The Sustainability Of Current Energy Resource Exploitation- Finite Resources

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

Meeting the needs of the present without affecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs

Question 2

What would make energy sustainable?

Answer 2

Would need to meet our current energy demand without depleting or causing damage that might harm future generations

Question 3

How do you find naturally occurring fossil fuels?

Answer 3

They are in deposits in the ground

Question 4

How do coal mines causes environmental damage?

Answer 4

Trees are cut down or burned and the top soil is scraped away
Overburden has to be removed before he seams can be accessed
Mine waste and run-off, this can affect downstream habitats and block river channels

Question 5

How do mines contaminate ground water sources?

Answer 5

Minerals from disturbed earth can seep into ground water and contaminate them

Question 6

What is another name for contaminated ground water?

Answer 6

Acid mine drainage

Question 7

What sort of rocks are ground water sources exposed to?

Answer 7

Sulphur bearing mineral, Pyrite

Question 8

What is the problem with Pyrite?

Answer 8

It reacted to air and water to form sulphuric acid
Rain cause the acid to get into rivers/streams and even underground water sources

Question 9

What sort of mining waste can become toxic when exposed to air and water?

Answer 9

Mercury
Arsenic
Fluorine
Selenium

Question 10

What problems come from the dust form mines?

Answer 10

Can be carried by wind to nearby towns can cause serious health problems

Question 11

What are the seven ways oil and gas drilling is bad for the environment?

Answer 11

Pollution impacts communities
Dangerous emissions fuel climate change
Oil and gas developments can ruin wild lands
Fossil fuel extractions turns visitors away
Drilling disrupts wildlife habitats
Oil spills can be deadly to animals
Light pollution impacts wildlife and wilderness

Question 12

What are the upstream (first) stages of oil extraction?

Answer 12

Exploration- seismic surveys, exploratory drilling
Oil filed development and production- drilling, separation, compression

Question 13

What are the down stream (processing) stages of oil extraction?

Answer 13

Refining- put into needed grades (car fuel)
Transport- pipelines and shipping
Retail & distribution- lubricants, fuels, petrol

Question 14

What process does crude oil go under for primary separation?

Answer 14

Distillation

Question 15

What does distillation lead to?

Answer 15

Range of different fractions gases, paraffins and gas oil

Question 16

What takes place in the secondary conversion process of oil?

Answer 16

Uses heat, catalysts and hydrogen to break down heavy fractions into lighter one like petrol

Question 17

What is the secondary conversions process also known as?

Answer 17

Cracking

Question 18

Are their any contaminants form refineries?

Answer 18

Yes a large number of chemicals and additives are used

Question 19

What are some contaminants from refineries?

Answer 19

Metals, metal compounds, organic and inorganic acids, caustic chemicals, lead compounds, and solvents

Question 20

What are the processes of coal processing?

Answer 20

Crushing
Screening into different size factions
Physical,chemical or mechanical processes to remove undesired impurities
Dewatering
Thermal drying
Blending
Agglomeration

Question 21

Why do fossil fuels needs to be transported?

Answer 21

Don’t exist where we need them

Question 22

What are the problems with transporting fossil fuels?

Answer 22

Increase the rick of pollution/ spills
Increases the cost
Fossil fuels are used to power the transportation methods (ship)

Question 23

What is an example of an oil spill?

Answer 23

The Exxon Valdez oil spill

Question 24

What happened at the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

Answer 24

Occurred off Alaskan coast due to tired over worked crew and navigation system glitch
Happened in 1989
Killed 250,000 sea birds, 3000 otters, 300 seals, 250 bald eagles, 22 orcas

Question 25

What are the benefits of fossil fuels?

Answer 25

Easy to store High energy density Useful for high heat processes Often found in large deposits Energy density of oil made flight possible

Question 26

What does conventional extraction mean?

Answer 26

Accessing fuels through standard technology of oil wells, open cast mines or seam drilling

Question 27

What are the problem with convention extraction methods?

Answer 27

Conventional sources are running out

Question 28

What in unconventional fossil fuel extraction?

Answer 28

Start looking for harder to access more technically difficult sources

Question 29

What is the jelly doughnut method?

Answer 29

Old way of drilling Conventional method Vertical penetration Limited formation contact

Question 30

What is the Tiramisu method?

