Transcript OIL

OIL
Patrick Logan
05/01/06
PHYS 0103
Summary
• Some history of oil
• Where oil comes from
• Oil peaking and speculation
• America’s fascination with oil began
before the 1850’s, with whale oil. It was
used to light homes.
• People harvested oil that seeped
through the ground and pooled on the
surface. The demand for oil increased.
• In Titusville, PA in 1859, the first oil well
was established.
Summary
• Some history of oil
• Where oil comes from
• Oil peaking and speculation
• Oil comes from the ground. Crude oil is long
strands of hydrocarbons derived from organic
material.
• Because oil is lighter than water it rises to the
surface through source rocks. Structural traps
like synclines trap the oil allowing it to pool in
reservoir rocks.
• Ultimately geologists and oil companies can
find the tops of synclines and drill through to
get the oil.
Hydrocarbons
-ane
Methane
Ethane
Propane
Butane
Pentane
Hexane
Heptane
Octane
# of carbons
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Summary
• Some history of oil
• Where oil comes from
• Oil peaking and speculation
Peaking oil
• We feel it at the pump but it affects the entire
economy.
• Petroleum is also used to create or manage
important things like:
plastic
high tech items: the construction of single 32 megabyte DRAM chip
requires 3.5 pounds of fossil fuels
computers: The construction of the average
desktop computer consumes ten times its weight in
fossil fuels
food: Pesticides are made from oil
national defense: EVERYTHING
medicine: transportation, packaging
Running out?
• The issue is not one of "running out" so
much as it is not having enough to keep
our economy running. In this regard, the
ramifications of Peak Oil for our
civilization are similar to the
ramifications of dehydration for the
human body.
Summary
• Some history of oil
• Where oil comes from
• Oil peaking and speculation
Questions?