ABSTRACT
Bitumen occurs naturally or is obtained by distillation from coal or petroleum and is used for surfacing roads and for waterproofing. The conventional liquids category includes conventional crude oil, lease condensate, natural gas plant liquids, and refinery gain. A slowdown in consumption is expected in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development regions due to declining populations and much slower overall economic growth rate compared to China and India and the other third world countries outside Africa. Production of nonpetroleum unconventional liquids, such as biofuels, coal to liquid, and gas to liquid, is spurred by sustained high prices for crude oil. The Energy Information Administration estimates assume that existing fields will be depleted but production will be maintained from other sources. In the United States, alternative fuels and transportation technologies face challenges that could impede their ability to slow or halt the consequences of a peak and decline in oil production, unless sufficient time and effort are brought to bear.
