Crude Oil
- Created by: Megan Cameron
- Created on: 18-02-13 13:40
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- Crude Oil
- Formation
- Dead marine organisms buried and gradually became increasingly pure carbon as other materials were squeezed out.
- The hydrocarbons that form crude oil were gradually broken down into smaller molecules so solids became liquids with lower and lower viscosity, with gases like methane being formed.
- Older deposits are generally more useful. older crude oil is less viscous, flows more easily and a greater proportion can be extracted
- Dead marine organisms buried and gradually became increasingly pure carbon as other materials were squeezed out.
- Features that make exploitation difficult
- Young oils are too viscous to flow
- The processes are very slow
- Deep burial makes extraction even more difficult
- Many deposits are very thin and widely dispersed
- Extraction
- Crude oil is found in geological structures where the liquid can flow through permeable rock and collect in the pores between the particles of a porous rock
- The natural pressure of gas above oil or water beneath oil will force the oil to the surface when a pipe is drilled down to the oil reservoir
- The recovery rate of oil may be very low, especially if it is young or relatively cool or if the natural pressure is low.
- Uses
- Liquid fuels; petrol, diesel, aircraft fuel
- Gas fuels for heating; propane, butane
- Making plastics
- Available resources
- A lot of oil is inaccessible because it is too deep, found in small amounts or is in inaccessible places
- Oil shales are solid hydrocarbons that cannot flow to the surface like crude oil.
- To extract them they must be quarried or heated underground so they will melt and flow to the surface.
- The amount that could be exploited is much greater than our total reserves of crude oil, but is more expensive to extract.
- Level of technological development
- Primary recovery involves the use of natural pressure to force oil to the surface and has a 20% recovery rate
- Secondary recovery involves pumping down natural gas or water to maintain pressure and has a 40% recovery rate
- Tertiary recovery involves the use of solvents, steam or detergents to make the oil less viscous and increases the recovery rate to 60%.
- Secondary recovery involves pumping down natural gas or water to maintain pressure and has a 40% recovery rate
- Primary recovery involves the use of natural pressure to force oil to the surface and has a 20% recovery rate
- Environmental Impacts
- Oil extraction and transportation causes oil pollution.
- Oil-based drilling mud used to lubricate the drill pipes can cause pollution in groundwater, rivers and the sea.
- Burning fossil fuels causes acid rain, global climate change, carbon monoxide, photochemical smogs, smoke and ash.
- Surplus gas on oil rigs may be burnt to reduce the risk of explosions. This causes atmospheric pollution.
- The construction of oil and gas pipelines can cause habitat damage over a large total area, although careful soil replacement and replanting can reduce this.
- Oil extraction and transportation causes oil pollution.
- Economic Issues
- Fossil fuel use causes economic costs that are not paid by the energy industry. Costs such as pollution damage are paid for by other sectors of society.
- Political and Trade Problems
- Crude oil provides most of the worlds energy but the reserves are not evenly distributed. The MEDCs use over half the worlds oil production but only a small proportion is home-produced
- Formation
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