Answer 30

New way of drilling Unconventional drilling Sophisticated horizontal penetration Extensive formation contact

Question 31

What is primary oil recovery?

Answer 31

Convention method Uses pressure of oil/gas to naturally bring the oil to the surface Once the cap rock has been pierced by the well

Question 32

What increase the rate of flow for primary oil recovery?

Answer 32

A pump jack

Question 33

How much oil do you get form the primary recovery method?

Answer 33

Up to 15%

Question 34

What is secondary oil recovery?

Answer 34

Water is pumped into the well to keep the pressure high Increasing/ maintaining oil flow Energy intense but doubles amount of oil recovered Also possible to pump CO2 down capturing and storing it

Question 35

How much oil can be recovered form secondary recovery?

Answer 35

20-40%

Question 36

How much oil is recovered from the tertiary recovery method?

Answer 36

Up yo 60%

Question 37

What is tertiary oil recovery also known as?

Answer 37

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

Question 38

What is enhanced oil recovery?

Answer 38

Pumping chemicals, microbes or steam Reduce viscosity of oil so it flows easier

Question 39

Why are microbes used in EnHanced oil recovery?

Answer 39

Have an added benefit of producing carbon dioxide which helps keep the pressure up maintaining flow

Question 40

What is directional drilling?

Answer 40

Unconventional method Wells are drilled that are not vertical Will bend round to oil in places a drill rig can’t reach (under a town)

Question 41

What are oil shale and tar sands?

Answer 41

Unconventional oil recovery Very energy intense Energy used to heat sand/shale to recover oil Demand needs to be high to make it economically viable

Question 42

What are the positives of oil shale and tar sands?

Answer 42

Very large supply Can produce useable fuels Efficient recover about 75% of oil

Question 43

Negative of oil shale and tar sands?

Answer 43

Labelled one of the most destructive processes on earth Dirty Only 20% of reserve is easily accessible on the surface ( Canada) rest is 75m below ground Habitat clearance/destruction Releases 3x GHG then conventional oil

Question 44

Where can tar sands be found?

Answer 44

USA Venezuela Russia Canada

Question 45

What is the average net return of oil from conventional methods?

Answer 45

25:1 You get 25 for every one you use (unit of oil)

Question 46

What is the net return of energy from tar sands?

Answer 46

5:1 on surface 3:1 undeground

Question 47

What is hydraulic fracturing?

Answer 47

Long vertical hole (well bore) 2500-3000m At 2500-3000 horizontal drilling occurs for 1.5km in shale rock Perforating gun used to make small hole in the rock Fracking fluid pumped into the pipe at a high pressure it fractures the shale rock allowing gas and oil to escape

Question 48

What are the benefits of fracking?

Answer 48

Flow back water can be recycled Gas collected from fracking releases half as much CO2 as coal per unit of energy

Question 49

What are the issues with fracking?

Answer 49

Uses 3-6 million gallons of water per well (affect local water supply) Flow back liquid is contaminated has to be stored or disposed of Recycling of flow back can increase the levels of contamination Accident scan lead to contamination of ground water Earthquakes Methane leaks out during drilling and pumping phase

Question 50

What is fracking liquid made of?

Answer 50

Mostly water Acid Slick water Disinfectant Sand or clay

Question 51

What is coal gasification?

Answer 51

Instead of burning it is chemically transformed into synthetic natural gas (SNG)

Question 52

What are the positives/negatives of SNG?

Answer 52

Increased gas prices have made in more viable Transporting gas is cheaper then transporting coal Coal gasification produces more CO2 than a traditional plant

Question 53

What is underground coal gasification (UCG)?

Answer 53

Pumping oxygen/steam through a bore hole into a coal seam, producing small controlled combustion The coal is converted from solid to gas The gases (hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and CO2) are siphoned off CO2 can be re-injected Potential net 0

Question 54

What is coal liquefaction?

Answer 54

Coal is converted into liquid fuels or petrochemicals

Question 55

What are the steps of coal liquefaction?

Answer 55

Coal is pulverised reacted with catalyst then hydrogen added under high pressure and temp to produce raw liquid fuel

Question 56

What are methane hydrates?

Answer 56

Crystalline solid that consists of a methane molecule surrounded by a cage of interlocking water molecules