Unconventional Fossil Fuels Research Articles

Comprehensive characterization of petrophysical properties in shale by solvent extraction experiments and 2D NMR

Shale oil is one of the important unconventional fossil fuels resources. Understanding the petrophysical properties of shale contributes to the exploration and clean production of shale oil resources. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a potential technique that can provide for shale petrophysical properties. However, current NMR-based technique for shale petrophysical characterization, due to the complexity of shale, usually requires some auxiliary geochemical experiments. Since a multi-step solvent extraction (MSSE) experiment has a merit in separating hydrocarbons and water in shale, in this work, two-dimensional (2D) NMR measurements combined with MSSE experiments were proposed for the first time to study the petrophysical properties of shale. A mixture of dichloromethane and methanol in a ration of 9:1 was prepared as a solvent for the extraction. Sufficient natural air-drying time allows for the removal of dichloromethane while retaining methanol. The comprehensive experiments show that the signal change induced by residual methanol from T1/T2-T2 map, before and after extraction and natural air-drying, can be used to identify pore-fluid and evaluate the mobility of hydrocarbon. For insight into the essence of experimental phenomena, quasi-1D/2D translational diffusion model were employed to analyze the T1/T2 and T2 responses of pore fluids. Wettability characteristics and detailed hydrocarbon mobility of shale were obtained from the theoretical analyses based on the translational diffusion models and T1/T2-T2 map. Combined the experimental results with the theoretical analysis, a comprehensive interpretation scheme was established for shale based on the T1/T2-T2 map, including fluid identification, wettability evaluation, and hydrocarbon mobility characterization.

David vs. Goliath? Leveraging citizen science in Israel’s energy debates

As technological innovation accelerates the controversial development of unconventional fossil fuels, citizen science (CS) has emerged as a potential form of citizen engagement in technoscientific energy policy. Citizen science’s efficacy in engendering actual policy change, however, is often limited. This paper explores the role of CS in the context of Israel’s divisive national oil shale debate. Based chiefly on 41 semi-structured, recorded and transcribed interviews with key players, and 59 policy documents, this research examines both form and strategy whereby CS served as a means of citizen engagement in policymaking. This research indicates several effective forms of citizen-led and policy-driven CS including intense self-education, science production and analysis, challenging scientific authority, and reframing the debate. Moreover, the research demonstrates the strategic operationalization of citizen science. CS was co-produced and disseminated bilaterally via a partnership between citizens and decision-makers – the environmental ministry, and CS was incorporated as one of several components in a complex and multilateral strategy. This research hence offers insight into potential forms and strategies whereby CS can serve effectively as a form of public participation in energy decision-making, yet questions to what extent these forms of CS enhance science democratization.

Has the global expansion of energy markets truly improved energy security?

Global energy trade volumes have sharply increased over the past three decades, creating a more connected energy system. Increasing demand for energy, the emergence of unconventional fossil fuels, increasing environmental awareness, and technological progress in energy technologies have led to significant changes in national energy mixes and in global trade patterns. For many countries, energy security is the dominant concern in the design of energy trade strategies and policies. In this paper, we present a systematic analysis of the factors shaping the global energy trade network, considering several energy security indicators as well as broader economic considerations. We observe that, in line with energy security considerations, most countries have indeed increased the number of their trade connections resulting in a more densely connected global energy network. However, a substantial part of countries’ energy commodity imports often still comes only from a few incumbent suppliers. Due to this supplier concentration global energy security does not increase with the expansion of the energy markets. Increasing energy security will require fundamental changes in the organization of the energy market in terms of contracts and the flexibility of energy infrastructures.

Experimental observation of methane hydrate dissociation via different depressurization modes under water phase flow

As one of the most potential unconventional fossil fuels, the safe and efficient production of natural gas hydrates (NGHs) has become a prominent research area worldwide. Water flow erosion, which has been proven to be a powerful methane hydrate dissociation method recently, may be an effective way to mitigate the challenging ice generation problems urgently needed to be solved for depressurization production. In this study, we visually studied the effects of the three depressurization modes combined with water flow erosion on MH decomposition using in-situ magnetic resonance imaging. The time and spatial characteristics of the three-phase water–gas-hydrate during the MH production process are indirectly determined in sediment. Three stages of the energy recovery process are directly observed: the MH stable existing stage, the free gas production stage, and the MH decomposition stage. Our work indicates that all three combination modes effectively eliminate ice generated during the MH production process. Compared with the sudden depressurization method, radial extension appears on one side or two sides of the decomposition trends. In addition, the results denote that the higher water flow rate can efficiently enhance the effect of depressurization on hydrate dissociation. Meanwhile, the MH decomposition rate and formation stability benefit more from a faster water flow rate and depressurization rate.

