Resource Security (pixel) Flashcards
Define reserve
Are resources that are available under current market conditions
A significant amount of resources could be known to be present
Define a resource
Any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs
Define resource security
The ability of a country to safeguard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources to maintain living standards of its population
Outline some physical risks to resource security
- Global commons (resource frontiers) will be exploited
- Population grows, more resources (water, oil, gas and food) will be used, causing increased GHG emission/pollution (for every 1 barrel of oil we fine, we use 3)
- Industrialising countries increasing their production of fossil fuels and energy intensive industries
What is an example of some of the risks to resource security?
- Overgrazing of land that leads to erosion
- Exceeding fishing quotas that result in food insecurity
- Deforestation has resulted in degraded land, erosion, water, food shortages and climate change
- Illegal hunting of wildlife and subsequent instability in our biodiversity systems
- Illegal mining
Outline some geopolitical risks to resource security - give an examples
Conflicts in Libya and Iraq have hit production in these countries. A further concern might be the diplomatic relations with certain countries
Both Russia and Iran have recent histories of trade embargoes placed on them by Western countries, including oil and gas exports
Climate change concerns and green policies being ignored
Russia’s influence over European countries due to their control of gas exports. Russia has stopped its exports of gas to Ukraine to exert influence over political matters
Cartels controlling the production of commodities to influence the price and maximise profit. In 2016 OPEC members agreed to cut their production of oil to help raise its falling price
Exploration:
Is the act of searching for the purpose of discovery of information or resources
Exploitation:
The act of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from them
Abstraction:
The process of taking water from a ground source
Define Stock - give examples
Resources that can be permanently expended and are non-renewable. Quantity is usually expressed in absolute amounts rather than in rates.
Examples are coal and petroleum deposits
Define Flow - give examples
Resource which is neither renewable nor non-renewable and must be used where it occurs and replenishes itself.
Examples include solar radiation, water, geothermal, biomass, and winds
What is a price risk to resource security?
That resources will go up in price so energy will become unaffordable or that prices will go down, causing thoughts who work in the non-renewable energy industry or countries who are primary product dependent becoming poorer
Renewable
Energy that is collected from renewable resources which are naturally replenished such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat
Non-renewable
A natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a quick enough pace to keep up with consumption. For example, petrol and gas
Critical - Give examples
Resources that require careful management by human society in order to ensure their continuous availability. If they are exploited too intensively to the extent that they can no longer be renewed, then they become stock (non-renewable) resources.
For instance, overfishing can become unsustainable, leading to the fish population no longer being able to reproduce at a rate required to maintain fish stocks into the future
Non-critical: Give examples
These resources have taken millions of years to form and so they are finite (can be exhausted), which is why we call them non-renewable. They are not going to be replenished in the near future. For example, coal or gas is created over millions of years so is not useful on a human timescale. Some stock resources may have their exploitable life extended through recycling such as copper, while others are consumed in a single use
Primary energy
Is an energy form found in nature that has not been subjected to any human engineered conversion process - such as hydrocarbons
Secondary energy:
Resources that have been converted or stored. For example, the primary energy source, hydrocarbons being turned into petrol for cars
Give 2 positives of oil as a energy source
Oil is readily available in almost all parts of the world
Oil is Used in a Variety of Industries
Give 2 Negatives of oil as a energy source
Monopolised by OPEC
Pollutive
Give 4 positives of gas as a energy source
- Is more environmentally friendly than other fossil fuels because it burns cleaner
- It’s safer and easier to store when compared to other fossil fuels
- Is extremely reliable
- Is not expensive
Give 2 negatives of gas as a energy source
- Natural gas must be handled carefully because it is combustible
- Natural gas is not a renewable energy source so contribute to greenhouse gases emissions and land degradation due to oil spills/oil fields/pipelines
Give 2 positives of coal as a energy source
- It is reliable at producing heat/energy
- Located globally so is not monopolised, making it affordable
Give 3 negatives of coal as a energy source
- Produces tonnes of waste
- Emissions of harmful substances and GHG such as mercury, sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide
- Mining results in habitat destruction and human displacement due to abandoned pits
Virtual water
Is the water embodied in the production of food and fiber, non-food commodities and energy
Groundwater
Is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock. It is stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers
Recharge
Where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater which replenishes dried up water stores
Conventional oil reserves:
Traditional methods of getting out oil such as oil drilling with large oil rigs which extract oil from large pools. The natural pressure from the well is all it takes to pump this oil to the surface
Unconventional oil reserves
Oil that is obtained without using the traditional method. For example, Sediments like sandstone are formed in layered deposits. Instead of a pool, oil in these layers is spread out in small amounts. To reach the dispersed oil, horizontal drilling is used to go into the layer. One method is hydraulic fracturing, used to create cracks in this rock to allow for oil flow
What is the McKelvey box and what does it show?
