lesson8 where’s the prospect of new oil
TRANSCRIPT
Where’s the prospect of new oil?
Can oil production increase?
• Increasing oil production is expensive and takes time• More wells need tapping and pipeline capacity needs
to improve• Saudi Arabia is spending $50 billion to increase its
production to 12.5million barrels a day by this year• Still short of 15 million needed to produce enough to
meet anticipated demands• OPEC’s 13 member countries plan to invest $150
billion to expand production capacity by 5 million barrels a day by 2012 (from current 36million)
• To meet anticipated future demand OPEC will need to pump 60 million barrels a day by 2030
• Even if production does increase amounts of exploitable oil are decreasing
• But the global cash crisis has sparked an increased search for new oil
• Brazil has discovered huge new oil field supplies BUT 75% is at least 400 metres under sea level
The world’s oil: Conventional oil endowment (cumulative production plus mean estimates of remaining oil reserves and undiscovered oil resources) by province in billion barrels of oil (BBO) for 128 oil provinces. World data are from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2000 assessment of world petroleum resources; U.S. data are from USGS (1995 assessment) and from the Minerals Management Service (1996 assessment).
• http://enviro-map.com/sakhalin Oil exploration in Japan
• http://www.eurogasinc.com/oil-gas-exploration-poland_37.html Poland
• http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/27/2015860.htm Kimberly Western Australia
• http://myaker.net/text.cfm?path=1&id=226&lid=3 Ghana
• http://www.richminerals.ca/m1.html Brazil
Cold Comfort: Arctic Is Oil Hot Spot
• Case Study of the • Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtJMFbwpLSM&feature=related The truth about ANWR
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT8GG38MGCY&feature=related Obama on ANWR
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgyzMJ-grHU&feature=related Sarah Palin on drilling
http://www.anwr.org/Video/View-our-ANWR-Flash-Movie.php
Opinions
“I hope people understand, in a 20,000-square-mile area, this is 2,000 acres. It is a plot of land the size of LAX that we would
want to drill to explore. ,"
Sarah Palin- John McCain's running mate for 2008 us PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
•“ANWR Drilling could keep [America]'s economy growing by creating jobs and ensuring that businesses can expand [a]nd it will make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, scientists have developed innovative techniques to reach ANWR's oil with virtually no impact on the land or local wildlife."
Inupiat Eskimo
“We support the drilling- it will provide jobs for locals and Americans all over the country- it will enable Alaska to further develop energy security and it doesn’t
affect us or the caribou migrations we rely on”
Other arguments in favour• A June 29, 2008 Pew Research Poll reported that 50% of Americans favor drilling of
oil and gas in ANWR while 43% oppose (compared to 42% in favor and 50% opposed in February of the same year).
• A CNN opinion poll conducted in August 31, 2008 reported 59% favor drilling for oil in ANWR, while 39% oppose it.
• A large majority of Alaskans support drilling in ANWR, including every governor, senator, representative, and legislature for the past 25 years.
• In the state of Alaska, residents receive annual dividends from oil-lease revenues. In 2000 the dividend came to $1,964 per resident.
• Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the Resources Committee, seized on the finding Tuesday that development of the refuge would boost domestic oil production by 20 percent over what it otherwise would be in 2025.
• “Given America’s energy crunch, ANWR production is a must,” Pombo, who requested the analysis, said in a statement.
• It would mean that the USA would be become more energy secure- less reliant on Canadian oil- and less reliant on supplies from OPEC member nations- many Americans feel this reason alone is enough for drilling to go ahead
“Me not want any of your dirty oil spilling on
me food or land- my calves might eat it or
step on it”
"I strongly reject drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it would irreversibly damage a protected national
wildlife refuge without creating sufficient oil supplies to
meaningfully affect the global market price or have a discernible
impact on US energy security."
• The economic impact would be negligible, thus meaning no financial reason to drill there as the amount is not thought to be enough for mass production levels
• Environmentalists state that the required network of oil platforms, pipelines, roads and support facilities, not to mention the threat of foul spills, would play havoc on wildlife.
• The US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE has stated that the 1002 area has a "greater degree of ecological diversity than any other similar sized area of Alaska’s north slope." The FWS also states, "Those who campaigned to establish the Arctic Refuge recognized its wild qualities and the significance of these spatial relationships. Here lies an unusually diverse assemblage of large animals and smaller, less-appreciated life forms, tied to their physical environments and to each other by natural, undisturbed ecological and evolutionary processes."[
• The Gwich'in tribe adamantly believes that drilling in ANWR would have serious negative effects on the calving grounds of the Porcupine Caribou herd that they partially rely on for food.
Other arguments against
Canada’s Tar Sands
• Higher oil prices and new technology mean unconventional oil deposits are now economically viable (e.g. tar sands)
• The Athabasca Deposit in Alberta contains 1.75 trillion barrels, or about half of the world’s proven oil reserves!
i.treehugger.com/files/canada-tar-sands-01.jpgNASA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwoRivP17A the dirty truth
The tar sands areas in Canada are about the size of Florida.
First, forests must be cleared. In this case the trees were stacked and burned.
Secondly, strip mining begins. Strip mines in the Canadian oil sands are the largest in the world.
The small trucks are 4 ton service trucks.
Following the strip mining, the tar sands are sent to the refinery for processing.
Emissions
Water from nearby rivers is tainted with heavy metals and oil once its used to produce steam. The steam separates the tar from the sand.
Yes No1.The proceeds from drilling could dramatically lower the price of oil, leading to another economic boom. 2.It would lessen our dependence on foreign oil, especially in the Middle East. 3.Drilling could easily be done without disrupting the refuge or damaging the environment. 4.It would dramatically help the economy and the people of Alaska. 5.The drilling and land development would create hundreds of thousands of jobs. 6.Alternative energy sources are the future, but for right now they're too expensive and underdeveloped; oil from ANWR could help fuel the world economy in the meantime. 7.Every dollar we spend on oil from the Middle East, Russia, and Venezuela only strengthens the communists and terrorists trying to harm the United States.
1.It takes the focus off the real cause of the oil shortage -- our excessive consumption. 2.A wildlife refuge could be disturbed by humans, with animal lives possibly changed in the process. 3.The drilling may not yield much of anything. 4.It could take years or decades before any significant amount of oil is ready for use. 5.The reserve can be saved as a last resort decades from now when we've exhausted other supplies.
Case study:Arctic National Wildlife
reserve (ANWR)
1) What and where is ANWR?2) Why is this regarded as an
important area for energy resources?
3) Briefly outline the social, economic, environmental and political arguments arising for and against exploiting oil and gas in ANWR/ tar sands? (Draw a large table like this..)
FOR AGAINST
SOCIAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLITICAL
Use booklets to help you
Looking for more energyIncreasing energy insecurity has stimulated exploration of technically difficult and environmentally sensitive areas.
ANWR/ tar sands
FOR developing AGAINST developing
SOCIAL/ CULTURAL
ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLITICAL