The oil industry urgently needs to explore new fields
2018-06-26 04:00:28
Today, people are not only concerned about high oil prices, but are also worried about whether the oil production has reached a “peak†and global output has begun to decline. World energy demand may increase by 50% over the next 25 years. Where to find these energy? “Obstacle-ready†oil is likely to have crossed the peak, and production of other energy reserves is still far from peak. Non-traditional oil and gas reserves are still abundant, but these resources are difficult to develop and use. The oil industry must expand new fields, develop new hydrocarbon energy sources, and integrate "carbon dioxide solutions."
The challenge now is that the technologies we develop must not only promote growth, but also lead to no deterioration of the environment. In other words, the scale of application of technological progress must be sufficient to produce real progress. This means that we must integrate technology because in this complex industry, this is where real benefits are generated. At the same time, it also means that we must apply these technologies in increasingly difficult projects and acquire resources in challenging new environments such as the Arctic or deep sea waters.
The greatest impact that technology can have is to dramatically increase the amount of traditional oil we extract from our existing reserves. This is 1/3 higher than the current industry average. Engineers remotely monitor the intelligence of the storage process, along with technologies that use steam or chemicals to make oil easier to produce, and can significantly increase recovery.
Technology integration also allows us to obtain hydrocarbon resources that were not available in the past. The global natural gas reserves are huge and many have not yet been developed and utilized. In the next 10 years, the demand for liquefied natural gas will double, but this also depends on technological progress.
Converting gas to liquid also uses technology that will convert natural gas to diesel-like fuel, an ideal fuel for pollution reduction in large cities.
Other new areas of hydrocarbon energy include heavy oil, petroleum contained in sandstone and shale, natural gas and tight gas layers containing impurities, and coalbed methane. The world’s coal reserves are abundant, especially in the United States and China.
Shell is trying to use an environmentally friendly method to produce a large amount of potential reserves in oil shale. They used electric heaters to heat rock formations in Colorado, releasing light crude oil and natural gas. Coal gasification technology provides a more efficient, cleaner and more flexible method for coal utilization, and the resulting syngas can be an effective fuel for combined cycle power plants. Using the same technology as liquefied gas, high-quality liquid fuels can also be produced. The world will need these resources, but because of their higher carbon content, it is even more urgent to find a solution to the problem of carbon emissions.
Capture most of the carbon dioxide in “green fossil fuels†and store them in underground or inert materials. In the medium term, this may be cheaper, more convenient and more flexible than alternative energy sources. Usually a 1 million-kilowatt thermal power plant has a carbon footprint equivalent to 1.5 million cars. In China alone, about 17 such power plants will be built.
Whether or not the idea of ​​carbon sequestration is successful depends on whether there is enough investment to obtain more difficult resources and has long been engaged in technological development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that to meet global energy demand, investment will exceed US$17 trillion by 2030. Given the urgent need for investment, the collection of windfall profits tax will only be counterproductive, especially for this industry with a history of price fluctuations.
Therefore, despite the existence of many sources of energy that can be used to meet energy challenges, the task of the energy industry is daunting. It must use technology and talent. It also depends on the government and consumers recognizing that we have common interests and must deal with the changing environment.
The challenge now is that the technologies we develop must not only promote growth, but also lead to no deterioration of the environment. In other words, the scale of application of technological progress must be sufficient to produce real progress. This means that we must integrate technology because in this complex industry, this is where real benefits are generated. At the same time, it also means that we must apply these technologies in increasingly difficult projects and acquire resources in challenging new environments such as the Arctic or deep sea waters.
The greatest impact that technology can have is to dramatically increase the amount of traditional oil we extract from our existing reserves. This is 1/3 higher than the current industry average. Engineers remotely monitor the intelligence of the storage process, along with technologies that use steam or chemicals to make oil easier to produce, and can significantly increase recovery.
Technology integration also allows us to obtain hydrocarbon resources that were not available in the past. The global natural gas reserves are huge and many have not yet been developed and utilized. In the next 10 years, the demand for liquefied natural gas will double, but this also depends on technological progress.
Converting gas to liquid also uses technology that will convert natural gas to diesel-like fuel, an ideal fuel for pollution reduction in large cities.
Other new areas of hydrocarbon energy include heavy oil, petroleum contained in sandstone and shale, natural gas and tight gas layers containing impurities, and coalbed methane. The world’s coal reserves are abundant, especially in the United States and China.
Shell is trying to use an environmentally friendly method to produce a large amount of potential reserves in oil shale. They used electric heaters to heat rock formations in Colorado, releasing light crude oil and natural gas. Coal gasification technology provides a more efficient, cleaner and more flexible method for coal utilization, and the resulting syngas can be an effective fuel for combined cycle power plants. Using the same technology as liquefied gas, high-quality liquid fuels can also be produced. The world will need these resources, but because of their higher carbon content, it is even more urgent to find a solution to the problem of carbon emissions.
Capture most of the carbon dioxide in “green fossil fuels†and store them in underground or inert materials. In the medium term, this may be cheaper, more convenient and more flexible than alternative energy sources. Usually a 1 million-kilowatt thermal power plant has a carbon footprint equivalent to 1.5 million cars. In China alone, about 17 such power plants will be built.
Whether or not the idea of ​​carbon sequestration is successful depends on whether there is enough investment to obtain more difficult resources and has long been engaged in technological development. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that to meet global energy demand, investment will exceed US$17 trillion by 2030. Given the urgent need for investment, the collection of windfall profits tax will only be counterproductive, especially for this industry with a history of price fluctuations.
Therefore, despite the existence of many sources of energy that can be used to meet energy challenges, the task of the energy industry is daunting. It must use technology and talent. It also depends on the government and consumers recognizing that we have common interests and must deal with the changing environment.
Electroplating Chemicals Co., Ltd. , http://www.chachemicals.com