Preservation of the Environment in the Process of Oil Extraction - Term Paper Example

Preservation of the environment in the process of oil extraction Oil is one of the most valuable commodities in the world today and this is mainly because it is used to provide energy for domestic and industrial purposes all over the world. Without oil, it is quite possible that the global economy would come to a standstill because most of the industries would not be able to run. Therefore, because of the high value of this commodity, it has become necessary for countries that need it the most to secure their supplies as a means of ensuring that they do not suffer from shortages that might result from a lack of supply. The fact that a large number of countries are heavily dependent on this commodity has led to a situation where they have taken diverse measures to build their reserves. This has been done to such an extent that it has become possible for some of them, such as the United States and China, to have a surplus, which will enable them to survive for several years without any additional supplies (Jiang, 2009). Furthermore, the need to maintain oil reserves has created a situation where it has become essential to develop new technologies and means of oil production to ensure that there are continued supplies with minimal interruptions. The result has been than the extraction of oil has been expanded in such a manner that it has become a threat to the environment since most of the methods used are normally harmful not only to the local ecosystems but also to the atmosphere because of the massive carbon emissions involved. It is because of these circumstances that new methods of oil extraction, which are environmentally friendly as well as the need to adopt alternative energy sources, have recently come to be advocated for by environmentalists in order to save various ecosystems in the world from destruction. The oil drilling process involves a number of factors and among the most prominent of these is the place where it is taking place. Oil drilling normally takes place either on land or at sea and it is for this reason that different methods are used to ensure that efficient production is secured. Drilling on land involves the drilling of a hole into the ground, which is between one centimeter and one meter in diameter, and after this is done, sections of steel pipe are fitted into the drilled hole (Almisned, 2008). After this is done, it is normal for concrete to be placed between the hole and steel pipe to ensure the structural integrity of the borehole during extraction. There are several methods used to drill and most of these normally need specialized drill bits to deal with different types of rock. Some of these bits are specialized in the disintegration of rocks using compressive pressure while others work through the shearing of slices of rock as they turn and this is normally done to ensure that they get to the oil in an effective manner (Urum, Pekdemir & Ãopur, 2005). During the drilling process, drilling fluid, consisting of water and clay and at times other chemical mixtures, is normally pumped down the side of the pipe which has been inserted in the borehole to ensure that there is the presence of the correct conditions necessary to drill the well in a safe manner (Almisned, 2008). The rock that is disintegrated in the drilling process is then swept up as the drill fluid forces it up to the surface outside of the drill pipe and this clears the path for further drilling deeper into the borehole. The pipe, which contains the bit, is further lengthened as the well gets deeper and in this manner, the bit gets to reach the rocks which are further down in the borehole, leading to the desired oil. It is a fact that oil drilling can be quite disruptive to the environment and this is mainly because it destroys the natural habitats of both plants and animals, creating a situation where there is ecological imbalance (Haavik, 2011). In addition, it has been found that the entire infrastructure needed to ensure that the oil is extracted, transported and processed leads to a situation where a lot of the natural habitats, in fact larger than the extraction site, are destroyed. This is true of such areas as Alaska where it is possible that the installation of oil infrastructure interferes with the environment of wild animals. An example of this is that drilling could lead to the interference with the habitat within which polar bears produce their cubs, and such a scenario might lead to the further decimation of the population of these animals, which many environmentalists fear are on the verge of extinction. It has also been found that the oil extraction process generates many harmful emissions, which are not only dangerous for human and wild life, but also are also detrimental to the environment (Rochlin, 2011). This process also leads to the spreading of drilling related odors that are easily detected in windless conditions, so that individuals can be able to get the odor at more than a mile away from the drilling site. The oil extraction process has also been found to produce large amounts of dust which, when they spread and cover large swaths of land make the forage consumed by livestock and wildlife inedible, resulting in either their moving away to find suitable forage or starve to death. The production of dust also has the consequence of causing dust pneumonia not only for the individuals working on the drilling site but also among the wildlife that occupy the area. Oil drilling also has the potential of