Offshore Drilling

Offshore Drilling Rigs Worldwide daily consumption of oil generally exceeeds 80-85 million barrels thereby driving the petroleum industry to continually search the planet for new reserves. Since the world’s oceans comprise almost 75 percent of the earth’s surface, it stands to reason that much of the world’s future new oil reserves will be discovered underwater. Underwater exploration,...

Nuclear Power’s Role in Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Reducing CO2 Emissions is a Desirable Goal Regardless of one’s view of the significance or even existence of global warming, few dispute the notion that the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is both desirable and necessary from an environmental stewardship perspective. Recognizing that the generation of electricity from fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas and coal) is a major source in CO2...

Introduction to Artificial Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the conversion of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into usable fuel and it is typically discussed in relation to plants where the fuel is carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Using only 3 percent of the sunlight that reaches the planet, plants collectively perform massive energy conversions, converting just over 1,100 billion tons of CO2 into food sources for animals every...

Gasification – Clean Coal and Other Fuels

Gasification involves a set of chemical reactions that convert carbon-containing feedstock into synthetic gas. It uses only a small amount of oxygen which when combined with steam and put under intense pressure produces a gaseous mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. This synthetic gas can be burned directly or used to start the development of fertilizer, pure hydrogen, methane, or liquid...

Offshore Drilling – An Unending Controversy

One of the most controversial topics dominating the energy discussion is related to opening the remaining protected U.S. coastline to oil exploration. Questions remain regarding the impact of offshore drilling on the economy and the environment. Specifically: Figure 1 - Offshore Drilling Platform Those in favor of offshore drilling point toward lower gasoline prices and reduced reliance on...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

ANWR – The Developing Controversy The Arctic National Wildlife Range is a fairly desolate frozen tundra region encompassing 8.9 million acres in the Northeast corner of Alaska. It was established in 1960 by the U.S. Department of the Interior as a wildlife refuge. Eight years later the largest oil field in North America, known as Prudhoe Bay, was discovered and developed nearby and the...

What is the Peak Oil Theory?

What is the Peak Oil Theory? During the 1950′s, and ’1960s, noted geologist M. King Hubbert became world-renowned based on his prediction that the fossil fuel era would end in the relatively near future. He noted that the production of typical oil reservoirs tend to follow a bell-shaped curve, reaching a peak and then declining irreversibly. He predicted in 1956 that U.S. based oil...

The Source of Oil – Is it Biotic or Abiotic?

Drilling for Oil The origin of oil has been the subject of an extended debate since its founding in the mid-19th century. Some professionals believe that oil is primordial – that it dates back to Earth’s origin – and thus was made through an inorganic process. This thesis is characterized as the abiotic (also called abiogenic or inorganic) theory. Others argue that oil was produced...