 0.92 g / cu. cm (22.3 - 31 API degrees);
• Heavy - density 0.92 - 1 g / cu. cm (10 - 22.3 API degrees);
• Extra heavy - density over 1 g / cu. cm (less than 10 degrees API).

The lower the density of oil, the more high-quality oil products are obtained as a result of its processing. Another qualitative indicator depends on the density of oil - the fractional composition.

The oil fraction is a group of hydrocarbons that boil off at a certain temperature. Each fraction has its own temperature range with temperatures of the beginning and end of boiling, these temperatures are called boiling range. Crude oil consists of the following fractions:

• Gasoline (temperature range 32 - 105 degrees Celsius);
• Naphtha (temperature range 105 - 160 degrees Celsius);
• Kerosene (temperature range 160 - 230 degrees Celsius);
• Gas oil (temperature range 230 - 430 degrees Celsius);
• Fuel oil (boiling point over 430 degrees Celsius).

The percentage of fractions differs depending on the density of the oil. Light grades contain more gasoline, naphtha and kerosene, while heavy grades contain more fuel oil and gas oil.

By the amount of sulfur, they are distinguished:

• Low-sulfur oil, sulfur content up to 0.5%;
• Medium-sulfur oil, sulfur content 0.51 - 2%;
• Sour crude, sulfur content over 2%.

The presence of sulfur in crude oil makes it difficult to process, so the higher the sulfur content, the cheaper the oil is.