having an impact on the cultural resources of some communities in which the process is taking place so that there is the possibility that these resources might be moved, destroyed or vandalized without the permission of the community concerned (Sabin, 1998). In such scenarios, there is normally the possibility that the scientific opportunities that might be involved to expand studies of such environments might be lost. There are several initiatives, which can be put in place to ensure that there is a reduction of the impact of oil drilling on the environment, and among these is the employment of satellite and other technologies before the beginning of the drilling process (Rai, 2007). It has been found that new advances in satellite, global positioning, and seismic technologies have enabled researchers to be able to discover oil reserves before the drilling process begins. This advancement has led to the drilling of fewer wells, which tend to be much smaller and result in lesser environmental damage than the traditional means of drilling (Sekhavatjou, Hosseini Alhashemi, Karbassi & Daemolzekr, 2011). In addition, one would suggest that better methods of disposing of the byproducts of the drilling process should be developed so that their harm to the environment can be reduced in a significant manner while at the same time ensuring that the process is also less hazardous for those individuals who work on the drilling site. It has been found that the use of seismic technology in sea drilling leads to the beaching of whales because the latter are normally disoriented by the noise made by this process. It is therefore important to stop the use of this technology and for more investment to be made in research that will lead to the improvement of seismic technology in such a manner that it does not adversely affect whales and other creatures that might be a part of the habitat within which the drilling process is taking place (Couillard, Lee, Légaré & King, 2005). Finally, it is important to ensure that the dependency on oil products is reduced and this can be done through the adoption of alternative energy resources, which are less harmful to the environment. In this way, the harmful impact of oil extraction to the environment can be brought to a minimum and help in the preservation of the latter so that future generations can be able to enjoy it. In the discussion above, it has been found that without oil, it is quite possible that the global economy would come to a standstill because most of the industries would not be able to run. Furthermore, the need to maintain oil reserves has created a situation where it has become essential to develop new technologies and means of oil production to ensure that there are continued supplies with minimal interruptions. It is also true that oil drilling normally takes place either on land or at sea and it is for this reason that different methods are used to ensure that efficient production is secured. Moreover, it has also been found that oil drilling can be quite disruptive to the environment and this is mainly because it destroys the natural habitats of both plants and animals, creating a situation where there is ecological imbalance. In addition, the oil extraction process has also been found to produce large amounts of dust which, when they spread and cover large swaths of land make the forage consumed by livestock and wildlife inedible, resulting in either their moving away to find suitable forage or starve to death. In order to curb the negative environmental impact of oil extraction, there are several initiatives, which can be put in place, and among these is the employment of satellite and other technologies before the beginning of the drilling process. References Almisned, O. 2008, "Assessing the corrosivity of drilling mud on well casings", Anti - Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. 55, no. 5, pp. 278-282. Couillard, C.M., Lee, K., Légaré, B. & King, T.L. 2005, "EFFECT OF DISPERSANT ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE WATER-ACCOMMODATED FRACTION OF CRUDE OIL AND ITS TOXICITY TO LARVAL MARINE FISH", Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 1496-504. Haavik, T.K. 2011, "Chasing shared understanding in drilling operations", Cognition, Technology & Work, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 281-294. Jiang, W. 2009, "Fuelling the Dragon: Chinas Rise and Its Energy and Resources Extraction in Africa", The China Quarterly, vol. 199, pp. 585-609. Rai, S. 2007, "Oil extraction - an easier process", Appropriate Technology, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 48-49. Rochlin, J. 2011, "DEVELOPMENT, THE ENVIRONMENT AND ECUADORS OIL PATCH: THE CONTEXT AND NUANCES OF THE CASE AGAINST TEXACO", Journal of Third World Studies, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 11-39. Sabin, P. 1998, "Searching for middle ground: Native communities and oil extraction in the Northern and Central Ecuadorian Amazon, 1967-1993", Environmental History, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 144. Sekhavatjou, M.S., Hosseini Alhashemi, A., Karbassi, A.R. & Daemolzekr, E. 2011, "Minimization of air pollutants emissions by process improvement of catalytic reforming unit in an Iranian old refinery", Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 743-749. Urum, K., Pekdemir, T. & Mehmet Ãopur 2005, "Screening of biosurfactants for crude oil contaminated soil washing", Journal of Environmental Engineering and Science, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 487-496. Read More