Comments on: Energy in the 21st Century: Part 2- Fossil Fuels

By: Garden Lighting

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:18:08 +0000

oil spills can really mess up the environment, i hope we can find a very good solution to control oil spills *`;

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By: Bathroom Lighting ·

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 21:28:04 +0000

the oil spill in mexico really affected the eco system around that area, it would take years to clean those mess ~

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By: lenrosen4

Tue, 11 May 2010 15:27:30 +0000

Some additional insights on coal as a 21st century energy source:

Coal today fuels almost 40% of all electricity generation worldwide. It remains the dirtiest energy source releasing mercury, sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Some of these pollutants are harmful to breathe. Others are major contributors to global warming.

CCT or clean coal technology is focused on finding a way to make coal environmental acceptable. CCT focuses on reducing emissions and waste, and increasing the amount of energy produced per unit of coal. CCT aims at the entire coal cycle from mining to electrical generation, reducing greenhouse emissions throughout.

CCT focuses on intensification, that is trying to increase thermal efficiency when burning coal to generate electricity. A one percent improvement in thermal efficiency can mean a two to three percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately intensification is a smokescreen for greenhouse gas reductions because of growing demand for coal-generated electricity.

CCT also focuses on capturing CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions during the coal burning process. Capture and storage is called sequestration and involves coal gasification technology. Coal gasification’s end product is the creation of “clean” CO2 for sequestration underground.

CCT developers are actively pursuing R&D and have introduced a number of lower-cost, more efficient and environmentally compatible technologies intro electric utilities, steel mills, cement plants and other industries.

The consequences of sequestration as a proven means of carbon capture remains undetermined. A single event in which captured CO2 escapes could be an environmental catastrophe equal to if not greater than the current Deepwater Horizon rig blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. CO2 release could cause massive damage to existing life in the area of the accident as well as negate any benefit gained from the initial greenhouse gas reduction.

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By: lenrosen4

Tue, 04 May 2010 17:49:52 +0000

More information on deep water oil extraction:

In 1968 the US developed its first deep water discovery at 305 meters depth in the Gulf of Mexico. In 1968 Pardner field was discovered at 347 meters depth. In 1975 Cognac was discovered at 312 meters.

In 1999 the Brazilian government committed to becoming an energy exporter within a decade and auctioned off exploration rights in deep water off its continental shelf in the South Atlantic.

In Africa Angola has become the largest deep water oil producer, producing over double that of Nigeria. In 2001, the Girassol field was discovered at a depth of 1,400 meters.

By 2003 Chevron and Transocean set a record for deep water drilling discoveries reaching a depth in excess of 3,000 meters.

Today deep water is defined as greater than 500 meters in depth and ultra-deep water is depths greater than 1,500 meters.

From 2004 to 2008, 177 deep and ultra-deep water oil and natural gas fields prospects were identified.

The explosion in April 2010 off the Louisiana coast may prove to slow down the exploration and exploitation of deep water oil and natural gas sources in favor of land-based oil extraction projects such as oil shale and bitumen although the environmental impact of both forms of extraction indicates that they are equally problematic.

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By: Len Rosen

Mon, 03 May 2010 15:43:22 +0000

The recent deep water drilling accident off the Louisiana coast brings the potential risks of reliance on oil obtained from offshore sites into stark reality. Here are some interesting facts:
– Deep water drilling is the main driver for expanding levels of activity in the field of conventional oil exploration. This is where the world’s oil companies are putting massive investment.
– Nearly 18,000 offshore wells were drilled around the world in the last five years.
– There are currently 30 deep water rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
– There are 47 deep water production facilities operating today in the Gulf of Mexico.
– The U.S. Minerals and Management Service documented 1,443 offshore oil drilling accidents between 2001 and 2007.
– Recent history of offshore oil drilling accidents includes:
1977, Ocean Master II capsized and sank off of West Africa;
1977, Ekofisk suffered a blowout off Norway leading to an oil spill of over 202,000 barrels;
1979, Bohai 2 rig capsized and sank off the coast of China;
1979, Sedco 135F suffered a blowout off Mexico leading to an oil spill of 3,500,000 barrels that took 9 months to cap;
1980, Funiwa 5 rig blowout off Nigeria led to an oil spill of 200,000 barrels;
1980, Hasbah rig blowout in the Persian Gulf led to an oil spill of 100,000 barrels;
1983, Key Biscayne rig capsized and sank off of Western Australia;
1988, Occidental Petroleum North Sea platform exploded;
1988, Rowan Gorilla I sank in the North Atlantic;
1989, Interocean II capsized and sank in the North Sea;
1990, West Gamma rig sank in the North Sea;
1998, Mr. Bice oil rig sank off the coast of Louisiana;
2001, Petrobras 36 Oil Platform exploded and sank after five days off Brazil;
2002, Arab Drill 19 had a blowout and fire in the Persian Gulf;
2004, Adriatic IV had a blowout and fire off the Egyptian coast;
2007, Usumacinta oil platform erupted in flames in the Gulf of Mexico;
2010, Deepwater Horizon rig blowout and sinking is leaking between 5,000 and 25,000 barrels of oil per day. It has been leaking since April 20 with no foreseeable solution in place. It took 9 months to cap the Sedco disaster of 1979 when 3,500,000 barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico. Deepwater is leaking at a higher rate.

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