Kenneth S. Deffeyes
Encyclopedia
Kenneth S. Deffeyes is a geologist
who worked with M. King Hubbert
, the creator of the Hubbert peak theory
, at the Shell Oil Company
research laboratory in Houston, Texas
. Deffeyes holds a B.S. in petroleum geology
from the Colorado School of Mines
and a Ph.D. in geology
from Princeton University
, studying under F.B. van Houten. In 1967 he began teaching at Princeton, where he is now professor emeritus. He claims Chickasaw
ancestry.
In John McPhee
's 1981 book Basin and Range, about the origin of Basin and Range
topography, Deffeyes teaches geology
to McPhee and his readers by analyzing road cuts and the exposed geologic strata
that resulted from the construction of Interstate highway 80.
He is the author of Hubbert's Peak, published in 2001. In 2005 he published the book Beyond Oil: The view from Hubbert's peak
. On February 11, 2006 Deffeyes claimed that world oil production had peaked on December 16, 2005.
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
who worked with M. King Hubbert
M. King Hubbert
Marion King Hubbert was a geoscientist who worked at the Shell research lab in Houston, Texas. He made several important contributions to geology, geophysics, and petroleum geology, most notably the Hubbert curve and Hubbert peak theory , with important political ramifications. He was often...
, the creator of the Hubbert peak theory
Hubbert peak theory
The Hubbert peak theory posits that for any given geographical area, from an individual oil-producing region to the planet as a whole, the rate of petroleum production tends to follow a bell-shaped curve...
, at the Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company
Shell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
research laboratory in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Deffeyes holds a B.S. in petroleum geology
Petroleum geology
Petroleum geology refers to the specific set of geological disciplines that are applied to the search for hydrocarbons .-Sedimentary basin analysis:...
from the Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...
and a Ph.D. in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, studying under F.B. van Houten. In 1967 he began teaching at Princeton, where he is now professor emeritus. He claims Chickasaw
Chickasaw
The Chickasaw are Native American people originally from the region that would become the Southeastern United States...
ancestry.
In John McPhee
John McPhee
John Angus McPhee is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, widely considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction....
's 1981 book Basin and Range, about the origin of Basin and Range
Basin and Range
The Basin and Range Province is a vast physiographic region defined by a unique topographic expression. Basin and Range topography is characterized by abrupt changes in elevation, alternating between narrow faulted mountain chains and flat arid valleys or basins...
topography, Deffeyes teaches geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
to McPhee and his readers by analyzing road cuts and the exposed geologic strata
Stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers...
that resulted from the construction of Interstate highway 80.
He is the author of Hubbert's Peak, published in 2001. In 2005 he published the book Beyond Oil: The view from Hubbert's peak
Beyond Oil
Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert's Peak is a 2006 book by Kenneth S. Deffeyes. Deffeyes is a geologist who warned of the coming oil crisis in a previous book called Hubbert's Peak. In this book he explores the Earth's supply of potential replacement fuels...
. On February 11, 2006 Deffeyes claimed that world oil production had peaked on December 16, 2005.
Quotes
- "Crude oil is much too valuable to be burned as a fuel."
- "The economists all think that if you show up at the cashier's cage with enough currency, God will put more oil in ground."