FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY RESERVES

  • Coal Energy Reserves

    • Countries with significant coal reserves:

      • United States

      • Russia

      • Australia

      • China

    • Estimates: Between approximately 100 to 150 years left at current consumption levels.

  • Oil Energy Reserves

    • Countries with major oil reserves:

      • Venezuela

      • Saudi Arabia

      • Iran

      • Canada

      • Iraq

    • Estimates: Approximately 50 years left based on current consumption trends.

  • Natural Gas Reserves

    • Key countries:

      • Russia

      • Iran

      • Qatar

      • United States

    • Estimates: Between 50 to 60 years left at current consumption rates.

SHALE GAS RESERVES

  • Non-renewable Resources: Fossil fuels are finite and will eventually be depleted.

  • The economic profit from extracting and using these resources drives their continued exploitation.

  • Unharvested Reserves: These represent potential economic benefits for countries that possess them.

FUEL TYPES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Subsistence Fuel

  • Definition: Fuel sources that are easily accessible and commonly used in less developed countries for cooking and heating.

  • Examples:

    • Wood: Commonly used, although it can lead to deforestation and habitat loss.

    • Charcoal: Produced by heating wood under low oxygen, used as a fuel source.

    • Peat: Partially decomposed organic matter found in bogs and swamps; dried peat can be utilized as biomass fuel.

Coal

  • Formation: Coal is formed by the sedimentation and pressurization of peat over extensive geological timescales.

  • Types of Coal (from lowest to highest quality):

    • 4. Lignite: Brown coal.

    • 3. Sub-bituminous Coal.

    • 2. Bituminous Coal.

    • 1. Anthracite: Highest energy density and composed primarily of carbon.

  • Energy Release: Denser coals (like anthracite) provide more energy when burned, producing hotter and longer-lasting fires, suitable for electricity generation.

Coal Ranks and Properties

  • Depth and Temperature of Coal Formation:

    • <0.2 km/0-25°C: Peat (Carbon content: <20%)

    • 0.2-1.5 km/25-40°C: Lignite (Carbon content: 20-35%)

    • 1.5-2.5 km/40-75°C: Sub-Bituminous (Carbon content: 35-45%)

    • 2.5-6 km/75-180°C: Bituminous (Carbon content: 45-80%)

    • >6 km/>180°C: Anthracite (Carbon content: >80%)

  • Isotopic Signatures of Carbon Emissions:

    • Peat: -70 ± 10%

    • Lignite: -70 ± 10%

    • Sub-Bituminous: -50 ± 20%

    • Bituminous: -50 ± 20%

    • Anthracite: -30 ± 10%

Natural Gas

  • Formation: Natural gas forms from the decaying remains of plants and animals that are buried under rock layers. The pressure transforms these organic materials into oil and natural gas over time.

  • Composition: Primarily consists of methane (CH₄).

  • Location: Usually found atop trapped oil, within porous sedimentary rocks capped by impermeable layers.

  • Environmental Impact: Considered the cleanest fossil fuel due to lower pollutant emissions when burned; produces only half the pollutants of coal.

Crude Oil

  • Formation: Result of decaying organic matter trapped under rock layers for extensive periods.

  • Extraction Process: Involves drilling through rock layers and using pressure to pump out liquid oil.

  • Tar Sands: Oil can also be recovered from tar sands, consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, which is thick and semi-solid petroleum.

  • Environmental Considerations: Extraction of crude oil from tar sands is highly energy and water-intensive.

FOSSIL FUEL PRODUCTS

  • Processing Crude Oil: Through fractional distillation, crude oil is heated in a furnace; vapor passes into a column where different hydrocarbons are separated based on boiling points.

    • Lower boiling point hydrocarbons condense at the top of the distillation column, while higher boiling point hydrocarbons condense at the bottom.

  • Products of Distillation:

    • Naphtha: Utilized in making plastics.

Gasoline and Octane Ratings

  • Octane Rating: Gasoline sold at fuel stations is organized by octane ratings:

    • Octane 87: Standard car fuel.

    • Octane 89: Offers greater stability, preventing premature ignition.

    • Octane 91: Designed for high-performance engines requiring maximum stability.

  • Common Myths: Using higher octane fuel does not clean engines or enhance performance for standard cars. Premium fuel is often unnecessary and can be a waste of money for non-high-performance vehicles.

Specialty Fuels

  • Diesel Fuel: Distinct from standard gasoline; designed for compression engines and has a limited market in the U.S.

