Fossil Fuel resources for sustainable development

L E S S O N 3
Saturday, June 21, 2014FOSSIL FUELS
1
ENS 809- ENERGY RESOURSES
AND SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
FOSSIL FUELS

CONTENT
2
 The conventional energy sources, their current utilization
and environmental impacts, and their potentials.

Energy Sources
3
 Primary Energy sources-
 Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal)
 Nuclear energy
 Falling water, geothermal, solar
 Secondary Energy sources-
 Sources derived from a primary source like…
 Electricity
 Gasoline
 Alcohol fuels (gasohol)

Commercial Energy Use by Source for the World
and the United States
4

How Should We Evaluate Energy Resources?
5
 Supplies
 Environmental impact
 How much useful energy is provided?

Nonrenewable
energy resources
6

Nonrenewable energy resources removed from
the earth’s crust include: oil, natural gas, coal,
and uranium
Saturday, June 21, 2014FOSSIL FUELS 7

What are fossil fuels?
8
Industrial societies need a lot of
energy and, at the moment, rely on
fossil fuels as the main source of this
energy.
Fossil fuels are so useful because they contain stored chemical
energy, which is converted into large amounts of useful heat
energy when the fuels are burned.
they are classed as non-renewable energy resources.
Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil
fuels. They are carbon-based materials
that formed over millions of years
from the remains of ancient plants and
animals.
The total amount of fossil fuels available is limited and so

Problems with Fossil Fuels
 Non-renewable
 At projected consumption rates,
natural gas & petroleum will be
depleted by the end of the 21st
century
 Impurities are major source of
pollution
 SO2 travels on air currents &
falls with precip. as acid rain
 Mercury bio-accumulates &
biomagnifies thru ecosystems
when it travels on air currents
and fall as particulate dust or
with precipitation elsewhere.
 Burning fossil fuels produces large
amounts of CO2, which contributes
to global warming
 Makes us rely on other countries
for our energy needs. Makes us
vulnerable.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
FOSSIL FUELS
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TYPES OF FOSSIL FUELS
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1. Liquid Hydrocarbons- Petroleum (oil)
2. Coal
3. Natural Gas

OIL
11

OIL
 Liquid mixture of hydrocarbons
with S, O, N impurities
 Impurities can create SO2 and NOx
air pollution
 Impurities increase efficiency of
fuel
 Formed from remains of plankton,
plants, animals in shallow seas
millions of years ago.
 May be pumped up or may be
under pressure
 Important producers: OPEC,
Alaska, Siberia, Mexico
Saturday, June 21, 2014 FOSSIL FUELS
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Oil seep in California
14

15
Asphalt
Gases
Lowest Boiling Point
Highest Boiling Point
Gasoline
Aviation fuel
Heating oil
Diesel
oil
Heated
crude oil
Furnace
Naphtha
Grease
and wax
• Petroleum (crude oil)
• Costs:
• Recovery
• Refining
• Transporting
• Environmental
• Highest risks are in transportation
• Refining yields many products
• Asphalt
• Heating oil
• Diesel
• Petrochemicals
• Gasoline
• …
Oil

Where is the oil?
16
 “After more than 100 years of exploration in > 75%
of the potential oil bearing sedimentary areas,
including all of the largest and most accessible ones,
we have found only 7 major provinces that contain
more oil than the world used in a single year in the
peak consumption years of the 1970’s.”

Where is the oil?
17
World Oil Reserves, Dec. 2005
B.P. Estimate
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
North America
Central/South America
Europe
Eurasia
Middle East
Africa
Asia and Oceania
BillionBarrels

Where is the oil?
18
World Oil Reserves, Jan 2007
Oil and Gas Journal, includes tar sands in Canada
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
North America
Central/South America
Europe
Eurasia
Middle East
Africa
Asia and Oceania
BillionBarrels

How long will it last?
19
 Things to take into account
 Reserves
 Rate of use
 Recovery percent
 Undiscovered Resources
 Price
 New Technology

20
World daily Crude Oil Production
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
thousandbarrels/day

21
 Quick Calculation. According to the previous graph
we use about 72 million barrels per day. Oil reserves
are 1201.332 billion barrels.
 This equates to approximately 45 years of oil!

