14 GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ETextbook Chapter 20 1 ENERGY

14. GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES E-Textbook: Chapter 20 1. ENERGY RESOURCES (Fossil fuels, geothermal, nuclear) 1. 1. Fossil Fuels Energy resources that have formed as the result of the burial and subsequent transformation of organic material. Major Fossil Fuels: Fuels Oil (Petroleum), Coal, Natural gas

PETROLEUM- WHAT IS IT? Ø Petroleum (Rock oil) is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rocks. Ø Complex mixture of hydrocarbons (C 5 H 12 to C 18 H 38) & trace amounts of N and S. Ø may also be found in semi-solid form mixed with sand (oil sand), (e. g. Canada, Venezuela) Crude oil Oil sand Crude oil

OIL SAND It takes two tons of oil sand - a mix of bitumen, sand, clay and water - to make one barrel of oil. A worker with a handful of black, sticky oil sand

USES OF PETROLEUM ü 84% by volume of the hydrocarbons present in petroleum is converted into energy-rich fuels such as gasoline, diesel, jet, heating, and other fuel oils. ü The 16% not used for energy production is the raw material for many chemical products, including pharmaceuticals, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, & plastics.

THE PROCESS OF OIL & GAS FORMATION

TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS AT WHICH DIFFERENT HYDROCARBONS FORM OIL T = 100 -160 o. C Natural Gas T = 160 -225 o. C .

THE PROCESS OF ACCUMULATION OF PETROLEUM

(2013) US Energy Information Administration ( US Could Emerge as Largest Oil Producer Ahead of Saudi, Russia https: //finance. yahoo. com/news/us-could-emerge-largest-oil 173005052. html? soc_src=hl-viewer&soc_trk=ma

Shale Gas Formations in the United

The Door to Hell (Turkmenistan): More than four decades after scientists mistakenly drilled a sinkhole and set the gas cavern on fire, the Darvaza Crater is still burning.

HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? • Known reserves of petroleum: 1. 67 tbl • Consumption: 86 million barrels/day • At 2012 consumption levels, petroleum reserves would be gone by the year 2065. 1, 668, 929, 000 barrels =19, 406 days 86, 000 barrels/day 19, 406 /365 = 53 years 53 + 2012 = 2065 Factors which may extend or reduce this estimate : increasing demand for petroleum in China & India; new discoveries; new extraction techniques (e. g. fracking), and energy

COAL Coal beds Peat Lignite Bituminous Coal Anthracite

THE PROCESS OF FORMING COAL Peat Coal T=100 -200 o. C Peat Coal T=200 -300 o. C Compacted & partly decayed plants transform into peat • Formed from the remains of plants that lived thousands to millions of years ago.

COAL FIELDS OF THE USA Btu: British thermal unit

IN WHICH CLASSES OF ROCKS DO FOSSIL FUELS OCCUR? Sedimentary: Most fossil fuels occur in sedimentary rocks Igneous: Due to the extremely high T involved in the formation of igneous rocks, the fossil fuels get cooked and vaporize. Metamorphic: Fossil fuels vaporize due to the high T during metamorphism; anthracite coal is a metamorphic rock.

1. 2. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY Energy produced by tapping natural underground reservoirs of steam and hot water (300°F to 700°F).

Aluto–Langano discharging well, ETH

1 2 3 http: //www. eia. doe. gov/kids/energy. cfm? page= geothermal_home-basics Imperial Valley Basic info on geothermal energy

Geothermal Power Capacity by State, 2000 (USGS)

1. 3. NUCLEAR ENERGY Cooling Tower Containment bldgs with Nuclear Reactors inside Nuclear Power Plant at Salem, New Jersey. Nuclear power meets about one-third of NJ’s electricity needs.

US NUCLEAR PLANTS

* Rancho Seco [Operational]

San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Operated by Southern California Edison (SCE) in San Diego County, has two units (Units 2 and 3). Unit 1 was retired in 1992. As of June 2013, SCE is in a process of developing a plan for decommissioning.

WHAT IS NUCLEAR ENERGY? Nuclear energy: q. Energy released by nuclear fission or fusion Nuclear fission q. Splitting of an atomic nucleus into two smaller fragments, accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy Nuclear fusion q. Joining of two lightweight atomic nuclei into a single, heavier nucleus, accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy

Uranium ore Uranium mining in Wyoming was formerly a much larger industry than it is today. Wyoming once had many operating uranium mines, and still has the largest known uranium ore reserves of any state in the U. S. At the end of 2008, the state had estimated reserves dependent on price: 539 million pounds of uranium oxide at $50 per pound, and 1, 227 million pounds at $100 per pound. The Wyoming uranium mining industry was hard-hit in the 1980 s by the drop in the price of uranium. When the uranium price dropped, the uranium-mining boom town of

PRODUCTS OF ENRICHMENT Uranium dioxide pellets, held in a gloved hand, contain about 35% of 235 U, the fission fuel in a nuclear reactor. Each pellet contains the energy equivalent of one ton of coal.

HOW IS ELECTRICITY PRODUCED? Pressurized water reactor 1. Fission of 235 U occurs in the reactor vessel 2. The fission process is accompanied by heat; this heats-up the water to ~293 o. C in the reactor vessel, used to produce steam in the steam generator 3. The steam drives a turbine to generate electricity 4. The steam leaves the turbine & is pumped through a condenser (to convert it back to liquid) before returning to the steam generator 5. Hot water from the condenser is pumped to a cooling tower to control excess heat

2. MINERAL RESOURCES Ore: mineral from which one or more commercial elements can be extracted profitably. Ores Native Gold on Quartz of Copp er Ores of various elements

ECONOMIC CONCENTRATION FACTORS* OF SOME COMMERCIALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS In order for a deposit to form, processes must bring about a localized enrichment of one or more minerals.

EXPLORATION TECHNIQUES FOR MINERAL DEPOSITS Integrated Survey involves: Ø Geological mapping Ø Geochemical analysis Ø Geophysical survey

WILL WE RUN OUT OF IMPORTANT METALS?