1. Energy & Its Impact on Global Society
Jerome K. Williams, Ph.D.
Saint Leo University
Dept. Mathematics & Sciences

2. Chapter 7: Energy from Fossil Fuels
Resources & Terminology
Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
Future Sources of Fossil Fuels

3. Resources & Terminology
85% commercial energy resources used in world come from fossil fuels (oil, coal, natural gas)
Supply of fossil fuels is running out

4. Resources & Terminology
To Categorize types of oil reserves, one uses a McKelvey Diagram

6. Resources & Terminology
Reserves are defined as those resources that are well known through geological exploration and are recoverable at current prices
Proven reserves
Indicated reserves
Inferred reserves

7. Table 7.1. World and United States Proven Reserves 2016
Source: BP Statistical Review of World Energy (June 2017)
Table 7.1. World and United States Proven Reserves 2016
Resource
World
United States
Oil
1707 x 109 bbl
48.0 x 109 bbl
Natural Gas
6589 x 1012 cf
308 x 1012 cf
Coal
1.14 x 1012 tons
0.25 x 1012 tons
Nuclear
5.92 x 108 tons oil
1.92 x 108 tons oil

8. Coal World’s most abundant fuel US called “Saudi Arabia” of Coal
Coal resources: 3 trillion tons
80% total fossil fuel reserves in US
23% of US energy needs (electricity)

10. Coal
Classification or Ranks Coal: based on carbon content found in coal
Lignite
Subbituminous
Bituminous
Anthracite

11. Table 7.3. World and United States Proven Reserves 2008
Source: US Geological Survey Bulletin, 1412 (1975)
Table 7.3. World and United States Proven Reserves 2008
Rank
Carbon (%)
Energy Content (Btu/lb)
Lignite 30
5,000-7,000
Subbituminous 40
8,000-10,000
Bituminous
50-70
11,000-15,000
Anthracite 90
14,000

12. Coal Coal Extraction: Strip Mining Videos

13. Coal Extracting Coal: Strip Mining & Ramifications Environmental
Social
Economic
Political

14. Oil World appetite for oil continues to grow
(2009) 86 MBPD consumption per day
US consumes 25% of this total; 57% imported oil
Oil use dates back to Biblical times & has been used by many cultures (e.g., heating, lighting, medicine, roads)

15. Oil
Petroleum is complex mixture of hydrocarbons (compounds of carbon and hydrogen)
Contents: crude oil, natural gas and semi-solids
Originates from decay of organic material, usually marine life that is buried over many millions of years under ocean sediment

16. Oil
Petroleum’s use dates back to Biblical times; applications found in many cultures
heating, lighting, medicine, waterproofing, roads
By-products isolated by refining process. Heat mixture and pass it into large fractionating tower where separation by boiling point occurs

18. Oil
Products from tower are further treated to produce end use items like gasoline, diesel oil, jet fuel, heating oil, etc.

19. Oil
Search for oil is getting harder due to most large land deposits are already known
Most increases in US reserves expected to come from offshore drilling; makes sense due to petroleum originating from decaying marine matter

20. Oil Challenges to Offshore Exploration Environmental Political
Economic

21. Natural Gas Mixture of light hydrocarbons, primarily methane
Formed from decayed organic matter
Categorized as nonassociated gas or associated gas

22. Natural Gas
Pipeline system required to transport gas (US: 300,000 miles pipeline)
Advantages:
Relatively inexpensive compared to gasoline
Cleaner-burning fuel (less CO2 released)
Readily available

23. Natural Gas Uses: Space heating Water heating
Fuel (industrial boilers, electricity producing gas turbines, and chemical feedstock)

24. Natural Gas World Reserves: 6200 tcf
60 year window (assume Rate = 108 tcf/year)
Russia, Iran, Qatar have largest reserves
US: 50% natural gas found in Gulf Coast region

27. Natural Gas
Advances in Technology have allowed US to find and use indicated reserves of natural gas:
New drilling techniques (Hydraulic fracturing)
Gas Hydrates found underneath oceans & in permafrost of Arctic
Transportation difficulty overcome by shipping natural gas in liquid state (called liquefied natural gas or LNG)

28. Future Sources of Fossil Fuels
Gasification of Coal
Liquefaction of Coal
Oil Shale (US)
Tar Sands or Oil Sands (Canada)

29. Problems
1, 3, 4, 6