What are the environmental Concerns?
22
 Depends on what we use oil for? It will vary from
country to country—however because 50% of oil is
refined for gas, transportation is the most important

What are the environmental concerns?
23
 Oil Spills
 Pollution
 According to 1992 Worldwatch breathing in Bombay is
equivalent to smoking 10 cigarettes/day
 Global warming
 Transportation infrastructure

24
Oil Spills
 How do you clean up?
http://www.ocean.udel.edu/oilspill/cleanup.html

Burning gasoline in cars/trucks
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 Produces the following
 95% of CO
 58% of hydrocarbons
 32% of nitrous oxides
 2% of sulphur dioxide
 11.3% of the particulates

26

Disadvantages
Need to find
substitutes within 50
years
Large government
subsidies
Environmental costs
not included in
market price
Artificially low price
encourages waste
and discourages
search for alternatives
Pollutes air when
produced and burned
Releases CO2 when
burned
Can cause water
pollution
Ample supply for
42–93 years
Low cost
High net energy
yield
Easily transported
within and
between countries
Low land use
Technology is well
developed
Efficient
distribution system
Trade-Offs
Conventional Oil
Advantages
27

Oil Shale and Tar Sands
Tar Sand:
Mixture of clay, sand
water and bitumen -
a thick and sticky
heavy oil.
Extracted by large
electric shovels,
mixed with hot water
and steam to extract
the bitumen.
Bitumen heated to
convert to synthetic
crude oil.
Oil Shale:
Oily rocks that
contain a solid
mix of hydro-
carbons.
Global supplies
~ 240 times
conventional oil
supplies.

Tar sands, also referred to as oil sands or
bituminous sands, are a combination of clay,
sand, water, and a solid, tar-like petroleum,
called bitumen
Tar Sand
The bitumen is far too
thick to flow out of the
rock 85% of all tar sand
deposits occur in Canada
29

Tar Sand
It takes two tons of tar sand to produce one barrel of
oil
30

Tar Sand
The oil sands after surface removal are further broken
up and then extracted from the rock pores by subjecting
the material to hot water and other chemicals, such as
sodium hydroxide
The oil-bearing sand is piped
into a large settling tank where
the heavy sand settles to the
bottom, water settles above
that, and the oil floats to the
top, where it can be removed
for refining
31

Critics contend that measures taken to minimize
environmental and health risks posed by large-scale
mining operations are inadequate, potentially causing
damage to archaeological sites and natural resources
Tar Sand
32

The open-pit mining destroys the forest, the bogs, the
rivers as well as the natural landscape
Tar Sand
33

COAL
34

Coal – What is it?
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 Solid fossil fuel formed in several stages
 Land plants that lived 300-400 million years ago
 Subjected to intense heat and pressure over many millions
of years
 Mostly carbon, small amounts of sulfur

Coal
36

Coal
Coal currently provides 23% of the total U.S. energy
needs
Now that oil and gas are dwindling, many energy
producers and users are looking again at the potential of
coal
37

Formation of Coal Deposits
Unlike petroleum, coal is not formed from marine organisms, but
from the remains of land plants.
A swampy setting, in which plant growth is lush and where there is
water to cover fallen trees, dead leaves and other plant debris, is
ideal for the initial stages to create coal
38

The formation of coal from dead plant matter requires
burial, pressure, heat and time
The process works best under anaerobic conditions (no
oxygen) since the reaction with oxygen during decay
destroys the organic matter
It is the carbon content of the coal that supplies most of its
heating value
The greater the carbon to oxygen ratio the harder the coal,
the more reduced the state of the carbons and the more
potential energy it contains
39

The products of coalification are divided into four major
categories based on the carbon content of the material
Peat
Lignite
Bituminous
Anthracite
40

Peat
Peat forms in wetlands, variously called bogs, moors,
muskegs, pocosins, mires, and swamps
It contains a large amount of water and must be dried
before use
Historically, it has been used as a source of heat and
burns with a long flame and considerable smoke
Peat is an accumulation of partially
decayed vegetation matter and is
the first stage in the formation of
coal
41

