Course:EOSC311/2022/Oil Consumption in the United States and its Impact on Climate Change

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Introduction

United States is one of the world's largest oil consumers[1] and producers[2]. Studies have shown that increased usage of oil consumption leads to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions and environmental degradation in the long run[3]. As a result, throughout the wiki, I will examine United States oil consumption and production practices. Explain what oil is and how it is formed and extracted. Elaborate on two biggest oil reservoirs in the Unites States. Provide implications of oil consumption, specifically climate change. Present the statistical evidence of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. Finally, provide solutions imposed by the U.S. to regulate its carbon emissions.

Relationship with Major

Sociology is the study of society's structure, functioning, and development. As a sociology major student, we have discussed many topics concerning consumption and overexploitation. Whereas, geology refers to the study of earth, namely its resources. As a result, the decision was made to examine consumption of one of the most sought-after natural resources, oil. Natural resource overexploitation frequently worsens human and, more importantly, environmental conditions. Oil is a globally consumed and overexploited natural resource. Although oil consumption boosts national productivity, it also emits hazardous gases like methane and carbon dioxide as a byproduct. As a result, the gases trap heat and pollute the atmosphere, contributing to issues like global warming.

Overview of Oil Consumption and Production in the U.S.

As previously mentioned U.S. is one of the worlds largest oil producers, and around 40% of the American oil needs are met at home[2]. The rest 60% of oil needs are met from imports, which come from five countries: Canada, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Venezuela and Nigeria[2]. In 2021, the United States produced 11.185 million barrels of petroleum per day[4]. In that, in 2021, the United States consumed an average of about 19.78 million barrels of petroleum per day, or a total of approximately 7.22 billion barrels of petroleum annually[4]. Notably United States also export a large amount of its oil, in 2021 United States exported around 8.63 million barrels of petroleum per day to 176 countries[4].

Figure 1. Formation of Oil

Chemical Structure of Oil

Oil and gas are made up of a class of chemicals known as hydrocarbons (i.e. substances that are made only of atoms of the elements hydrogen and carbon)[5]. The boiling point of different hydrocarbons varies, nevertheless methane (i.e. small and light molecule) boils at -160°C[5]. This is important, because in a petroleum reservoir, where the temperature is approximately 100°C, methane (i.e. greenhouse gas) exists in gaseous form.

Formation of Oil: Fossil Fuel

Most of the oil and gas found today is formed by the breakdown of small sea organisms (i.e. Phytoplankton) that lived in the ocean a long time ago[6]. When the organisms die they sink to the bottom of the ocean and form an organic sediment, which later gets covered by new sediments[5]. Due to oil being a low density fluid, it cannot be found in the original sedimentary rocks that the organisms were deposited in[6].

As the source sediments (See Figure 1.) are buried, they are compressed and heated as a result of pressure and temperature[6]. When buried to a depth of about 1-2 km, the temperatures are enough (i.e. 50°C) for anaerobic bacterial and chemical processes to convert it into kerogen (i.e. waxy material) [6]. The pressure and temperature of the source rock rise as more sediments are deposited on top. Kerogen converts to liquid oil at 3-5 km burial depth (80-120°C)[6]. The oil migrates upwards at this point into the reservoir rocks, where it is stopped by the cap rocks from migrating any further upwards. If the sedimentary sequence lacks cap rocks, the oil slowly migrates away and does not form a resource[6]. Nevertheless, at higher temperatures oil or graphite may form[6].

Figure 2. Oil well in Texas, U.S.

Oil Extraction in the United States

Conventional oil is extracted from underground reservoirs using traditional drilling and pumping methods[7] (See Figure 2). At atmospheric temperature and pressure, conventional oil is liquid, so it can flow through a wellbore and a pipeline – unlike bitumen (i.e.oil sands oil), which is too thick to flow without being heated or diluted[7]. Conventional oil is easier and less expensive to recover, and it requires less processing after extraction. Whereas, unconventional oil requires advanced extraction techniques, such as oil sands mining and in situ development, as it is heavier and doesn't flow on its own[8].

