National Geographic – Deep Sea Drillers

22. These are formed primarily when marine organisms die and settle to the seafloor in anaerobic environments where they cannot rapidly decompose. Oil and natural gas Oil and natural gas What is the Earth's geothermal gradient? It is the rate at which temperatures increase moving inward from the surface toward the planet's core. This process breaks down complex organic molecules into a viscous gel called kerogen which evolves with further heating into hydrocarbons. What are hydrocarbons? organic compounds consisting of carbon and hydrogen atoms List (4) substances composed of hydrocarbon molecules of various sizes and shapes. Petroleum, natural gas, gasoline and diesel fuel

/ Domestic oil production increased from 5.0 million barrels per day in 2008 to 5.5 million barrels per day in 2010.

A new research has indicated that undersea vents are a non-biological source of oil and natural gas.

23. How and where is oil formed? How and where is gas formed? Oil forms in source rocks that represent ancient sea beds buried and heated to a certain temperature range, which corresponds to a depth range below the surface often called the oil window. Oil forms in source rocks that represent ancient sea beds buried and heated to a certain temperature range, which corresponds to a depth range below the surface often called the oil window. Gas forms in source rocks that represent ancient sea beds buried and heated to a certain temperature range, which corresponds to a depth range below the surface often called the gas window. What is the oil or gas window? The oil window is generally between 1 and 6 kilometers deep. The gas window resides at depths greater than 10 km.

24. Where do oil and gas reservoirs migrate out of and into? Migrate out of source rocks into porous and permeable rocks called reservoirs. Traps are often formed by what features? faults or folded rocks Reservoirs must be overlain by impermeable rocks called cap rocks or seals. What is the combination of a source rock, reservoir, trap, and cap rock called? a hydrocarbon system What is a hydrocarbon system? the essential geologic elements that must be in place to yield a large oil or gas field Oil Exploration Game

25. How do developers tap these deposits? by drilling wells into oil and gas reservoirs by drilling wells into oil and gas reservoirs What may drive hydrocarbons to the surface? natural pressures natural pressures Under what circumstances may other methods be used to drive hydrocarbons to the surface? For certain heavy oils, or in fields where pressure For certain heavy oils, or in fields where pressure has been depleted by production has been depleted by production What methods are used to retrieve these hydrocarbons? pump the oil to the surface or drive from below by pump the oil to the surface or drive from below by injecting water, natural gas, CO 2, or steam into the injecting water, natural gas, CO 2, or steam into the reservoir reservoir In many parts of the world, oil and gas exploration is pushing the frontiers of technology, with developers drilling wells more than seven miles below the surface, in deep water, or horizontally through reservoir rocks.

26. What happens at refineries? Distillation of crude oil to produce a wide Distillation of crude oil to produce a wide range of fuels, lubricants, and industrial range of fuels, lubricants, and industrial chemicals chemicals On average, about how much of a standard barrel of oil is converted to gasoline? about half about half How many gallons is in a standard barrel of oil? 42 gallons 42 gallons Refined petroleum also yields these (5) products. kerosene, jet fuel, diesel fuel, home heating kerosene, jet fuel, diesel fuel, home heating oil, and lubricants oil, and lubricants

ink, crayons, tires, deodorant, and heart valves

One barrel of oil (42 gallons of oil) will release six million British Thermal Units (one BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pint of water one degree Fahrenheit; it's equal to one match tip). A typical American uses about one million BTUs every day. The United States used 3,290,057,000 barrels of oil (more than 137 billion gallons) in (All Facts Considered, by Kee Malesky)

27. Oil and gas drilling can have adverse environmental impacts. List several adverse environmental impacts from oil and gas drilling. surface disturbance for construction of drilling pads and access roads surface disturbance for construction of drilling pads and access roads contamination of aquifers with drilling muds and fluids contamination of aquifers with drilling muds and fluids offshore drilling can cause spills and leaks that pollute ocean waters, either as a result of industrial accidents or through storm damage to drilling rigs offshore drilling can cause spills and leaks that pollute ocean waters, either as a result of industrial accidents or through storm damage to drilling rigs transporting oil and gas from wells to processors to users also requires large infrastructures transporting oil and gas from wells to processors to users also requires large infrastructures LNG stands for what? liquefied natural gas Most natural gas is currently transported via pipeline, but tanker shipment of LNG that has been chilled to -260°F represents a growing segment of the world market. LNG is re-gasified at receiving terminals and delivered pipelines to end users.

