Abstract: The increase in annual world crude oil production from 1880 to 19T3 follows a pattern of exponential growth. In order to fit a linear model to these datar the oil production variable must be transformed by taking the natural log. A scatterplot of the log of oil production vs. year follows a straight line from 1880 to l?3. Political turmoil in the oil-producing regions of the mideast affected patterns of oil production after 19?3