Look at this! Please get out objectives #1-7 for a stamp. (Review them for your QUIZ today!) If you didn’t turn in your decomposition lab, please give it to Ms. Klein as she comes by.

Why fossil fuels?

Because fossil fuels contain hydrocarbons with lots of bonds

What fuels are we using the most? Which are sustainable?

Houston is an energy city! Energy Corridor – international hub for companies 1/3 of all US oil and gas come through the Houston ship channel 45% of US oil is refined in Houston

Houston’s oil industry: Energy is 50% of local economy More than 25% of all US energy jobs are in H-town 1980’s – Blue collar jobs in oil production Today – White collar jobs – energy decisions Energy industry protected Houston in last recession

OK, so how do we get it out of the ground?

“crude” oil is a mix of hydrocarbons of different lengths trapped in the source rock (remember it’s like a sponge!) “Look at the last carbon cycle. Put your finger on the part of this cycle that has the same information as the last page” check where kids are pointing (upper left quadrant) Box in processes in red. Circle locations in green. Students put up on board, as in last sheet. “The carbon cycle has a fast loop and a very slow loop. Which of these processes look like they involve a lot of time?” (formation of limestone and fossil fuels) “Next to the word Time, add in the process word “formation” to remind yourself that these materials are being formed.”

Production in conventional plays: Three stages of recovery Primary oil recovery: oil flows into well because of gravity and pressure. (Spindletop – gusher started the Texas oil industry in Beaumont)

Secondary recovery: longer hydrocarbons must be forced out by water (or gases like CO2)

Tertiary recovery – a base like soap is added to water to move the largest hydrocarbons Base added

Refining – turning petroleum into usable products Observe the differences between the vials. List as many as you can see. Star the characteristic that you think is significant for separating oil into different products. Hold up the vial that probably has the longest hydrocarbons. Hold up the vial with the shortest hydrocarbons. On what basis did you pick these two vials?

Distillation column at refinery Purpose: to separate crude oil into different products based on length of hydrocarbon chains! How it works: Distillation column at refinery

Valero refinery on the ship channel

The current oil Boom! 2005 – Fracking technology makes more reserves economically viable 2011 – current boom explodes with fracking US crude output expected to crest around 9.5 million barrels per day in 2016, then begin to decline in 2020. (7.5 million barrels/day projected through 2040)

Soooooo . . . . Is there a tradeoff? The oil industry helps Houston because: The oil industry harms Houston because:

Refineries create carcinogenic air pollutants Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes cause cancer

What about the neighborhoods near the refineries?

Soooooo . . . . There ARE tradeoffs! The oil industry helps Houston because: The oil industry harms Houston because: