Twilight in the Desert The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy [Paperback]

Twilight in the Desert reveals a Saudi oil and production industry that could soon approach a serious, irreversible decline. In this exhaustively researched book, veteran oil industry analyst Matthew Simmons draws on his three-plus decades of insider experience and more than 200 independently produced reports about Saudi petroleum resources and production operations. He uncovers a story about Saudi Arabia’s troubled oil industry, not to mention its political and societal instability, which differs sharply from the globally accepted Saudi version. It’s a story that is provocative and disturbing, based on undeniable facts, but until now never told in its entirety. Twilight in the Desert answers all readers’ questions about Saudi oil and production industries with keen examination instead of unsubstantiated posturing, and takes its place as one of the most important books of this still-young century.

Illustrations ix

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xxi

PART ONE FROM BEDOUIN TO BOURGEOISIE 1

1 The Birth of a Nation 5

2 The History of Major Saudi Arabian Oil Discoveries 23

3 Saudi Arabia's Road to Oil Market Dominance 43

4 The Veil of Secrecy over Saudi Oil Reserves and Production 69

PART TWO THE EBBING OF THE SAUDI OIL BOUNTY 99

5 Saudi Aramco 101

6 Oil Is Not Just Another Commodity 129

PART THREE GIANTS AT THE TIPPING POINT 149

7 Ghawar, the King of Oilfields 151

8 The Second-Tier Oilfields 181

9 The Best of the Rest 199

10 Coming Up Empty in New Exploration 231

11 Turning to Natural Gas 245

PART FOUR TWILIGHT IN THE DESERT 261