Fossil Fuel Resources & Use

Describe Coal

1. Types of coal: lignite, bituminous, and anthracite

2. Releases sulfur into the atmosphere

3. China and United States are leading consumers (in U.S. 87% is used for power plants)

4. Largest reserve in China

5. At current use and with known supplies – have enough to last 300 years

6. Extraction methods: surface mining and underground mining

7. Pros – abundant, relatively high net-energy yield, low prices, stable, non-explosive, not harmful if spilled

8. Cons – extraction involves mining that disrupts land, ends up as ash/sludge, releases sulfur, mercury, and radioactive particles into the air, expensive to transport, pollution causes global warming.

Describe Oil (1-5)

1. Largest reserves are in the Middle East

2. Extraction: drilling

3. Processing: separates components of oil based on their boiling points 

   1. Refining crude oil produces gasoline, heating oil, diesel oil, asphalt, etc. 

4. Pros – inexpensive (but prices are increasing), easily transported, high net-energy yield, versatile (used to produce paints, medicines, plastics, etc.)

5. Cons – reserves are limited and declining, produces pollution (sulfur dioxide, nitric oxides, and carbon dioxide), causes land disturbance in drilling, oil spills

Describe Natural Gas (methane) (1-4)

1. Largest reserves in Russia and Kazakhstan (40%), Middle East (25%), United States (3%)

2. Extraction: drilling and transporting in pipelines

3. Pros – easily processed and transported, relatively inexpensive (but prices are increasing), high net energy yield, produces less pollution than any other fossil fuel, extraction not as damaging as oil/coal

4. Cons – hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide released during processing, leakage of methane has an impact on global warming, land subsidence

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