StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

The environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil and gas - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
Environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil and gas University Date Executive Summary There is a broad consensus among the international community that unconventional gas sources which were uneconomic could now be tapped with the advances in technology…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.7% of users find it useful
The environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil and gas
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil and gas"

Download file to see previous pages

The US Government, federal regulatory authorities, the industry operators, NGO’s along with environmentalists are therefore engaged in discussions as to the best way forward into this relatively new field, by addressing the concerns of all the stakeholders involved. Introduction Recent advances in technology have made it possible to drill natural gas from deep reservoirs located in energy rich areas of the United States. These fuels are being termed unconventional fuel sources and contribute to around 25% of the fuel consumed in the US.

This unconventional source is comparatively a cleaner fuel and produces less greenhouse gas emissions. However data collected in the recent past demonstrate that prolonged GHG emissions have implications on health and environment apart from increasing the carbon footprint. Studies conducted have lead to a new method of calculating GHG emissions and these are now being used by the US Environment Protection Agency, post 2011.These calculations with its additional factors have increased the GHG emissions count significantly but are still quite ‘green’ when compared to other energy sources.

To an extent these emissions are being controlled by various methane mitigation strategies. Various programs under the EPA framework are also being brought in to persuade operators in emission control. However lack of concrete data as to the extent of emissions has meant that scientists are still trying to ascertain the impact of these unconventional energy sources on health and environment. Source: Ritter Karin and Emmert Amy, US natural gas production history, 2013 Techniques in natural gas production Different types of geologic formations present different types of oil reservoirs.

Porous rock allow for easy flow of oil into a conventional reservoir while shale and sandstone prevents the same because of its low permeability. These kinds of hard rock formations entraining oil and gas can sometimes be located up to 11000 feet beneath the surface. Baken in North Dakota has significant reserves located deep underground its shale formations which cover large basins of geologically depressed areas. (GAO, 2012) Comparing it to the conventional sources, extracting unconventional oil and gas calls for robust technical knowhow and complex knowledge of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracture techniques.

Some of the activities involved in extracting unconventional oil and gas are similar to those carried in conventional drilling. Source: GAO, Horizontal drilling and Hydraulic fracturing in unconventional shale formations, 2012 Siting and site preparation involves identifying a potential site for drilling and clearing the area of vegetation. (GAO, 2012) Access roads are laid out and pipelines laid for transport of this gas to an interim containment. In case of abundance of deposits storage tanks may also be built at site for storing of the drilled oil.

Drilling, casing and cementing involve installing the steel pipe called casing into the drilled hole and cementing it into place. The drilling is carried out progressively and with each depth additional steel pipe is lowered. The casing is intended to prevent the contents in the well from coming into contact with the outer water table which might lead to contamination. (GAO, 2012)

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil Research Paper”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1403594-what-are-the-environmental-issues-associated-with
(The Environmental Issues Associated With Producing Unconventional Oil Research Paper)
https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1403594-what-are-the-environmental-issues-associated-with.
“The Environmental Issues Associated With Producing Unconventional Oil Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/engineering-and-construction/1403594-what-are-the-environmental-issues-associated-with.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The environmental issues associated with producing unconventional oil and gas

The Role of the Federal and Provincial Governments in Compliance with Kyoto Protocol

The problem of climate change is a global challenge that goes beyond just environmental issues; it constitutes a major political, economic and social challenge to all nations of the world.... hellip; Apparently, this challenge is borne out of the fact that the manner in which human beings respond to the environmental problem of climate change will have grave consequences for economic conditions and living standards around the worldii.... Naturally, the Earth's climate has always varied in content and composition, with man-made emissions accounting for less than 2% of green house gases - gas considered destructive to the Earth's climateiii. Over the past century, man-made emissions have increased markedly and the vast majority of scientist, in a growing volume of established studies, have concluded that the earth's climate is changing rapidly due to the alarming amount of green house gases released into the atmosphere as a result of human activitiesiv....
17 Pages (4250 words) Essay

Produced Water Treatment

Produced water is generated in the process of lifting oil and gas from water-bearing formations–typically sea beds.... Water is brought along with oil and gas… they are lifted to the surface (Stewart 21).... Current conventional treatment technologies are targeted at removal of heavy metals, oil and grease, and desalination, which often lead to the generation of large volumes of secondary waste.... This is a result of increased demand in oil and petroleum products worldwide in many non-oil producing countries....
7 Pages (1750 words) Term Paper

Economic viability of the shale gas boom in the US

gas industry has experienced a significant change because of successively producing natural gas from unconventional shale reserves.... is in a position to produce natural gas worth of demand in several decades to come (Energy Information… Although it is not clear on the amount of gas will be produced, it is evident that Shale gas underwent an amazing boom in the United States in the past years (Arthur, Bohm & Layne 2009)....
7 Pages (1750 words) Literature review

Corporate Social Responsibility

hellip; This is especially true for a company operating in the oil and gas industry because, the functions of the oil and gas companies have already been highly criticized for the extreme derogatory effects that their operations have on the external communities, environment, natural habitats and the overall ecological system of the planet.... The company along with its share in the equity companies and the consolidated companies is one of the leading oil and natural gas producing businesses in the United States of America....
4 Pages (1000 words) Case Study

The Phenomenon of Shale Gas Revolution

The future of the revolution depends on proper policies to solve any crisis and bringing balance in regard to energy prices that will be suitable for both the countries experiencing the revolution and the major oil and gas producers.... Research beyond the current crude oil reserves has led to significant discoveries such as shale oil deposits that have added to the annual increase in production of oil and gas.... Increase of gas from the shale revolution could mean decreased energy prices and since the gas can substitute oil, subsequently the price of oil will go down....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Paper

Development of Petroleum Production Capacity in Arab Countries

The analysis will also be made in reference to the role of heavy oil and conventional resources in meeting the demand, how production capacities can be improved and how efficiently these nations can meet the prevailing environmental challenges.... It can be said that the petroleum production capacity in the region will not be much impacted because of the high output capacities of Arab nations and the huge and confirmed oil reserves in the region.... The Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) has ten nations as its members and now holds considerable clout in influencing global oil prices and supplies....
18 Pages (4500 words) Research Paper

Oil Refineries and their Role in the Modern World

This work called "oil Refineries and their Role in the Modern World" describes the process of oil refining.... The author outlines that oil Refining changed the industrial world by providing access to efficient forms of energy.... hellip; Petroleum is extracted from Crude oil through a process of Refining which has two major branches of separation processes and conversion processes (Shell, 2014).... oil refining allows for the conversion and purification of crude oil by manipulating and changing the shape of its hydro-carbon bonds to provide new and useful products....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

The Environmental Costs and Benefits of Fracking

This paper “the environmental Costs and Benefits of Fracking” will explore the advantages involved in fracking and mention a few environmental concerns of the technique.... The process, combined with horizontal drilling, has revolutionized an oil boom powering the country's energy production, unlocking its substantial petroleum and natural gas deposits.... percent including gas condensates.... oil is a critical natural resource....
12 Pages (3000 words) Dissertation
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us