Debating Resource-Driven Development: A Comparative Analysis of Media Coverage on the Pacific Northwest LNG Project in British Columbia

In Canada, the provincial government of British Columbia has been keen on building an export-oriented liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry since 2011. This paper examines media coverage of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project (PNW), which was considered as the flagship proposal of the BC LNG initiative, until its abrupt cancellation in July 2017. By tracing how six Canadian media outlets reported the rise and fall of PNW over a 36-month period, the paper explicates the intricate political and ideological struggles underlying the Canadian political economy’s growing dependence upon unconventional fossil fuels. The comparative analysis reveals that when explaining the project’s cancellation, fossil fuel advocates repeatedly deployed the “jobs killed by environmentalists” argument via opinion pieces appearing in commercial newspapers. This diagnosis, however, downplayed the far-reaching impacts of Asia’s LNG market conditions prior to the cancellation. By comparison, independent media played an important role in assisting LNG opponents to communicate PNW’s fragile economic basis to a wide audience. Overall, these findings highlight the significance of independent media in supporting diverse news accounts of energy controversies.

Resource-making controversies: Knowledge, anticipatory politics and economization of unconventional fossil fuels

Advancing relational accounts of ‘resource-making’ processes by deploying insights from science and technology studies, this article outlines crucial new lines of inquiry for geographical research on unconventional fossil fuels. The exploitation of various carbon-rich substitutes for hydrocarbons has rapidly expanded over the last two decades, to become a highly contentious issue which augments scientific dissensus and generates new collective engagements with the subsurface. The article invites geographers to examine the epistemically and politically transformative potential of such resource-making controversies in terms of reconfiguring: the production of geoscientific knowledge, anticipation of post-conventional energy systems, and temporal strategies of (de)economizing extractive futures.

The Global Food‐Energy‐Water Nexus

AbstractWater availability is a major factor constraining humanity's ability to meet the future food and energy needs of a growing and increasingly affluent human population. Water plays an important role in the production of energy, including renewable energy sources and the extraction of unconventional fossil fuels that are expected to become important players in future energy security. The emergent competition for water between the food and energy systems is increasingly recognized in the concept of the “food‐energy‐water nexus.” The nexus between food and water is made even more complex by the globalization of agriculture and rapid growth in food trade, which results in a massive virtual transfer of water among regions and plays an important role in the food and water security of some regions. This review explores multiple components of the food‐energy‐water nexus and highlights possible approaches that could be used to meet food and energy security with the limited renewable water resources of the planet. Despite clear tensions inherent in meeting the growing and changing demand for food and energy in the 21st century, the inherent linkages among food, water, and energy systems can offer an opportunity for synergistic strategies aimed at resilient food, water, and energy security, such as the circular economy.

A Comparison of the Impacts of Wind Energy and Unconventional Gas Development on Land-use and Ecosystem Services: An Example from the Anadarko Basin of Oklahoma, USA.

The United States energy industry is transforming with the rapid development of alternative energy sources and technological advancements in fossil fuels. Two major changes include the growth of wind turbines and unconventional oil and gas. We measured land-use impacts and associated ecosystem services costs of unconventional gas and wind energy development within the Anadarko Basin of the Oklahoma Woodford Shale, an area that has experienced large increases in both energy sectors. Unconventional gas wells developed three times as much land compared to wind turbines (on a per unit basis), resulting in higher ecosystem services costs for gas. Gas wells had higher impacts on intensive agricultural lands (i.e., row crops) compared to wind turbines that had higher impacts on natural grasslands/pastures. Because wind turbines produced on average less energy compared to gas wells, the average land-use-related ecosystem cost per gigajoule of energy produced was almost the same. Our results demonstrate that both unconventional gas and wind energy have substantial impacts on land use, which likely affect wildlife populations and land-use-related ecosystem services. Although wind energy does not have the associated greenhouse gas emissions, we suggest that the direct impacts on ecosystems in terms of land use are similar to unconventional fossil fuels. Considering the expected rapid global expansion of these two forms of energy production, many ecosystems are likely to be at risk.

Assessing, monitoring, and addressing boomtown impacts in the US: evaluating an existing public health model

Identifying strategies for conducting impact assessment (IA) suited to unconventional fossil fuel (UFF) development, and practical opportunities to apply them, is an important activity given the continued importance of shale and other UFF energy resources. This paper offers a case study of an iterative public health planning process – Mobilizing Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) – that produced a version of integrated IA over a 10-year period in the Bakken region in the US. Through mixed qualitative methods, including focus groups, Ripple Effect Mapping and interviews, this study assessed the applicability of the MAPP process in the UFF development environment. The assessment draws on evaluation frameworks offered in theoretical and applied IA literatures. We found evidence to recommend MAPP as a possible solution to the lack of mandated, formal IA practices in UFF regions in the US based on three benefits: (1) MAPP aligns closely with IA best practices in form and approach; (2) our case study suggests that MAPP creates the for direct linkages between assessment, monitoring, and mitigation that are frequently absent in IA processes; and (3) participants in the process in our study note its utility in helping them negotiate the specific challenges of UFF development.

Fracking the Future: Temporality, Framing and the Politics of Unconventional Fossil Fuels

Despite scientific consensus of the need to rapidly decarbonize economic systems in order to avoid dangerous climate change, the exploitation of new sources of fossil fuels continues unabated. Over...

Translocal anti-fracking activism: an exploration of network structure and tie content

ABSTRACTIn order to develop conceptual models that reflect the realities of networked communicative processes scholars must examine both the underlying network structure and the content of these ties. Using mixed methods, I apply a relational perspective to the role of digital technologies in transnational organizing, using activism against high-volume hydraulic fracturing as a case study. In-depth interviews are combined with social network analysis of hyper-linkages between organizations supporting a day of action calling for a ban on fracking, Global Frackdown. Analysis shows that activism against unconventional fossil fuels brings together very localized concerns about environmental risks associated with extractive industries with more abstract global concerns. I apply the concept of translocal to examine environmental organizations and movements. This conceptual shift focuses on the brokerage role of global-minded local groups in mediating global issues back to the hyper-local scale. While international NGOs play a coordinating role, local groups with a global worldview can connect transnational movements to the hyper-local scale by networking with groups that are too small to appear in a transnational network.

Энергетическая политика Евросоюза по сланцевому газу и другим необычным видам ископаемого топлива

The article presents a study of the EU energy policy regarding the exploration and production of shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels using high-volume hydraulic fracturing, which the European Commission has developed since 2011. The author gives answers to the following questions: what are the factors making it inevitable for the EU to work out special energy policy in this sphere, and what is the essence of this policy; what the European Commission considers to be positive results of the EU energy development; what is the energy-related sore point of the EU economy? The European Commission activity for constructing the basis of the EU energy policy in the above-mentioned sphere was provoked and stimulated by the shale gas revolution – spectacular success of the USA and a number of countries, which followed them, in enhancing their national energy security due to the implementation of advanced technologies in shale gas exploration and extraction. In 2012–2013, the European Commission hold an online public consultation “Unconventional Fossil Fuels (e.g. Shale Gas) in Europe” which addressed relevant stakeholders representing oil and gas industry, national and local authorities, environmentalists, geologists, scientists, experts in industrial risks, and was aimed at taking account of their concerns and views on the shale gas production in the EU Member States in its upcoming work. According to the consultation results, a large majority of all respondents share the view that «the EU should take some action: "doing nothing" was the least favored option, ... and… there are important information needs associated with unconventional fossil fuels exploration and extraction, and… potential challenges should be addressed with appropriate measures». In 2014, the European Commission, stimulated by the support of public at large, activated its efforts and presented initiatives laying down the foundations of the EU energy policy in the sphere of shale gas and other unconventional fossil fuels exploration and production in the EU Member States.

A conceptual model of the socioeconomic impacts of unconventional fossil fuel extraction

As global energy demand increases, the rapid expansion of the unconventional fossil fuel sector has triggered an urgent need for social, economic and policy research to understand and predict how this sector affects host communities and how governance systems can respond to changes presented by this sector. In response to this need, this paper addresses three linked objectives. The first is to review the literature on regional impacts of energy extraction, presented in the form of a framework of hierarchical effects. The second is to consider how these are playing out differently in the context of conventional compared with unconventional fossil fuels. The third is to draw attention to the institutional avenues for addressing these impacts, including an overview of the lessons from existing research on the human and policy dimensions associated with conventional energy industries. In particular, we consider the importance of multi-stakeholder dialog, which plays an important role in how regions respond to the challenges brought about through extractive industries. Overall, we demonstrate that experiences from conventional energy development provide a useful starting point for navigating the human and policy dimensions of unconventional energy for host communities and discuss how these experiences differ when unconventional energy seeks to co-exist with other land uses such as agriculture. The paper draws attention to the dispersed nature of impacts (positive and negative) and how this may shape winners and losers from unconventional energy development, particularly in regions with pre-existing land uses such as agriculture.

Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, and US Rangelands

Depletion of conventional oil and natural gas reserves, rising world demand for fossil fuels, and changing geo-political conditions necessitate that the United States aggressively develop both renewable and nonrenewable energy along with increasing energy conservation and efficiency. This will affect how rangelands are used, create income opportunities for ranchers, and expand employment opportunities for professional range managers. Air and ground water contamination and increased earthquakes could be serious environmental challenges from expanded development of unconventional fossil fuels. Renewable energy development involving wind, solar, and biomass also have environmental hazards. Rangeland managers in the future must be prepared to minimize and ameliorate environmental damage from different types of energy developments while optimizing energy production with traditional rangeland uses. In our view, government policies encouraging energy conservation could significantly reduce rangeland losses to urban and ex-urbanization, dependence on foreign oil imports and carbon emissions. They would also extend the longevity of fossil fuel reserves providing a hedge against possible failure of renewable energy sources to meet future needs.

UK nuclear and fossil fuel energy infrastructure climate risks

The energy sector’s importance as critical national infrastructure means that the sector has been long prepared for disruptions, of which weather-related disruptions are generally well understood. Climate change means changing mean operating conditions, new and more frequent extremes and changing risk profiles. These changes have the potential to disrupt operations, while others may have long-term effects on the performance of infrastructure. This paper reviews the current knowledge base surrounding climate impacts on the infrastructure and operations of the nuclear, coal, oil and gas subsectors. We also present assessment of ‘confidence in the science’. The risks identified within the Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) were comprehensive; however, we note areas in need of further investigation. Risks to upstream oil and gas are not covered in detail, and risks to new energy systems, in particular carbon capture and storage and unconventional fossil fuels, are not covered at all. Their detailed consideration in the next CCRA is recommended, alongside more systems approaches to risk assessment of the UK energy system.

Fossil fuels in a trillion tonne world

The useful energy services and energy density value of fossil carbon fuels could be retained for longer timescales into the future if their combustion is balanced by CO2 recapture and storage. We assess the global balance between fossil carbon supply and the sufficiency (size) and capability (technology, security) of candidate carbon stores. A hierarchy of value for extraction-to-storage pairings is proposed, which is augmented by classification of CO2 containment as temporary ( 100,000 yr). Using temporary stores is inefficient and defers an intergenerational problem. Permanent storage capacity is adequate to technically match current fossil fuel reserves. However, rates of storage creation cannot balance current and expected rates of fossil fuel extraction and CO2 consequences. Extraction of conventional natural gas is uniquely holistic because it creates the capacity to re-inject an equivalent tonnage of carbon for storage into the same reservoir and can re-use gas-extraction infrastructure for storage. By contrast, balancing the extraction of coal, oil, biomass and unconventional fossil fuels requires the engineering and validation of additional carbon storage. Such storage is, so far, unproven in sufficiency.

Eo-Oligocene Oil Shales of the Talawi, Lubuktaruk, and Kiliranjao Areas, West Sumatra: Are they potential source rocks?

