Oil, gas and the environment: what approach by R and D in exploration-production for the end of the century

This article begins by recalling a statement made at the 15th World Energy Council (Madrid, September 1992): 'during the next 30 years, fossil energy sources will continue to be the basis for all energy supplies'. By looking at the conditions of this assertion within a difficult geopolitical context, it shows that one of the privileged routes is to increase research efforts to make scientific and technological advances that will make it possible to fulfill the demand for oil and gas at the start of the 21st century. The R and D effort required to make oil and gas technologies available for the next decade calls for concerted research to be done, for only coordinated research will prevent the dispersal of French efforts. Increasing economically exploitable reserves, mastering production costs and reducing the costs of 'gas chains' from producing fields to consumer regions, while ensuring environmental production, are the challenges that have to be faced. To cope with these expectations for the industry, great research efforts must be made in the corresponding scientific areas so as to gain a better understanding of phenomena and to develop the most suitable solutions. All in all, scientific and technological progress required for the increasing of economically exploitable reserves, for gaining greater accessibility to oil and gas resources, and to better target use of energy in the face of environmental production, require an appreciable increase in research efforts. Such a policy is inconceivable without having recourse to more widespread partnership and without incentives and substantial financing by both French and European public authorities. 11 figs., 3 plates