Does productive capital affect the order of resource exploitation? (Q5958243)

The purpose of this paper is to show that in a general equilibrium framework it is not always optimal to exploit resources in strict sequence, beginning with the lowest cost deposit, even if it is possible to accumulate productive capital. Indeed if there is an exogenous upper bound on the flow of the substitute, it is always optimal to consume it simultaneously with a lower cost stock. Moreover, it may be optimal to consume the high-cost substitute before using a lower cost resource.