Who correctly predicted the peak oil production point of the forty-eight contiguous U.S. states?

• A. M. King
• B. Kuhn
• C. Piketty
• D. Hubbert

Answer: (D)

This question hinges on peak oil theory: for a finite resource like oil, production over time tends to follow a bell-shaped curve—rising as discoveries and development accelerate, then peaking and declining as remaining reserves become harder to extract. The person who first and most famously applied this idea to the United States and accurately predicted the peak for the contiguous states is M. King Hubbert. He argued that U.S. oil production would reach a maximum and then level off and fall, estimating the lower-48 states would peak around 1970. The actual production history shows the peak occurring near that time, which is why his prediction is considered correct. The other figures listed are known for work in other fields and did not forecast this oil-production peak.