    • Warning: Using diesel fuel in non-diesel cars can lead to costly damage.

  • Ethanol Fuels (e.g., E10, E15, E85): Composed of higher ethanol concentrations mixed with gasoline.

    • Usage Note: Should only be used in Flex Fuel vehicles; otherwise, it may damage standard engines. Ethanol fuel is typically labeled at pump stations.

FOSSIL FUEL COMBUSTION

  • Chemical Reaction: The basic formula for fossil fuel combustion is:
    extHydrocarbons+extO<em>2ightarrowextCO</em>2+extH2extOext{Hydrocarbons} + ext{O}<em>2 ightarrow ext{CO}</em>2 + ext{H}_2 ext{O}

  • Energy Release: Burning hydrocarbons releases energy and carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to carbon emissions as a result of fossil fuel combustion.

  • Conceptual Reminder: All fossil fuels—coal, oil, natural gas, peat—consist of stored carbon.

THE GENERAL RULE OF FOSSIL FUEL USAGE

  1. Generate heat by combustion (or nuclear fission for nuclear power).

  2. Utilize a water source to convert water into steam.

  3. Employ steam to turn a turbine.

  4. Turbines drive a generator.

  5. The generator produces electricity.

  6. Electricity is distributed through power lines to consumers.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FOSSIL FUELS

Coal Edition

  • Habitat Destruction: Often necessitates clear-cutting of forests for mining operations.

  • Pollutants Released:

    • Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a potent greenhouse gas.

    • Particulate matter (soot and ash) can negatively affect respiratory health in humans and animals.

    • Toxic ash may contain heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can contaminate ground and surface waters and pose health risks, especially to pregnant women.

    • Other emissions include sulfur oxides (SOX) and nitrogen oxides (NOX), leading to acid rain and smog formation.

Clean Coal Technologies

  • Clean Coal: Technological advancements aim to reduce pollutants from coal combustion, including methods like wet scrubbers and coal washing.

    • Currently, the focus is on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which involves capturing CO₂ emitted from combustion and storing it in porous rock formations mixed with saline solutions to keep it contained.

    • Limitations: Not all pollutants can be captured, and the need for extensive storage poses cost challenges.

WA Parish Generating Station

  • Located in Houston (Greatwood), this facility utilizes a post-combustion plant system (Petra Nova) to capture approximately 1.6 million tons of CO₂ yearly.

    • Operational Issues: The operation was halted during the COVID-19 pandemic due to reduced oil prices.

MISCONCEPTIONS ON COAL COMBUSTION

  • Myth: Clean burning coal exists; this is debunked with a clarification that combustion pollutants cannot be entirely eliminated.

"There is no such thing as clean burning coal no matter how many times it is said!"

OIL/PETROLEUM EXTRACTION

  • Extraction Method: Oil is extracted by drilling wells through rock layers to access oil deposits, typically in shale, sandstone, and carbonate rock formations.

Environmental Issues Related to Oil

  • Environmental Risks:

    • Oil spills, exemplified by the Exxon Valdez incident in Alaska and the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

    • Habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by the construction of roads, drilling operations, and pipelines.

FRACKING (HYDRAULIC FRACTURING)

  • Purpose: A method to extract natural gas, improving the efficiency and extending the supply of natural gas.

  • Process: Involves injecting pressurized water into semi-permeable sedimentary rocks (like shale) to fracture the rock and release trapped gas.

Negative Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas

  • Concerns:

    • Depletion of ground and surface water resources.

    • Habitat loss linked to drilling and extraction processes.

    • Release of methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas.

    • Risks of well leaks, leading to groundwater contamination.

    • Increase in seismic activity around fracking sites.

TAR SANDS

  • Definition: Tar or oil sands are bitumen deposits from which crude oil can be extracted but require higher energy and water inputs for recovery.

  • Location: Canada (Alberta) holds the largest reserves of oil sands globally.

Environmental Issues from Tar Sands Extraction

  • Habitat Destruction: Required land clearing for infrastructure such as roads and drilling facilities.

  • Biodiversity Loss: Significant loss of flora and fauna due to habitat alteration.

  • Water Resource Concerns: Depletion and contamination of ground and surface waters, particularly from tailings, which may contain carcinogens and toxic pollutants.

  • Carbon Footprint: Increased CO₂ emissions associated with the mechanized processes necessary for extraction, transportation, and refinement of oil sands.

FOSSIL FUEL DERIVATIVES AND PRODUCTS

  • Some everyday products such as electronics and musical instruments contain derivatives of oil.