This document discusses the environmental impacts of the oil industry and proposes control measures. It notes that while oil provides economic benefits, the extraction, refining, and combustion processes release various effluents that harm the environment. Effluents from drilling mud, gaseous emissions, and oil spills are toxic and increase pollution. This leads to issues like global warming, ocean acidification, and acid rain. The document proposes ways to reduce effluents, such as using biodegradable drilling fluids, emissions controls, carbon sequestration, and oil spill cleanup methods. Overall it argues that industries must follow regulations while greater research into mitigation is also needed to protect the environment.

1. SOMA SEKHAR SRIADIBHATLA,
DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY,
ANDHRA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING.
- A MATTER OF PRIORITY

2. OUTLINE
 INTRODUCTION
 ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EFFLUENTS AND THEIR EFFECTS
 CONTROL MEASURES
 CONCLUSIONS
 REFERANCES

3. INTRODUCTION
 This paper focuses on serious environmental impacts of oil industries
and also suggests a few control measures for a green and cool
habitat to live.
 This is to forecast an oil industry as a biased coin , with one side -
great economic importance and the other side - serious
environmental consequences.
 These environmental consequences are due to various effluents
released from these industries during extraction, refining and
combustion of petroleum.

4. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
 Oil industries have a big role in the economy of different countries.
Oil accounts for a large percentage of energy consumption and
production, distribution, refining and retailing of petroleum taken as a
whole represents world’s largest industry in terms of dollar value.
 Oil provides 40% of energy in industrial countries. Oil supplies the
US with 30% of energy, 22% for India, 50% for UK.
 The top oil users are
COUNTRY CONSUMPTION
USA 19.5 Mbpd
EUROPEAN UNION 14.44 Mbpd
CHINA 7.99 Mbpd
JAPAN 4.785 Mbpd
INDIA 2.94Mbpd
Statistics as per year 2008 given by EIA, USA.(mbpd = million barrels per day)

5. Oil is especially critical for agriculture, transportation,
food production.
Petroleum by products are used in fertilizer industries,
pharmacology.
India’s oil reserves meet 25% of the country’s domestic
oil demand, as of 2009 India imported 2.5 million
barrels per day, making it one of the largest buyers of
crude oil.
Oil market thereby forms the deciding factor for GDP

6. ENVIROMENTAL IMPACTS
The oil industries have several impacts on
environment as a consequence of their
operations.
The operations of oil industries include
exploration (onshore/offshore), refining of crude
oil.
The various effluents released during these
operations are toxic and effect the biotic life.

7. EFFLUENTS AND THEIR
EFFECTS
DRILLING MUD
 Various synthetic based fluids are used to lubricate oil- drilling
equipment. These are non-biodegradable and lead to bio-
accumulation in food chain.
 The drilling mud, a special mixture of materials pumped during
drilling operations either offshore or onshore when released for
marine disposal effects marine life as they are toxic for many
years. They consist of crude oil, aromatic hydrocarbons, sulphur
compounds, heavy metals which cause marine pollution.
 They increase BOD, alter the pH of the medium and even form
suspended particles poisoning the marine life. Especially
Gastropods, pelagic fish are prone to these pollutants. On shore
drilling causes land pollution and drilling equipment may cause
noise pollution.

8. GASEOUS EMISSIONS
o The gaseous emissions from an oil industry include:
Process emissions, flue gases from boilers and fuel firing
cell, waste gases from storage or handling, fugitive
emissions from pumps and compressor seals.
o The main air emissions form refinery units are S02, N0x,
and particulate plus volatile organic compounds. 25% of
annual S02 production is from petroleum refineries and
non- ferrous smelters.
o The annual green house gas emissions from the process
of fossil fuel retrieval, processing and distribution contribute
to 11.3%.
o It accounts for 8.4% C02 emissions, 29.6% of CH4
production and 1.5% of nitrous oxide production. These
gases are include among six well mixed green gases

9. This is for the year 2000 given by Environmental Protection Agency, USA.

10. CONSEQUENCES:
GLOBAL WARMING
It is important consequence faced due to the increase in the
concentration of green house gases. Global warming is the
increase in the average temperature of earth’s surface air and
oceans.
According to the 2007 fourth assessment report by
intergovernmental panel on climate change ( IPCC) global earth
temperature has increased 1.3F last year and if it increases in
such a manner then by 2100 it will increase between 2&11.5 F.
The important green house gases released from oil industries
include C02 and CH4 .Their contribution for green house effect
is as follows
GAS CONTRIBUTION
CO2
CH4
9-26%
4-9%

11. MECHANISM
 The atmosphere of earth is like membrane of gases monitoring the entry and
exit of solar radiation. Some gases which do monitor the radiation within the
thermal infrared range are green house gases.
 These green house gases are transparent to the sunlight coming in but they
strongly absorb the infrared radiation, which earth sends back as of longer
wavelengths. This trapping of heat causes warming of earth. C02 absorbs I.R
radiation in the range 12000 - 16,300 nm. It has been calculated that with a
doubling of C02 concentration, the temperature of earth’s surface increases
by 1.9c.
 When concentration of green house gases particularly C02 is high, they trap
too much of heat, which leads to global warming.
 The computer modeling indicates following effects due to global warming:
Melting of polar ice caps, dry areas becoming drier, earth quakes, tsunamis,
drastic drop in food production, and expansion of oceans leads to the
drowning of low lying cities like Mumbai, New York.

12. OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
 NOAA states in the May 2008 ‘The oceans have absorbed
about 50% of the carbon dioxide released from the burning
of fossil fuels resulting in the chemical reaction that lower
the ocean pH’
REACTION
C02 + H2O → H2C03
H2CO3 ↔ [H]+ + HCO3‾
HCO3‾ ↔ [H]+ + [CO3 ]‾2

13. ACID RAIN
 Rain tends to be naturally acidic with a pH of 5.6- 5.7 [due to
carbonic acid formation].
 In the some places, where the oil refineries are located the rain
must pass through an atmosphere polluted with oxide of SOX
and nitrogen NOX.
 These oxides get dissolved in rain water to form sulphuric acid,
nitric acid. This rain water is known as acid precipitation or acid
rain. This acid rain has pH as low as 2.5.
REACTION
SO2 + O3 → SO3 + O2
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4 → ( H2SO4)n
SO3 + H2O → H2SO4 → ( H2SO4)n

14. MATHURA OIL REFINERY
- A THREAT TO TAJ MAHAL
 Mathura oil refinery, owned by loc is located in Mathura,
uttarpradesh. It is located about 50kms away from the Taj
mahal.
 The toxins released from Mathura oil refinery, is posing a
huge threat to it. The refinery produces air pollutants, SO2
which affects the marble of Taj mahal.
 The corrosion is mostly due to sulphur dioxide which has
been turning the Tajmahal to yellow.
 REACTION
CaCO3 + H2SO4 → CaSO4 + H2O + CO2
2CaCO3 +2 SO2 + O2 → 2CaSO4+ CO2
(Yellow)

15. CRUDE OIL
- AS A MARINE POLLUTANT
The crude oil finds it way into sea through waste discharge
from refineries and oil exploration operations.
Combined refinery wastes are rich in dissolved salts,
suspended minerals and organic compounds like organic
sulphur and organic nitrogen compounds.
This chemical ingredients causes physiological changes in
marine organisms. Tar balls formed due to coagulation of
oil, water and other debris is washed into shore, causing
harm to human and coastal life that relies on the water and
beaches for food.
SULPHUR NITROGEN
MERCAPTANS AMINES
DIALKY-
SULPHIDES
AMIDES
THIOPHENES PYRIDINE

16. OILL SPILLS
 An oil spill is a release of liquid petroleum into environment
due to human activity and is a form of pollution. Oil spills
include release of oil from tankers, offshore platforms,
drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum
products.
 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS The oil penetrates into the
structure of the plumage of the birds, reducing its insulating
ability and thus making more vulnerable to temperature
fluctuations. Petroleum also causes hormonal changes in
marine birds. Oil coats the fur of sea otters and seals
leading to hypothermia. The photosynthesis of
phytoplankton is reduced due to which the DO depletes
and the food chain of marine organisms is effected.

17. DISASTERS
IXTOC I
 IXTOC I was an exploratory oil well which was located in the Bay of Campeche,
Mexico. On 3rd June 1979, the well suffered a blow out resulting in one of the
largest oil spills in history. An estimated 30000 of barrels of oil per day were
flowing from the well. The oil had a drastic impact on littoral crab and on the
mollusk fauna of the beaches. The population of crabs, e.g. the ghost crab
ocypode quadrata, was almost totally eliminated over a wide area. Fishes and
octopuses were buried under the oil layer.

18. CONTROL MEASURES
 Using biodegradable and non- toxic lubricants to lubricate oil drilling
equipment( like genetically enhanced soya bean oil with VI- 223)
 The drilling cutting should be conveyed through a proper conveyor system to
the disposal pit after proper washing.
 Using various absorption and adsorption techniques to remove pollutants out
of flue gases. They can be removed when passed though scrubbers or
absorbers by process of physical or chemisorptions.
POLLUTANT
NOX SILICA GEL
SO2 PULVERISED LIMESTONE
ORGANIC VAPOURS ACTIVATED CARBON
PETROLEUM FRACTIONS BAUXITE

19. CARBON SESQUESTRATION
 Carbon dioxide which is the major effluent from oil industries can be trapped
using adsorbents like hyper branched amino silica capable of capturing CO2
reversibly. The CO2 which is captured can be refined and stored. The
captured CO2 can be used for many commercial purposes like: as
pressurizing agent for enhanced oil recovery in oil drilling process,
preparation of synthetic gas, dry ice, production of biodiesel.
 Methods for cleaning oil spill.
 BIOREMEDIATION Use of organisms like sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB)
to break down or remove oil.
 Controlled burning of oil on the surface of water.
 Dispersants which acts as detergents to remove oil.
 Employment of oil spill response team which is to clean up the oil.

20. CONCLUSIONS
 Oil industries should follow various protocols , guidelines
issued by Environmental Protection Agency, Central
Pollution Control Board, Hazardous wastes( Management
and handling ) Rules for discharge of effluents.
 A green belt should be developed around industries.
 Enhanced research should be carried out in the field of
disaster management to handle oil accidents.
 Greatest slogan of 21st century, ‘Educate the
Educated’.
 Our motto being earthlings should be: ‘to maintain
clean, green and cool earth’.

21. REFERENCES
 Journal of American chemical society.
 IPCC ARTICLE
 US GREEN HOUSE INVENTORY, EPA ARTICLE
 American Petroleum Institute. "Industry Sectors."
 Matthew R. Simmons, Twilight in the Desert The Coming Saudi Oil
Shock and the World Economy, John Wiley & Sons
 Ranked in order of 2007 worldwide oil equivalent reserves as reported in
"OGJ 200/100", Oil & Gas Journal
 NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Emergency Response Division,
INCIDENT
 IXOTI I , NOAA.
 Nelson-Smith, Oil Pollution and Marine Ecology.
 Allison, D. (1995) Air Pollution.
 Wikipedia.
 ECOLOGY ENVIRONMENT AND POLLUTION BY SS PUROHIT,
 ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY BY S.S .DARA.