Peat
Peat deposits are found in many places around the
world, notably in Russia, Ireland, Finland,
Scotland, Poland, northern Germany, the
Netherlands and Scandinavia, and in North
America
Approximately 60%
of the world's
wetlands have peat
42

Peat
Peat is still mined as a fuel in Ireland and England
The peat is stacked
to slowly dry out
43

Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is the
lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively
as fuel for steam-electric power generation
It has a high inherent moisture content,
sometimes as high as 66 percent, and very high
ash content compared to bituminous coal
Lignite is the second step in the
formation of coal and is formed
when peat is subjected to
increased vertical pressure from
accumulating sediments
44

Lignite
Because of its low energy density, brown coal is inefficient
to transport and is not traded extensively on the world
market compared to higher coal grades
It is often burned in power stations constructed very close
to the mines
45

Bituminous
Bituminous Coal is the third stage of coal formation
Additional pressure over time has made it compact and
virtually all traces of plant life have disappeared
It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality
than anthracite coal
It is greatly used in industry as a source of heat energy
46

Bituminous
Bituminous coal is usually black, sometimes dark
brown, often with well-defined bands of bright and
dull material
It is a relatively hard coal containing a tar-like
substance called bitumen
47

Bituminous
Bituminous coal is a complex molecular mix of 60-
80% carbon, plus oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen,
plus some occasional impurities like sulfur
48

Coking Coal
Coking is achieved by heating the coal in the absence
of oxygen, which drives off volatile hydrocarbons such
as propane, benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons,
and some sulfur gases and a considerable amount of the
contained water of the bituminous coal
Coking coal is used in the manufacture of steel, where
carbon must be as volatile-free and ash-free as possible
When used for many industrial
processes, bituminous coal must first be
"coked" to remove volatile components
49

Anthracite
Anthracite is formed during the forth stage of coal
formation
It is the most valuable and highest grade of coal, and
has a carbon content of 92-98%
Physically, anthracite differs from
bituminous coal by its greater
hardness and higher density
Plus, it burns far more efficiently
with less smoke
50

Fuel Efficiency
As the coals
becomes harder,
their carbon content
increases, and so
does the amount of
heat released
Anthracite produces
twice the energy
(BTUs) of lignite
51

Coal-bed Methane
During the formation of coal deposits, quantities
of methane-rich gas are also formed
Historically, methane has been considered as a
hazardous nuisance
In fact, currently it is usually burned off rather
than recovered

Coal Gasification
One of the most advanced - and cleanest - coal power
plants in the world is Tampa Electric's Polk Power
Station in Florida
It uses a coal gasification process that turns coal into a
gas that can be cleaned of almost all pollutants
53

Coal Gasification
The coal is heated inside a large oven and blasted with steam
The coal is converted into carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas
Hydrogen gas burns very easily
54

Coal Liquefaction
Coal can also be
converted into liquid fuels
like gasoline or diesel by
several different processes
This is an attractive
technology because it is
well developed and thus
could be implemented
fairly rapidly and there
are relatively large
quantities of coal reserves
55

Coal & Environment
A major problem with coal is the pollution associated
with its mining and use. Coal is a major source of the
greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide
In fact, coal releases more carbon dioxide per unit energy
burned than natural gas or oil
56

Coal & Sulfur
The sulfur content of coal can be as high as 3%,
with some in the form of the iron sulfate mineral
pyrite (FeS2) and some bound in the remaining
organic matter
When a coal containing sulfur is burned, sulfur
gases, notably sulfur dioxide (SO2), are emitted
These gases are poisonous and are extremely
irritating to both eyes and lungs
The pollutant of special concern
with coal is sulfur
57

Acid Rain
These sulfur gases also react with
water in the atmosphere to produce
sulfuric acid, which is a very strong
acid
This acid falls to earth as acid rain
These trees near coal-
fired power plants
have been killed by
acid rain
58

Ash
Coal also produces a tremendous amount of solid waste
The ash residue left after coal is burned is typically 5-
20% of the original volume
It is primarily
composed primarily of
non-combustible
silicate minerals, but
also contains toxic
metals
59