How is Natural Gas Used? Natural gas meets 28 percent of U.S. energy demand (as of 2012). Natural gas now heats 51 percent of U.S. households. It also cools many homes and provides fuel for cooking. Because natural gas burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, many companies and municipalities are deploying fleets of natural gas-powered cars, trucks and buses to reduce emissions. There are approximately 142,000 natural gas vehicles operating on American roads.

LNG Liquefied Natural Gas Tanker

An LNG carrier docked at the Bontang LNG liquefaction terminal in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. The LNG is carried in the ship's four dome- shaped tanks. Image © Mayumi Terao, iStockphoto

Existing LNG terminals in the United States as of June,

Texas Gas Transmission, LLC ("Texas Gas") is an interstate pipeline that moves natural gas from Gulf Coast and Fayetteville Shale supply areas to more distant on- system markets in the Midwest and to off-system markets in the Northeast via interconnections with third- party pipelines.

overview/wells-to-consumer-interactive- diagram Wells to Consumer Interactive Diagram

Type of hydrocarbon oilnatural gas  By-products produced CO 2, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and mercury emissions nitrogen oxide and CO 2  Significant pollution contributions acid rain, photochemical smog, and global climate change

SolventsDieselMotor OilBearing Grease InkFloor WaxBallpoint PensFootball Cleats UpholsterySweatersBoatsInsecticides Bicycle TiresSports Car BodiesNail PolishFishing lures DressesTiresGolf BagsPerfumes CassettesDishwasherTool BoxesShoe Polish Motorcycle HelmetCaulkingPetroleum JellyTransparent Tape CD PlayerFaucet WashersAntisepticsClothesline CurtainsFood PreservativesBasketballsSoap Vitamin CapsulesAntihistaminesPursesShoes DashboardsCortisoneDeodorantFootballs PuttyDyesPanty HoseRefrigerant PercolatorsLife JacketsRubbing AlcoholLinings SkisTV CabinetsShag RugsElectrician's Tape Tool RacksCar Battery CasesEpoxyPaint MopsSlacksInsect RepellentOil Filters UmbrellasYarnFertilizersHair Coloring RoofingToilet SeatsFishing RodsLipstick Denture AdhesiveLinoleumIce Cube TraysSynthetic Rubber SpeakersPlastic WoodElectric BlanketsGlycerin Tennis RacketsRubber CementFishing BootsDice Nylon RopeCandlesTrash BagsHouse Paint Water PipesHand LotionRoller SkatesSurf Boards ShampooWheelsPaint RollersShower Curtains Guitar StringsLuggageAspirinSafety Glasses AntifreezeFootball HelmetsAwningsEyeglasses ClothesToothbrushesIce ChestsFootballs CombsCD'sPaint BrushesDetergents VaporizersBalloonsSun GlassesTents Heart ValvesCrayonsParachutesTelephones EnamelPillowsDishesCameras AnestheticsArtificial TurfArtificial limbsBandages DenturesModel CarsFolding DoorsHair Curlers Cold creamMovie filmSoft Contact lensesDrinking Cups Fan BeltsCar EnamelShaving CreamAmmonia RefrigeratorsGolf BallsToothpasteGasoline A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items) One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like: Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel.

29. Modern practices of drilling for and producing oil and gas attempt to minimize adverse environmental impacts. Give (3) examples of these practices. co-produced waters are now generally re- injected or cleaned before disposal co-produced waters are now generally re- injected or cleaned before disposal enhanced safety systems and procedures have made drilling and production accidents rare enhanced safety systems and procedures have made drilling and production accidents rare eliminating old tankers in favor of double- hulled designs by 2015 in an effort to further reduce oil spill risks eliminating old tankers in favor of double- hulled designs by 2015 in an effort to further reduce oil spill risks

Giant China Oil Tanker /

30. Why have the environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration become highly controversial in many parts of the western United States? Exploration has become controversial because the United States has exploited many of its prime oil and gas reserves and is now moving into environmentally sensitive regions.