Yes, there will be no net decline in the aggregate production of hydrocarbons, as measured in BTU's, for hundreds of years. We are currently learning how to de

Yes, there will be no net decline in the aggregate production of hydrocarbons, as measured in BTU's, for hundreds of years. We are currently learning how to develop and consume natural gas, a so-called 3rd-generation hydrocarbon, with a carbon-to-hydrogen ratio of 1-to-4. Natural gas was considered a waste product well into the 20th century. You have to take into account the fact that there are entire classes of hydrocarbons which human civilization has not yet attempted to develop. For example, just this past week, the US DOE published an article in Science announcing the discovery of large methane hydrate deposits in the Gulf of Mexico.