Case Studys

Question 0

Norway

Answer 0

Rich supply in fossil fuels and exporter of natural gas.
Poor energy diversity as 95 per cent of energy comes from HEP.
Large energy per capita.

Question 1

Mexico

Answer 1

Good fossil fuel import and low energy use.
Large reserve of natural gas.
Potential shale gas.
Power sector becoming diverse.

Question 2

Ukraine

Answer 2

Imports 60 per cent of natural gas from Russia.
Does not produce enough coal or gas to be self sufficient.
Coal mining very insufficient.

Question 3

Thailand

Answer 3

Produces less than one third of the oil it consumes, and so relies on imports.
In 2012 about 90 per cent of energy produced was thermal.

Question 4

Natural disaster: hurricane Katrina

Answer 4

Affected oil production and refining in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil prices rose and even ten days after the disaster oil production was only at 42 per cent of normal levels.

Question 5

Political problems: Russia and Ukraine

Answer 5

2006 and 2009 Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine and so reducing supplies down the line to Germany and France.
June 2014 - Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine , warning that this could diminish supplies in Europe. Came about as Ukraine missed the deadline to pay Russia 2billion dollars of previous gas supply.

Question 6

War: 1991 Iraqi troops

Answer 6

Troops retreating from Kuwait at the end of the gulf war set fire to over 600 Kuwaiti oil wells. 6 million barrels burned over 8 months and up to 100 million cubic metres of natural gas.

Question 7

Terrorist attacks: Algeria

Answer 7

2013 terrorists targeted the amenas gas production facility and killed more than 35 hostages.

Question 8

West Shetland oil fields: environmental issues

Answer 8

Lack of fixed production platform and pipelines increased risk of spill.
Area is characterised by extreme environmental conditions such as wind.
Any sort of spill could be disastrous for. Wildlife and species habitats.

Question 9

ANWR: social costs and benefits

Answer 9

C: Gwich ‘in people are threatened by drilling along with oil/gas production. Threatens their way of life.
It further encourages the use of fossil fuels which contributes to climate change.
B: 250000-750000 jobs may be created.

Question 10

ANWR: economic costs and benefits

Answer 10

C: oil wouldn’t be available for 10-15 years and so no economic gain until then.
B: could sell the oil and wouldn’t have to pay for so much to be imported and the creation of jobs as above.

Question 11

ANWR: environmental costs and benefits

Answer 11

C: Drilling would hugely damage the ecosystem which is one of the mist untouched areas on the earth.
Drilling would damage the already significantly high temperatures in Alaska.
B: reduces energy dependance in a positive way.
Americans are able to control the Eco impacts as they are drilling in their own country.
Studies show that animals such as fowl species and caribou herds are able to carry on reproducing successfully.

Question 12

Tar sands: why are they being used?

Answer 12

Provides alternative source of oil.
By 2030 it could meet 16 per cent of North Americas oil.
Whilst renewables are being developed it will provide an extra source of oil.
Huge reserves can be extracted

Question 13

Tar sands: the negatives of extracting?

Answer 13

Releases 3x emissions of regular oil.
Process produces large volumes of polluted water.
Tailing ponds - full of toxic water which could pollute water sources.
Expensive extraction process and very energy intensive.
Takes 2-5 barrels of water to produce one barrel of oil.
Extraction of oil scars the landscape.
Almost 7x more expensive to produce than regular oil.

Question 14

BP Oil spill: social impacts?

Answer 14

Affected local communities who relied on tourism.

Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico was banned.

Question 15

BP oil spill: economic impacts?

Answer 15

Many fishing and tourism businesses will not recover, at least not in the near future.
Initial clean up cost BP $1.6billion. They had to pay out a further $2.6 billion.

Question 16

BP oil spill: environmental impacts?

Answer 16

Severely affected biology production in marine ecosystems.
Oil has affected every aspect of the food chain.
Affected the Louisiana wetlands, one of the most productive ecosystems in North America.
Oil damaged the roots of wetland plants.

Question 17

Exxon Valdez: impacts?

Answer 17

Only 10 per cent of the actual oil was cleared up.
Death of up to 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters and many more animals.
The oil spill covered 460 miles from Bligh reef to the Alaskan peninsula.