Two Biggest Oil Reservoirs in the Unites States

The Permian reservoir in Texas was discovered in 1920 and was named the largest oil reservoir in the United States in 2019[9]. The Permian reservoir produces 4.2 million barrels of petroleum per day[9], which is a lot in comparison to other oil reservoirs in the United States. For comparison, the second largest oil reservoir Eagle Ford Shale also located in Texas and discovered in 2008, produces 1.3 million barrels of petroleum per day[9]. Referring back to the statistics presented in "Overview of Oil Consumption and Production in the U.S." section, it is evident that the amount of oil produced in Permian reservoir makes up a little less than a half of the overall oil produced in the United States per day.

Greenhouse Gases and Fossil Fuels

Figure 3. Greenhouse Gas Effect

While producing a lot of oil may be profitable economically, oil consumption has serious environmental consequences. Oil is considered a fossil fuel, as it is made of buried remains of plants and animals[10]. When oil is used (i.e combusted) it produces large quantities of carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, etc. As outlined on Figure 3. Among others greenhouse gases, Carbon dioxide emissions trap heat in the atmosphere and inevitably lead to climate forcing via greenhouse effect. In that, when a climate forcing modifies the climate slightly, a cascade of environmental changes occurs, many of which either exaggerate (i.e. positive feedback) or suppress the initial change (i.e. negative feedbacks)[11].

Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States

According to a recent analysis of carbon emissions, the United States ranks second in carbon dioxide emissions, accounting for 15% of total emissions, while China ranks first, accounting for 27% of total emissions[10]. It is important to note that the U.S. oil consumption and production have increased as a result of the COVID-19 circumstances; prior to COVID-19, carbon dioxide emissions and oil production were lower[1]. Accordingly, a potential reduction in carbon dioxide emissions might be possible if necessary strategies are implemented.

Anthropogenic Climate Change

Right now we are living though anthropogenic climate change, which refers to a climate change driven by human beings. Among main factors which lead to such condition are rapidly growing population, increased industrialization and mechanization of our lives, and an increasing reliance on fossil fuels for transportation and energy generation[12]. Importantly to note that processes on earth are interconnected and a change in one sphere will catalyze a change in another sphere. As a result there are numerous implications of anthropogenic climate change.

Implications of Climate Change

Climate change poses a fundamental threat to habitats, species and humans. Sea levels are rising as a result of rising temperatures, and the oceans are warming[13]. Average sea levels have increased by 23 cm since 1880s, with approximately 8 cm increase in the last 25 years[14]. Warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates in the air, inevitably leading to increased precipitation[15]. In addition, there are droughts that last longer and are more intense which endanger crops, wildlife, and freshwater supplies[13]. Lastly, climate change catalyzes many natural disasters, such as forest fires, hurricanes, floods and storms[16]. As a result, it is clear that the current climate change does not result in anything plausible, accordingly individuals and government must adopt policies and practices which mitigate the devastating impact of anthropogenic climate change.

U.S. Strategies to Mitigate Climate Change

Despite the fact that the United States produces and consumes a large amount of oil, emitting greenhouse gases as a result. The government and the people recognize that there is an urge for change. Accordingly, there are multiple strategies being implemented to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In one of the articles, the author notes that despite the rise in carbon emissions and oil consumption due to COVID-19 pandemic, the country is becoming more energy efficient, building cars with better gas mileage and shifting away from oil-based energy to cleaner sources of energy, such as hydropower, solar and wind power[1]. Furthermore, thirteen states have adopted carbon pricing policies[17]. In addition, the Unites States AgSTAR program promotes the use of biogas recovery systems to reduce methane emissions from livestock waste[18]. Lastly, current president Joe Biden has set a greenhouse gas pollution reduction plan with an aim of decreasing it's emissions by 2030[19].

