PHYS 1110
Lecture 12
Professor Stephen Thornton
October 11, 2012
Reading Quiz
According to the Time Magazine article
posted on Collab yesterday, which of the
following is not considered a breakthrough?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Oil shale.
Oil sands.
Hydraulic fracturing.
Tight oil.
Arctic offshore.
Reading Quiz
According to the Time Magazine article
posted on Collab yesterday, which of the
following is not considered a breakthrough?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Oil shale.
Oil sands.
Hydraulic fracturing.
Tight oil.
Arctic offshore.
Coal Production
Coal was dug with picks and shovels underground until the
1880s when coal-cutting machines were developed.
Overburden (rock, soil, ecosystem) lies above the coal.
Surface vs. underground mining is determined by
• Overburden conditions
• Depth of burial
• Thickness of coal seam
• Economics
Visible coal seams above ground typically go underground.
Depths below 50 m are usually mined underground. Globally 60%
is mined underground, but in US only 30%.
Coal seams
Area mining
Contour mining
Open pit surface mining.
Open pit mine in Germany. 400 m
deep, 34 m2 area.
Mountaintop removal coal mining
Mountaintop removal coal mining
Top: largest coal port in
China to ship coal between
North and South.
Left: Coal terminal in
Newport News.
Conceptual Quiz
Which of the following ranks of coal is
considered the most valuable?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Bituminous.
Sub-bituminous.
Peat.
Lignite.
Bitumen.
Conceptual Quiz
Which of the following ranks of coal is
considered the most valuable?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Bituminous.
Sub-bituminous.
Peat.
Lignite.
Bitumen.
Conceptual Quiz
Which kind of people are best known for
mountaintop coal removal?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Republicans.
Democrats.
Scumbags.
Tea partiers.
Terrorists.
Conceptual Quiz
Which kind of people are best known for
mountaintop coal removal?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
Republicans.
Democrats.
Scumbags. The devil made me list it!
Tea partiers.
Terrorists.
Oil gusher.
Spindletop in
Texas, 1901.
Spindletop, 1903.
400 wells at this
time.
Steps of Oil Production
Exploration (aerial maps, then magnetic, gravity,
and seismic surveys.)
Well development (wildcats, well logging, etc.)
Production (well drilling, extracting oil,
enhanced oil recovery, natural gas, off shore)
Off shore wells and directional drilling.
Deepwater Horizon accident
Rocker arm
production oil
well.
Enhanced oil
recovery. Inject
steam to push oil
out.
Hydraulic fracturing:
http://www.oerb.com/Default.aspx?tabid=242
Seismic survey:
http://www.oerb.com/Default.aspx?tabid=274
Seismic line:
http://www.oerb.com/Default.aspx?tabid=273
Hydraulic fracturing discussion:
Discussion starts on page 51 of Ch. 6.
Alternative Oil Sources:
Tight oil
Artic offshore
Presalt deepwater
Oil shale
Oil sands
Conceptual Quiz
When did hydraulic fracturing begin?
A) 1940s
B) 1960s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s
E) 2000s
Conceptual Quiz
When did hydraulic fracturing begin?
A) 1940s
Actually 1947!!! In the
Barnett Shale in Texas.
B) 1960s
C) 1980s
D) 1990s
E) 2000s
Conceptual Quiz
Who, what, when or where was the world’s
first oil well?
A) Spindletop
B) 1903
C) Edwin Drake
D) Pittsburgh suburb
E) 1880s
Conceptual Quiz
Who, what, when or where was the world’s
first oil well?
A) Spindletop
B) 1903
C) Edwin Drake
D) Pittsburgh suburb
E) 1880s
Other subjects:
Types of natural gas
Pipelines
Refinery process
Uses of oil