I have now got an e-mail from Sadad Al Husseini in which he makes a comment about the Wikileak document. As I have written about the Guardian article I think that I also should publish the information from Sadad Al Husseini. I have great respect for his opinion. I have looked at my blog and I can take the numbers once again. Original oil in place is 716 billion barrels and a recovery factor of 51% gives a total production of 365 Gb. With todays reserve of 260 GB we get that production so far is 105 Gb. A recovery factor of 30% gives a reserve of 109 Gb and a recovery factor of 40% 181 Gb. The question for the future is decline in existing production and compensation with new projects. My big question mark is 14.6 Mb/d production in 2035. /Kjell
Greetings from Dhahran and I hope this e-mail finds you well.
The recently released Wikileak note on comments attributed to me at year end 2007 had so many misrepresentations that I thought I would issue a press release to correct them.
I attach below the text I sent to Thompsonreuters for their release and hope you’ll find it interesting in terms of how discussions can be re-structured to fit specific agendas or media purposes.
Meanwhile best personal wishes and hope this kind of news is the least of our worries.
Sadad
Press Release by Dr. Sadad Al Husseini
February 11, 2011
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
The US Consulate note issued by Wikileaks in regards to Saudi Aramco’s oil reserves, based on a casual 2007 conversation with me, includes many patently inaccurate statements that have been further amplified by errors in the press.
I do not and did not question in any manner the reported reserves of Saudi Aramco which are in fact based on the highest levels of sound and well established engineering and economic principles and practices. Since Saudi Aramco’s proven oil reserves are 260 billion barrels, there is no way I could have said they are in error by 300 billion barrels, a number that exceeds the actual reserves estimate itself.
In fact the US Consulate staff who approached me socially stated that Saudi Aramco’s published proven reserves should be more than tripled to include non-producible oil and oil that has not even been discovered. I defended Saudi Aramco’s professional practices and official reports and confirmed that Saudi Aramco adheres to the highest levels of accepted industry procedures and practices.
In regards to Saudi Aramco’s oil production capacity, the giant multi-billion dollar expansion projects which were funded in recent years are now all a visible reality for the whole industry to see across the Saudi oil fields. This has been an extraordinary accomplishment by Saudi Aramco and its leadership spanning engineering, construction and operations from Khurais in Central Arabia to Shaybah in the Rub al Khali.
All these oil production projects were completed by the end of 2009 and the Kingdom’s total oil production capacity does in fact now stand firmly at 12.5 million barrels per day.
Sadad Al Husseini
Aleklett's Energy Mix 
Friendly neighbour
February 13, 2011
Mr Husseini says one thing to the U.S. embassy in secret and another when pressed for it.
Here is an ASPO video from 2009:
He features in the video from 1:40 and from 5:28.
Some memorable quotes:
“We are going to face shortages in capacity within 2-3 years.”
He also said that he’d been tracking the numbers of investments for a ‘long time’ and that ‘it’s not enough to make up for the declines in the next 5 years. It’s not enough’.
But the most interesting quote what was he had to said about those who were trying to ‘pacify people’
“So, these kind of complacement positions or these centers of information or knowledge that try to pacify people, trying to tell people that there is no challenge, with good intentions are probably comprising the solutions. They’re not helping.”
I can understand if Mr. Husseini feels he needs to backtrack on his previous, more private and discreet comments with fullblown denial when it’s out in the open to remain his politicial ties and friendships.
But that cannot get in the way for Peak Oil, which is far more important. And his quote above fits perfectly on himself. He knows better than this.
SF
February 15, 2011
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3665
If you extrapolate this graph from 2008 to the current year at 8.5 billion gallons per year, it looks like production to date is actually between 130 and 140 billion gallons.
Here is another graph by Laherrere indicating approximately the same if you continue it from 2005.
Martin Larner
March 4, 2011
That’s between 8 and 9 million barrels a day. Sounds about right.