A diagram that shows the difference between resources and reserves. As one travels from resources to reserves, both geologic certainty and economic feasibility increase
Possible resources:
Possible resources are minerals which are thought to exist based on limited locational knowledge and exploration, thus the quantity and quality is known with the least confidence of any of the categories. Possible resources can be referred to as hypothetical or speculative
Hypothetical resources -
are those in regions where mining/drilling takes place but haven’t yet been discovered, but they are anticipated to exist due to particular geological conditions similar to those where they have been seen
Speculative resources -
are predicted resources in regions where no extraction currently takes place
Inferred resources:
Are the part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade and mineral content can be estimated with a low level of confidence. It is inferred from limited geological evidence and assumed but not verified geological or grade continuity
Indicated reserve:
Economic mineral occurrences that have been sampled to a point where an estimate has been made, at a reasonable level of confidence of their contained grade and physical characteristics
Measured reserve:
Are indicated resources that have undergone enough further sampling that a geologist has declared them to be an acceptable estimate, at a high degree of confidence of the grade and physical characteristics
What is the Hubbert curve?
Is a method for predicting the likely production rate of any finite resource over time. When plotted on a chart, the result resembles a symmetrical bell-shaped curve. The top of the curve shows peak production and later a secondary peak. The theory was developed in the 1950s to describe the production cycle of fossil fuels
What are the stages of the Hubbert curve?
- Cumulating reserves
- Proven reserves
- Peak
- Decline of reserves
- Secondary peak
What is the resource peak?
When a maximum rate of resource exploitation is experienced. It occurs just after peak discovery and peak production is able to occur. It referred to US oil production and forecast that oil production would peak in the late 1960s; a prediction that showed high accuracy in the event
Why is there often a second peak on the Hubbert curve?
- Technological advancements
- Unconventional sources being explored/exploited
- New techniques being used or surrounding area being exploited
- As more countries are industrialising so are exploring their primary resources
When did the following predict peak oil and why? [6]
Hubbert:
International Energy Agency:
Association for the study of peak oil and gas:
Hubbert:
1960s
International Energy Agency:
2030
Association for the study of peak oil and gas:
2006
What are the five steps in the process of resource development?
Exploration - geoscience surveys
Discovery - investment and planning
Development - raising capital and construction
Production - extraction and secondary processing
Reclamation - closure of operation and mitigating against environmental damage
what are the three methods of oil recovery
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Primary
Primary recovery is the first stage involved in extracting oil and gas. It relies on the natural difference in pressure between the surface and the underground reservoir, therefore requiring relatively limited capital investment
Secondary
Techniques include adding additional water injections which seek to force oil to the surface by directly applying pressure
Tertiary:
Involves altering the properties of oil to assist in its extraction such as make it less volicious by using heat, gas and chemical injections. Its more expensive and uneconomical
How dependent are EU countries on Russian gas?
Some Bultic countries such as Estonia rely 100% on Russia for their gas. Other countries, due to this such as France who don’t have any resources to exploit for themselves, are diversifying their energy mix to include nuclear power. So they are less dependant on Russia
What were the recent Russia/Ukraine disputes caused by?
Ukraine relied on Russia for half its gas supplies. Ukraine failed to pay off their debts to the government-run company Gazprom which Gazprom delayed when they were pro-Russia but demanded back when Ukraine sided with Pro-west rebels in 2006
What is OPEC?
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Made up of 13 mostly Middle Eastern and North African nations. They are a cartel who fix prices and production to control their profits. They produce 40% of the world’s total crude oil production
What are the three aims of OPEC?
