Hirsch Report (PDF)

Several weeks ago the risk management study into Peak Oil known commonly as the Hirsch Report disappeared from the website of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. After enquiries by Energy Bulletin editors the report has been returned to the website, albeit in a new, and temporary location. We were reassured that the document was one of many which by accident did not transfer during a website move in the December holidays. The report is now available at: www.netl.doe.gov/publications/others/pdf/Oil_Peaking_NETL.pdf

Reader dragon_central noted that the document (available widely on private websites) has also been archived by Cornell University: dspace.library.cornell.edu/handle/1813/692

An earlier DOE published report which describes Peak Oil, 'Strategic Significance of America's Oil Shale Resource - Volume I' prepared by the Office of Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, has also disappeared from the DOE website, although we have not yet made enquiries about this one. (Previously at www.fe.doe.gov/programs/reserves/publications/Pubs-NPR/npr_strategic_significancev1.pdf)

This report is archived at the EV World website: www.evworld.com/library/Oil_Shale_Stategic_Significant.pdf

Background:

The Hirsch Report is a risk mitigation study on Peak Oil released in early 2005, commissioned by the US Department of Energy. Prepared by the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and titled "Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation and Risk Management", it is known commonly as the Hirsch Report after its primary author Robert L. Hirsch. The executive summary of the report warns that "as peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation options exist on both the supply and demand sides, but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking."