Under almost any scenario, fossil energy will remain the most important energy resource for at least the next few decades. There is a gradual shift toward natural gas as a preferred fuel due to climate impacts of fuel burning, primarily impacts from the use of coal. However, gas production will need to increase to meet demand, and exploration for new sources will need to continue in order to find additional reserves.
Oil is likely to very important as the primary transportation fuel.
In order to meet these needs, improvements are needed in the both exploration and production technology. These improvements include better and more cost effective techniques for exploration drilling of reservoirs. Better understanding of petroleum reservoir evolution, better seismic imaging and processing techniques, methods for understanding the effects of reservoir heterogeneity, are all needed in order to reduce the investment risks associated with meeting the demand for these fuels.