- To coordinate and unify its members
- Ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers
- Providing a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry
Give one example of how OPEC has influenced global energy security
In 1973 oil crisis - Arab countries disputes over US involvement Israel war so OPEC cut off all supplies to US and allies causing their energy prices to quadrupled
In 2016, they agreed to limit the number of million barrels they will produce to raise prices
OPEC+ controls over 50% of global oil supplies and about 90% of proven oil reserves
Give three factors that limit OPEC’s global influence
- Non-OPEC countries such as Russia and US are producing more oil/gas through unconventional methods thus creating more competition
- Different domestic politics in OPEC - means there’s internal disputes (Iraq/Iran)
- Globally, oil prices are going down due to China’s development going down and their trade war with US
- People are starting to consume more renewable local energy
Define resource frontier
- An area on the periphery of a country which is being opened up for resource extraction as older, more accessible resource locations become exhausted
- Natural harsh environments with little or no human development
- High infrastructural, extraction, production and transporting cost
- Lack of technology to exploit legally, politically and economically feasible whilst making a profit
What is ANWR?
- Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
- Located in the Arctic in Alaska
- A ban on drilling here was signed in the 1980s but was changed in 2015 with President Trump opening up area 1002 for drilling
- Much of the Arctic Circle falls into the territories of five regional countries: the USA, Canada, Russia, Norway and Denmark (via its ownership of Greenland)
Give three reasons why ANWR was not exploited in the past?
- Has a treaty banning drilling on it
- Isolated making transport, production and construction unfeasible
- Owned by many countries, so its politically risky
Give 3 advantages for exploiting oil resources in ANWR
- Reduce expenditure on oil exports for US
- Increase energy security
- Create more jobs for Alaskan people
Give 3 disadvantages of exploiting oil resources in ANWR
- Rare birds and Karabue will be displaced
- Indigenous tribes food source will become more limited
- High cost of oil extraction makes it not worth it
Give three reasons why exploitation of resource frontiers may be more necessary in the future
- Increasing demand due to growing population
- Depleting resources led to more unconventional resources being exploited due to enhanced technology (methods of extraction and transportation)
- Climate change will expose more resource frontiers, making them accessible and profitable to exploit
Give some reasons why exploitation of resource frontiers may NOT be necessary in the future
- More people will use renewable resources
- Our consumption or population will decrease
- Due to the effects of climate change, more legislation will be placed to protect theses areas
- Our technology may have not catched up to being able to extract from these places
- As conventional resources deplete, exploiting places will become more politically charged; done at the risk of causing a conflict
Give four environmental impacts of oil exploitation in Prudhoe Bay
-The tundra contains lots of carbon which will be released
-Plants could have medical properties
-Disrupt bowhead whales
Gas flaring releases nitrous dioxide
Prudhoe Bay - give three environmental impacts of the Trans-Alaskan pipeline
- The pipe can leak without being noticed for months
- Oil spills through ship transport
- High freshwater use - depletes lakes so much that they freeze permanently causing underwater marine deaths
Prudhoe Bay - give some environmental impacts of roads for oil transportation
Construction of roads less to standing waters which attracts mosquitoes
Cause noise pollution
Dust from US trucks settle on plants so they can no longer photosynthesis
What was the Exxon Valdez disaster?
An oil tanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company sank in 1989 which spilled tonnes of oil into Alaska’s seA
How did it impact the environment?
Sea otters, seas and birds died in the days after
What is sustainable resource development?
- Limiting environmental impacts (doing an EIA)
- Resources being produced in a way that it benefits a place locally, economically and socially (investing in social infrastruture)
- Develop at a stable rate and for the long term
Give 3 examples of
Supply-side management:
- Increasing or decreasing supply
- Exploring new areas for resources
- Keeping resources in the ground
Give 3 examples of
Demand-side management:
Encouraging people to consume less or policies which reduce population
Introducing alternatives such as supplying renewable energy companies or park and ride schemes
What is an Environmental Impact Assessment?
Is a process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project, taking into account inter-related socio-economic, cultural, environmental and human-health impacts, both beneficial and adverse
What are the stages in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?
- Screening - authorities demanding an EIA
- Scooping - identify issues with project
- Accessing - accessing issues
- Mitigation - mitigate issues
- Monitoring - monitoring compliance with local legislation of the mitigation measures
- Reporting and reviewing - publishing they EIA and preparing for approval/appel
Give two examples of an environmental impact identified by an EIA and how they have been mitigated - Lumwana Copper Project, North West Gambia
Land degradation - they planted flora after project
Benefit local community - employ many locals, provided clinics, schools, power and water