Ash
If released with emission gases, the ash fouls the air
When dumped onto the surface, the fine-grained ash
weathers very rapidly, releasing toxic metals, such as
selenium, creating a serious water-pollution threat
The average coal-fired
power plant produces
one million tons of ash
per year, which is
usually buried
60

Ash
TVA estimated that 5.4 million gallons of wet fly ash
had escaped thru the breach
61

Ash
About 40 private homes, buildings and other structures
were damaged or destroyed by the ash flow. Some
residents were forced to leave their homes forever
62

Ash
TVA denies that the fly ash is dangerous to the environment or
to human health
However, TVA’s own records revealed that the 5.4 million
gallons of fly ash contained
44,000 pounds of arsenic
49,000 pounds of lead
142,000 pounds of manganese
1.4 million pounds of barium compounds
63

Ash
TVA has been cleaning up the disaster for almost 3
years, but the progress is very slow
It will cost one billion dollars to clean the mess up
14 law suits have been files, but TVA claims immunity
by the “principle of discretionary function”
64

Coal Mining Deaths
Underground coal mining is notoriously dangerous
The decrease in coal mining fatalities is due to:
Better enforcement of safety regulations
More surface strip mining of coal
65

In particular, coal mining has a bad history of dangerous
working conditions, serious health problems and the
highest death rate among miners
Coal Mining Deaths
FOSSIL FUELS
66

The Monongah No. 6 & No. 8 Mine disaster in West Virginia
occurred at 10:20 am on December 6, 1907 and is the “the
worst mining disaster in American history”. The official
death count is 362, but it is believed that over 500 were
killed
1907 Monongah Mine Disaster
An electrical
spark ignited
methane and
coal dust
67

Upper Big Branch Mine explosion occurred on April 5, 2010 and
killed 29 miners. Due to the large concentration of toxic gases in the
mine, MSHA investigators had to wait for over two months to enter
the mine to investigate the explosion
Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion
68

Coal Seam Fires
Saturday, June 21,
2014
FOSSIL FUELS
69

The Centralia fire closed
highway 61
Coal Seam Fires in U.S.
70

A coal seam fire has been burning for more than a
century near Glenwood Springs, Colorado
It caused a major forest fire in 2002
Coal Seam Fires in U.S.
71

It is estimated that coal mine fires in China burn about 200
million tons of coal each year
These fires release about 360 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide greenhouse gas emissions per year
Coal Seam Fires in China
FOSSIL FUELS
72

How do you put out a coal seam fire?
Coal Seam Fires
73

74
Stack
Waste heat
Cooling tower
transfers
waste
heat to
atmosphere
Pulverizing
mill
TurbineCoal bunker
Generator
Cooling
loop
Condenser
Boiler
Filter
Toxic ash disposal
Fig. 13-10, p. 306
Coal burning power plant

Fig. 13-10, p. 306
75

Air Pollution from a Coal-Burning
Industrial Plant in India
76

NATURAL GAS
77

NATURAL GAS
 Mixture
 50–90% Methane (CH4)
 Ethane (C2H6)
 Propane (C3H8)
 Butane (C4H10)
 Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
78

Sources of Natural Gas
• Russia & Kazakhstan - almost 40% of world's supply.
• Iran (15%), Qatar (5%), Saudi Arabia (4%), Algeria (4%), United
States (3%), Nigeria (3%), Venezuela (3%);
• 90–95% of natural gas in U.S. domestic (~411,000 km = 255,000
miles of pipeline).
www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

What do we use natural gas for?
80
1. Produce electricity
2. Heat homes (inside homes, water heater)
3. Industry (heat for warmth and producing things)
4. Vehicles
5. Cooking

www.bio.miami.edu/beck/esc101/Chapter14&15.ppt

Homework- Report
82
Describe in details the challenges towards a sustainable
energy future and the strategies that can be put forward in
enhancement of people's quality of life in relation to
environmental climate change.
Report due in 3 weeks time (Due on 9th July, 2014).
Minimum of 5 pages in times new roman font 12, line
spacing of 1.5.

Thanks!
83

Fossil Fuel resources for sustainable development

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