Oil & Natural GasOil & Natural Gas

What do you think?What do you think?

Do Americans use too much oil?Do Americans use too much oil?

Should we try to produce more oil in Should we try to produce more oil in America (“drill here, drill now”)?America (“drill here, drill now”)?

Fossil Fuel FormationFossil Fuel FormationOil and Natural Gas Oil and Natural Gas

Originated from Originated from microscopic marine microscopic marine organisms that organisms that accumulated on the accumulated on the ocean floor and were ocean floor and were covered by sedimentcovered by sediment

Natural gas often forms Natural gas often forms on top of oilon top of oil

Oil and Gas FormationOil and Gas Formation

Olive oil

Oil HistoryOil History

When was the When was the first commercial first commercial oil well drilled?oil well drilled?– 18591859

Where was it Where was it drilled?drilled?– Titusville, PATitusville, PA

What are the top oil

producing states in the

U.S.?

Oil RefiningOil Refining

http://www.howstuffworks.com/oil-refhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/oil-refining2.htmining2.htm

What products can be What products can be made from petroleum?made from petroleum?

Petroleum Petroleum ProductsProducts

Issues Related to the Use of OilIssues Related to the Use of Oil

Present technology only removes 1/3 Present technology only removes 1/3 of an oil deposit.of an oil deposit.

Secondary recovery methods are Secondary recovery methods are used to recover more oil, such as used to recover more oil, such as forcing water or gas into wells to forcing water or gas into wells to drive the oil out.drive the oil out.

As oil prices increase, more expensive As oil prices increase, more expensive and aggressive secondary recovery and aggressive secondary recovery methods will need to be used.methods will need to be used.

Which countries are in Which countries are in OPEC?OPEC?

Benefits of Using OilBenefits of Using Oil

Oil is more concentrated than coal, Oil is more concentrated than coal, burns cleaner, and is easily burns cleaner, and is easily transported through pipelines.transported through pipelines.

Can be used to make Can be used to make manymany products products It causes less environmental damage It causes less environmental damage

than coal mining.than coal mining.

Drawbacks of Using OilDrawbacks of Using Oil

Oil spillsOil spills Oil well blowoutsOil well blowouts Pipelines and transportation routesPipelines and transportation routes Air pollution when burnedAir pollution when burned

Oil DrillingOil Drilling

Oil Derrick - starts the wellOil Derrick - starts the well

Pump - Pump - Removes oil Removes oil from groundfrom ground

Oil PumpOil Pump

Steam can be added to Steam can be added to recover more oil - secondary recover more oil - secondary

recoveryrecovery

Exxon ValdezExxon Valdez

March 24March 24, 1989 – Exxon Valdez struck , 1989 – Exxon Valdez struck a reef and spilled 11 million gallons of a reef and spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Soundoil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound

Trying to prevent oil from Trying to prevent oil from spreadingspreading

Other oil spillsOther oil spills

Number of Major Oil SpillsNumber of Major Oil Spills

Do You Agree?Do You Agree?

““It wasn't the It wasn't the Exxon ValdezExxon Valdez captain's captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill.  It was yours.”spill.  It was yours.”– Greenpeace advertisement, Greenpeace advertisement, New York New York

TimesTimes, 25 February 1990, 25 February 1990

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:

Should we drill?

Arctic National Wildlife Arctic National Wildlife RefugeRefuge

ANWRANWRFor

In 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed for the tenth time a motion that would allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

Growing foreign dependence on oil threatens American security and that drilling in ANWR would help reduce that dependence

Drilling and extraction of oil would not meaningfully harm the environment

Drilling would promote the economy and create new jobs

Against

U.S. dependence on foreign oil is inevitable and that drilling in ANWR would not significantly reduce dependence

It would damage a sensitive ecology and undermining the principle of national environmental protection

Drilling is supported by many politicians, and critics charge that they are doing favors for their friends in “Big Oil”

Environmental Impact - OilEnvironmental Impact - Oil

✤ CO2 - “greenhouse gas” - Climate Change

✤ SO2 - “greenhouse gas” - Climate Change

✤ N2O - “greenhouse gas” & Acid rain

✤ Thermal pollution of rivers - water used to cool power plants

✤ Unburned hydrocarbons

Pollution Control & Pollution Control & PreventionPrevention

Catalytic converters, wet Catalytic converters, wet and dry scrubbers reduce and dry scrubbers reduce pollutionpollution

Reduce use of oil = Reduce use of oil = reduce pollutionreduce pollution

Major transportation Major transportation accidents (ships)accidents (ships)

How should we reduce oil How should we reduce oil use?use?

Should we rely more on technological Should we rely more on technological improvements improvements OROR changing driving changing driving habits?habits?

Should the government reduce the Should the government reduce the amount of subsidies it gives oil amount of subsidies it gives oil companies?companies?

Should we increase the sales tax on Should we increase the sales tax on gasoline?gasoline?

Should there be a “per mile” tax?Should there be a “per mile” tax?

Natural GasNatural Gas

Natural GasNatural Gas

Mostly methane (CHMostly methane (CH44)) Also found in natural Also found in natural

gas:gas:– Ethane (CEthane (C22HH66))

– Propane (CPropane (C33HH88))

– Butane (CButane (C44HH1010))

Formed the same way Formed the same way as oilas oil

Where in the world is Natural Where in the world is Natural Gas?Gas?

Benefits of using Natural Benefits of using Natural GasGas

Cleaner to burn than Cleaner to burn than coal and oilcoal and oil

High energy yieldHigh energy yield Relatively cheapRelatively cheap Enough to last about Enough to last about

125 years125 years

Drawbacks of using Natural Drawbacks of using Natural GasGas

NonrenewableNonrenewable Still creates COStill creates CO22

Difficult and Difficult and somewhat unsafe somewhat unsafe to ship around the to ship around the worldworld

Civic GX - NGVCivic GX - NGV