Enviro Sci: Unit 7 Oil and Natural Gas

fossil fuel

coal, oil, natural gas, mainly decomposed plant material, NONRENEWABLE

petroleum

liquid fossil fuel; oil

crude oil

petroleum that has not been processed,

unrefined petroleum

peak oil

moment in time of maximum oil production

oil reserves

oil deposits that can be extracted profitably at current prices using current technology

Conventional Petroleum Reserves

Liquid deposits that contain freely flowing oil or oil that can be pumped out

petrochemicals

chemicals derived from petroleum

natural gas

Fossil fuel consisting of methane that occurs naturally underground

hydraulic fracturing (fracking)

method of removing natural gas from the ground

unconventional oil reserves

recoverable oil reserves whose extractionn is economically and environmentally costly,

oil shale

shale from which oil can be obtained by heating

oil tar sands

crude bitumem, crude mixed in sand that is environmentally harmful to extract

energy security

the supply of useful energy to a society for individual consumption and national security

energy inependence

meeting nations energy needs without importing fuel

fractional distillation

a process of separating petroleum into its components by heating and condensing the components

oil refinery

A factory where crude oil is cleaned and turned into useful oil products

brine

Water saturated with salt.

bioplastic

plastic that is made from renewable biomass sources (cornstarch)

biofuels

renewable fuels derived from biological materials that can be regenerated

renewable energy

energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.

hydrocarbons

organic molecules that are composed of only carbon and hydrogen

deep water horizon

The oil well that exploded in the gulf of Mexico in 2010

oil spill

waste usually deposited in the seas and oceans after an accident at sea

oil eating bacteria

microorganism that is used in clean-up of oil spills

skimmer

a device used to remove oil slicks on the surface of the water.

dispersant

a chemical used in oil spill cleanup that thins and dissolves the thick crude