what will we do when crude oil runs out?

Question: what will we do when crude oil runs out?
- Keywords:
  crude,
  energy,
  environment,
  future,
  oil,
  run out,
  sustainable
Asked by pasha8 to Indi, Jarv, John, Ken, Vicky on 15 Mar 2012.
- Vicky Young answered on 15 Mar 2012:
  
  Well it is unlikely that we will ever fully run out. Currently we are still finding oil all over the world and with new advances in engineering we can drill deeper than before so old oil fields are not being revisited. Also as the oil does start to run out the price will go up and up until it can only be affordable by companies who need it to manufacture expensive molecules.
  
  There are alternatives however! Biofules are awesome and can replace fuel in the future…
  
  Microorganisms (for example bacteria) are genetically modified (a new gene is instered into them) to be able to convert sugar into butanol or ethanol. Biobutanol (also called biogasoline) is often claimed to provide a direct replacement for gasoline, because it can be used directly in a gasoline engine (in a similar way to biodiesel in diesel engines). Again this technology already exists.
- John Prytherch answered on 20 Mar 2012:
  
  good answer from Vicky here 🙂

Question: what will we do when crude oil runs out?