EASC 107 - Topics 5 & 6

present gas use

> 25% of energy needs in US and Europe for heating, cooking, and electricity - also used to manufacture chemicals for plastics, drugs, etc

Joule

Electrical unit of measurement

British thermal unit (BTU)

Energy needed to raise temperature of 1lb of water 1F

CO2 injection

Experimental use of waste CO2 as injection, most remains underground and increases oil flow

Calorie

Heat unit of measurement

"Alternate" energy

Hydroelectric energy = most important now

Power

Measure of energy used per unit of time

Watt

Power unit (1 joule / second)

sulphur

a common byproduct of oil refining methods

fractionation

a form of petroleum refining that heats oil to 500 degrees C which causes separation into lighter vs heavier fractions that can be directly separated

thermal cracking

a form of petroleum refining where heat and pressure is added to crude oil to break larger hydrocarbon compounds into smaller, lighter ones

chemical flooding

add chemicals to injection system

natural gas

almost entirely made of methane

secondary oil recovery

artificial techniques to enhance flow of oil from reservoir to open drill holes (ex; water, steam, or chemical flooding, and gas injection)

early burial metabolic reactions

breakdown by bacteria, fungi, etc which commonly produces methane gas

metagenesis

burial below 3.5 - 4 km with a temperature of 150 degrees C - any organics converted to natural gas (methane)

catagenesis

burial between 1.5 - 3.5 km with temperatures > 50 degrees C but < 150 degrees C - where organic matter is cooked under pressure; loses most water and altered to different types of hydrocarbon liquids (main oil liquids)

anthracite

cleanest, hottest, and most rare burning; used in power generation, steel making, and gasification

conventional fossil fuels

coal, petroleum, and natural gas

accumulation of hydrocarbons

concentrations of oil and gas occur when dispersed hydrocarbons form in original sediments during burial (the source rock) - needs to be a reservoir rock with spaces in them to allow for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation

oil trade

considered the main single component of the world trade market

oil recovery techniques

conventional oil is recovered from drilled wells through primary and secondary extraction techniques

islamic scientific use of petroleum

distilled kerogen from bitumen and major use of lamp fuel (replaced whale oil)

pre-industrial revolution energy use

energy from wood, wind, water, and animals

structural traps

folded/faulted sedimentary rocks where reservoir rock is overlain by impermeable (cap) rock or abutus against a fault which seals the reservoir rock and traps hydrocarbons in it

petroleum formation

form at times when there is a lot of marine plankton around (oil and gas found in younger/mesozoic rocks)

formation of coal

forms in coastal swamps where dead masses of plants accumulate and are buried before decomposition by biogenic activity

fossil fuels

fuels from remains of biological matter that provide > 85% of energy today (oil and gas, coal)

where do you find conventional oil?

gas and oil occurs in sedimentary basins and most have at least a bit of oil and gas in them

bituminous coal

important for power generation and in steel making process (metallurgical coal) and also increasingly for coal gasification processes

further burial and time

increases temperature and pressure which drives off water and causes a breakup of hydrocarbon molecules that changes them into different more concentrated hydrocarbons

water flooding

inject water down wells on margins of reservoir to enhance flow of oil to collection of wells

gas injection

minor natural gas recovered with oil may be recovered and re-injected to increase pressure on oil flow

primary oil recovery

natural pressure in reservoir pushes oil into open drill holes (and sometimes to the surface)

petroleum and natural gas

natural products of burial of organic matter, decomposition and changes with time

where does oil and gas come from?

oil deposits come from marine organic sources while gas comes from marine and terrestrial organic sources

coal mining methods

open pit (strip) mining and underground mines

pores

open spaces between grains or cracks in the rock

where do fossil fuels come from?

organically derived carbon-based material occurring in various types and quantities used as energy sources

stratigraphic traps

porous reservoir rocks sealed off by overlying impermeable rocks

industrial revolution energy use

powered by steam (from wood) initially, then changed to coal

diagenesis

reflects progressive breakdown of organic matter with time and burial

energy sources

renewable (wood, water, wind) and non-renewable (fossil fuels) resources

post WW2 energy use

rise in fossil fuel usage in industrialized countries (nuclear energy and hydroelectricity use = important starting in 1960s)

steam flooding

same as water flooding but uses heated steam in injection wells

most common reservoirs

sandstones and limestones

petroleum

specific name for the various types of liquid hydrocarbons we call oil

stages of coal formation

swamps form peat which causes coalification to occur

unconventional fossil fuels

tar sands, oil shales, and heavy oils

energy

the ability to do work - humans use it to heat and power aspects of our civilizations (measured in joules, calories, BTU, watts)

coal

the compacted preserved remains of land plants

gas recovery

the same methods are used for gas and oil recovery (ex; drilling methods)

distribution of gas

through extensive pipeline systems and overseas transport by liquified natural gas (LNG) - widely distributed (more than oil)

commercial gas use

used as heat and light source in 1920s USA

pre-industrial petroleum use

used as tar and bitumen (solid, soft petroleum) as a glue or waterproof coating for boats

production of gas

world production approximately equals consumption and is increasing simultaneously