'Energy from Fossil Fuels' by M. King Hubbert

So how did the concern about a worldwide oil peak come about? While it did not immediately get people concerned, this article by M. King Hubbert is regarded as one of the first to discuss the matter. In 1949 Hubbert not only attempted to evaluate the fossil fuels available in the United States and around the world, but he also saw that they were limited. Petroleum was his primary focus and in later articles he perfected the "Hubbert curve" from which he used to predict the peak oil production in the United States for 1969. (Remarkably he was only a year off as the peak was reached in 1970.)

This article is a good starting place from which to get aquanted with basics of fossil fuels and how much of each there are. Yes, it is old and there has been much work done since. However, it gives you the basic perspective of which to begin your approach to this issue. (Plus it is better written than many other papers published today.)

This article was published in Science February 1, 1949, Vol. 109. If you have access to publications online through a school district or university, you can probably access this article. Otherwise you have to find a library (probably a university library) who has a physical copy.