DOI:10.17014/ijog.v1i3.198To anticipate the increasing energy demand, additional data and information covering unconventional fossil fuels such as oil shale must be acquired to promote the usage of alternative energy sources to crude oil. The Talawi and Lubuktaruk regions situated within intra-montane Ombilin Basin, and the Kiliranjao assumed to be a small intra montane basin are occupied by Eo-Oligocene sediments of Sangkarewang and Kiliran Formations, respectively. Field activity, geochemical screening techniques, and organic petrographic analysis, supported by SEM mode, are methods used. Most of the oil shale sequence is typically of an organically rich-succession comprising predominantly well-bedded, laminated and fissile, brownish to dark grey organic-rich shale and mudstone rocks. The exinite macerals within oil shale comprise mainly Pediastrum-lamalginite with minor cutinite, resinite, liptodetrinite, sporinite, bituminite, and rare Botryococcus-telalginite. Therefore; the oil shale deposits can be described as “lamosites”. Minor vitrinite maceral is also recognized. TOC analysis on selected shale samples corresponds to a fair up to excellent category of source rock characterization. The hydrogen index (HI) for all samples shows a range of values from 207 - 864, and pyrolysis yield (PY) ranges from 2.67 to 79.72 mg HC/g rock. The kerogen is suggested to be of mixed Type II and Type I autochthonous materials such as alginite, with minor allochthonous substances. Oil samples collected appear to be positioned within more oil prone rather than gas prone. Thermal maturity of the oil shales gained from Tmax value and production index (PI) tends to show immature to marginally/early mature stage. A consistency in the thermal maturity level results by using both Tmax and vitrinite reflectance value is recognized. On the basis of SEM analysis, the oil shale has undergone a late eodiagenetic process. Thereby, overall, vitrinite reflectance agreeing with Tmax rates, are also consistent with the PI (production index) values and SEM result. By evaluating all the results of geochemical and organic petrological analyses conducted on shale lithologies (shale and mudstone), it can be concluded that the oil shales in those areas have a favourable potential for generation of shale oil or gas to be included as alternative energy resources in the future.

Energy and Rangelands: A Perspective

On the Ground Depletion of conventional oil and natural gas reserves coupled to rising world demand for fossil fuels will have major impacts on US rangelands and ranches over the next 30 years. Shale oil and gas are unconventional fossil fuels now being aggressively developed on US rangelands. Their development involves a larger physical footprint in terms of roads, drill pads, mining pits, and water disposal ponds than conventional oil and gas development, but their development techniques are improving in terms of extraction efficiency and reduction of adverse environmental impacts. Groundwater contamination is the biggest potential threat to ranchers from shale oil and gas development. US ranchers will likely experience continued rising prices for their livestock due to world farmland loss, increased human population, and rising affluency in Asian countries, but their production costs will also rise due to higher energy costs. Implementing management practices involving risk aversion and minimization of...

Citizen acceptance of new fossil fuel infrastructure: Value theory and Canada׳s Northern Gateway Pipeline

Development of unconventional fossil fuels is generating controversy in North America, where citizen support or opposition can shape political decisions. This study explores the role of values in citizen perceptions. The case study is Canada׳s proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline (NGP), which would transport bitumen from Alberta׳s oil sands to British Columbia׳s (BC) northern coast for export. Data were collected in 2013 from a sample of Canadian citizens (n=2628). The survey instrument elicited citizen perceptions of the NGP, as well as values and attitudes. Respondents in the Alberta subsample are the most likely to support the NGP and to perceive economic benefits. Respondents in the BC subsample are the most likely to oppose the NGP and to perceive environmental risks. To explore heterogeneity in motivations among both subsamples, respondent clusters are constructed based on values. In both regions, opposition is highest in clusters with strong biospheric–altruistic values, while acceptance is highest in clusters with strong traditional values. Regional effects are also substantial; NGP acceptance is higher in each of Alberta׳s clusters relative to equivalent clusters in BC. Regional context seems to shape how values correspond with perceptions. Insights are drawn for energy project development, public consultation and energy planning.

Overcoming the Mikado Situation

type="graphical" xml:id="gpol12165-abs-0002"> Our estimates of energy demand are built upon false beliefs in physics.