The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre is an independent, UK-registered educational charity. The centre is working to raise international public awareness and promote better understanding of the world's oil depletion and peak oil problem. It is based in London and belongs to the New Economics Foundation. ODAC was founded in June 2001 on the belief that an informed public debate about the likely impacts of depleting oil supplies is critically needed. A growing number of experts now predict that world oil production has peaked or will reach its physical peak within the coming decade and then start to permanently decline. The prevailing view of most energy policy-makers and institutions is that near-term oil supply is mainly an economic and geopolitical concern. Under almost any scenario, however, lead time is running short for a smooth transition to new energy systems and a less oil-dependent way of life. On 30 March 2012, the activities of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre were taken over by its parent organisation, the New Economics Foundation.
Aims
ODAC aims to engage public interest, stimulate concern and create public-interest momentum for progressive change in energy policy and planning. The organisation disseminates related information as effectively as possible to news media, other opinion-formers and leaders, interest groups and the public at large. It seeks to facilitate information exchanges between and among interested parties and monitors developments in oil-depletion analysis, maintains an up-to-date information base, and offers an advisory service on oil-depletion issues.
History
The organisation was founded by Sarah Astor and Dr. Colin Campbell. In his book Oil Crisis Campbell explains that the Astor family wanted to establish and provide funds for an institute to raise awareness on this issue of oil depletion and peak oil. The first director was Dr. Roger Bentley.
Publications
In 2004, ODAC sponsored Chris Skrebowski's report, called "Oil Field Megaprojects", which analysed data from 68 oil production projects. In November 2005, ODAC published a report after conducting a survey led by Chris Skrebowski, which concluded that oil supply will not meet demand by 2007 or 2008. In June 2007, a report authored by Colin Campbell predicted that peak oil would occur within four years.
Trustees
;Christopher Patey : Formerly Head of Public Affairs and Community Relations, Mobil North Sea Ltd, and author of a book on the history of the company's activities, he is currently a non-executive director of Sponsorship Consulting Ltd, a marketing communications firm. ;Sarah Astor: Co-founder of ODAC and of another UK charity that helps political refugees, she was formerly a trustee of a research charity dedicated to sustainable land-use, agriculture and food systems. ;Dr. Colin Campbell: Former Executive Vice President, Fina Exploration, Norway, he is Chairman and Founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas and Visiting Scientist at Uppsala University in Sweden. He has published three books and numerous articles on oil depletion. ;Richard Hardman, CBE: Former Vice President, Exploration, Amerada Hess International, he is now an oil and gas exploration consultant. He was formerly President of the UKGeological Society, and chairman of the Science and Innovation Strategy Board of the Natural Environment Research Council. ;Roger Harrison: Formerly chairman of a media investment and property company, he was also a non-executive director of three major media companies and chief executive of The Observer newspaper. He is a trustee of several charities, including a social service charity and Elm Farm Research Centre. ;Chris Skrebowski: Editor of Petroleum Review, a monthly magazine published by the Energy Institute in London, he formerly edited Petroleum Economist and was an oil market analyst for the Saudis for eight years. He started his career in the oil industry as a long-term planner for BP, then joined Petroleum Times as a journalist and edited an offshore magazine in the late 1970s. ;David Strahan: David Strahan is an award-winning investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, with many years experience of popularising some of the most difficult and important stories in business and science. He quit the BBC to spend two years researching and writing The Last Oil Shock: A Survival Guide to the Imminent Extinction of Petroleum Man, published by John Murray in April 2007.