Conclusion

To conclude, despite the United States' contribution to climate change in terms of carbon emissions, it is not the only one, and we are all contributing to climate change in some way. To better understand the concept of climate change, it is necessary to understand what is facilitating it in detail. The petroleum geology analyzed throughout the wiki allows for a more in-depth understanding of processes associated with one of the fossil fuels (i.e. oil) combustion of which contributes to climate change. As a result of acknowledging climate change and many factors that catalyze it, individuals must adapt practises in their daily routines that aid in climate change mitigation. Furthermore, the government should be supportive, providing needed resources and implementing policies that will drive nations to change. As on the case of the U.S. it is shown that despite being second in the world in carbon emissions, they acknowledge it and implement different strategies to mitigate their carbon emissions.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kashif, M., & Nimra, R. (2020). Asymmetric impact of energy consumption on environmental degradation: Evidence from australia, china, and USA.Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 27(11), 11749-11759. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07777-6
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Flintoff, C. (2012). Where Does America Get Oil? you may be surprised. NPR. Retrieved June 6, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2012/04/11/150444802/where-does-america-get-oil-you-may-be-surprised
  3. ↑ Kashif, M., & Nimra, R. (2020). Asymmetric impact of energy consumption on environmental degradation: Evidence from australia, china, and USA.Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 27(11), 11749-11759. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-07777-6
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Frequently asked questions (faqs) - U.S. energy information administration (EIA). Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2022, from https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=33&t=6
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Porritt, L. (n.d.). Oil-gas. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.nbvm.no/en/oil-gas.html
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Porritt, L. (n.d.). What is the fuss about fossil fuels? . Module 3: The formation of oil and gas. Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/95004/pages/module-3-the-formation-of-oil-and-gas?module_item_id=4288815
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Oilgascanada. (n.d.). Crude Oil Extraction and Drilling Methods. CAPP. Retrieved from https://www.capp.ca/oil/extraction/
  8. ↑ Fernando, J. (2021). What Does Unconventional Oil Mean? Investopedia. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/u/uncoventional-oil.asp
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 EIA . (n.d.). Top 100 U.S. Oil and Gas Fields - Energy Information Administration. U.S. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved from https://www.eia.gov/naturalgas/crudeoilreserves/top100/pdf/top100.pdf
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Denchak, M. (2022). Fossil fuels: The dirty facts. NRDC. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/fossil-fuels-dirty-facts
  11. ↑ Panchuk, K., & Earle, S. (2019). 19.1 what makes the climate change? Physical Geology 2nd Edition. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/physicalgeology2ed/chapter/19-1-what-makes-the-climate-change/
  12. ↑ Panchuk, K., & Earle, S. (2019). 19.2 anthropogenic climate change. Physical Geology 2nd Edition. Retrieved from https://opentextbc.ca/physicalgeology2ed/chapter/19-2-anthropogenic-climate-change/
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 World Wildlife Fund. (n.d.). Effects of climate change. WWF. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-climate-change
  14. ↑ Nunez, C. (2022). Sea level rise, facts and information. Environment. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/sea-level-rise-1
  15. ↑ Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Climate Change Indicators: Heavy Precipitation. EPA. Retrieved June 22, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heavy-precipitation
  16. ↑ Natural disasters and climate change. National Geographic Society. (2020). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/natural-disasters-and-climate-change/
  17. ↑ Market-based State policy. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.c2es.org/content/market-based-state-policy/
  18. ↑ Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/ghg-reduction-programs-strategies
  19. ↑ The United States Government. (2021). Fact sheet: President Biden sets 2030 greenhouse gas pollution reduction target aimed at creating good-paying union jobs and securing U.S. leadership on Clean Energy Technologies. The White House. Retrieved from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/04/22/fact-sheet-president-biden-sets-2030-greenhouse-gas-pollution-reduction-target-aimed-at-creating-good-paying-union-jobs-and-securing-u-s-leadership-on-clean-energy-technologies/


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