4. United States
Production (1,000 b/d): 9,430.8
Proven reserves (millions of barrels): 36,385
Years of production left at current level: 10 years
2015 import of crude oil (1,000 b/d): 7,351.0
2015 import of petroleum products (1,000 b/d): 2,050.0
We are continuing our list of countries that are running out of oil with the United States and their oil reserves that are a somewhat controversial topic. The proven reserves of some 36 billion barrels are the highest in United States history. However, in their Statistical Review of World Energy published in June 2016, BP claims that the figure is actually 55 billion. To complicate things further, there are large reserves of oil and natural gas in Outer Continental Shelf, estimated between 66.6 and 115.1 billion barrels, which are currently off limits to oil companies due to US legislation. When all of this is put together, United States have the largest oil reserves in the world, easily surpassing those of Saudi Arabia and Russia and have no business being among the top 10 countries that are running out of oil. However, we decided to go with the OPEC and US Energy Information Administration numbers, since they represent the only proven amount.
