Fossil fuels Flashcards
How long does a nation’s reserves last?
It depends upon how much the nation extracts, uses and exports
Which country possesses the most coal?
The US
Where is most of the world’s crude oil supply?
675 is in the Middle East
What was modern civilisation built on?
Oil, coal and natural gas
What used to be the dominant supply of energy?
Biomass
Who uses more energy?
People in developed regions consume far more energy than those in developing nations
How do developing regions use their energy?
It is divided between transportation, industry and other uses
What do developing nations use energy for?
Subsistence activities such as agriculture, food preparation and home heating
What source of energy do developing nations use?
Manual or animal energy instead of fossil fuels
Where does drilling take place?
On land and in the seafloor on the continental shelves
How much gas comes from offshore drilling?
255 of the world’s natural gas comes from offshore drilling
What are the two types of platforms used for offshore drilling?
Platforms are either strong fixed platforms or floating platforms
How can hurricanes affect offshore oil drilling?
They can devastate drilling platforms and prices rise accordingly
What is the world’s most abundant fossil fuel?
Coal
When did commercial coal mining begin?
In the 1700s
When was coal first used to generate electricity?
1800s
What is the fastest growing fossil fuel in use today?
Natural gas
For what percentage of global energy consumption does natural gas account for?
25% of global commercial energy consumption
What are the 3 forms of gas?
Natural gas
Biogenic gas
Thermogenic gas
Where does 40% of the world’s natural gas supply come from?
Russia and Kazakhstan
What are 8 advantages of natural gas?
Ample supplies of 125-200 years
High net energy yield
Low cost (with huge subsidies)
Less air pollution than other fossil fuels
Lower CO2 emissions than other fossil fuels
Moderate environmental impact
Easily transported by pipeline
Good fuel for fuel cells and gas turbines
What are 5 disadvantages of natural gas?
Releases CO2 when burned
Leaks of methane
Shipped across ocean as highly explosive liquid natural gas
Sometimes burned off and wasted at well because of low price
More recently in the UK fracking has been accused of groundwater contamination and earthquakes but this is heavily contested
What is tar?
Solid forms of oil
When did the modern extraction and use of oil begin?
1850s
What was oil first bottled and sold as?
Healing aid however, it is carcinogenic
What was ‘rock oil’?
It was used in lamps and as a lubricant
How much of the world’s oil is consumed by the US?
25%
What happens during exploratory drilling?
Small, deep holes to determine whether extraction is economical
What does oil do when under pressure do?
It often rises to the surface
What happens during primary extraction?
Initial drilling and pumping of available oil
What happens during secondary extraction?
Solvents, water or steam are used to remove additional oil
What is an issue with secondary extraction?
It is expensive
Why can it be economical to re-open a well?
If prices rise
What is meant by proven recoverable reserve?
The amount of oil (or any other fossil fuel) that is technically and economically feasible to recover under current conditions
When will we face an oil shortage?
When production declines and demand increases
When does production decline?
It declines once reserves are depleted half-way
When will an the oil crisis begin?
Within the next several years
What is Hubbert’s peak?
This predicted that the US oil production would peak around 1970
His prediction was accurate as US production continues to fall
How much oil have we used?
Estimated 1.1 trillion barrels of oil
What is the R/P ratio?
Reserves to production ratio- this is the amount of total remaining reserves divided by the annual rate of production (extraction and processing)
How many years of oil do we have left at current levels of production?
40
How many barrels of oil are produced a year?
30 billion barrels a year
What will cause us to face an oil crisis?
When the rate of production begins to decline
How many tons of plastic waste are produced?
275 million tones
How many tons of plastic goes into the ocean every year?
8 million metric tons
What are tar sands?
These are oil sands with 1-20% bitumen that are a thick form of petroleum and are rich in carbon and poor in hydrogen
How are tar sands removed?
By strip mining
How can tar sands become useful?
By using special extraction and refining processes
What are tar sands made of?
Degraded and chemically-altered crude oil deposits
Where can tar sands be found?
In Venezuela and Alberta, Canada
What is oil shale?
This is sedimentary rock filled with kerogen that can be processed to produce liquid petroleum
What is kerogen?
Organic matter
Where can oil shale be found?
More than 40% is found in the US, mostly on federally-owned land in the west
What has kept investors away from oil shale?
Low prices for crude oil due to the OPEC cartel have kept investors away, but as oil prices increase, oil shale will gain interest
What are 5 advantages of oil?
Ample supply for 35-85 years Low cost with huge subsidies High net energy yield Easily transported between countries Infrastructure already in place
What are 7 disadvantages of oil?
Need to find a substitute within 50 years
Artificially low price encourages waste and discourages search for alternatives
Air pollution when burned
Releases CO2 when burned
Moderate risk of water pollution
Risk of oil spills
Oil shale pollution
What is the aim of the policies that the US government have put into place in terms of oil?
It wants to reduce dependence on foreign oil as it currently imports 60% of its crude oil. It therefore wants to diversify its supply
What policies has the US used to diversify its oil supply?
Spreading imports from several countries
Developing its own reserves
Proposed drilling in the Arctic Refuge despite there being much evidence that drilling won’t help
Resuming extraction at currently closed sites
Research into renewable energy sources
What is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
A reserve of stockpiles of oil in caverns under Louisiana for use when world supplied run out
How much oil is in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
One month’s supply
Why could economies collapse and become localised?
There are potentially momentous economic, social and political consequences.
The ‘long emergency’ from lacking cheap oil to transport goods.
What do more optimistic observers say?
That we will find alternative energy supplies and focus on conservation
Which war restricted global supply?
The Gulf War
What has caused a global restriction before?
OPEC 1973 oil embargo caused an overnight price rise of 70% which caused global panic and skyrocketing prices
What has destroyed offshore drilling systems in the past?
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
What happens to oil prices when oil platforms are destroyed by hurricanes?
Oil prices spike
Who are oil crises a concern for and why?
The politically volatile Middle East has the majority of the oil reserves so US and other western States are concerned
How much of the worlds oil reserves does Saudi Arabia own?
22%
Why are energy richer fuels less popular?
The potential doesn’t equal actual use
Following Fukushima, many countries are stepping away from nuclear
When was the Paris Climate Agreement?
2015
How much of the US electricity production do renewables account for?
17%
What has been financed and by who since the Paris climate agreement?
33 global banks have provided $1.9tn to finance coal, oil and gas companies
What is expected to happen to US CO2 emissions?
They will remain similar to current levels until 2050
What will happen to the US’s coal consumption?
It will drop and then level off beyond 2100
Which continent is now responsible for the majority of coal-fired power generation?
Asia
What is the life span of Asian coal power plants?
12 years
