83
founded (OPEC) and as the Near East was responsible for half of the global oil production, oil supply became politically unpredictable. Within a
few years global oil production that was once controlled by a few international companies became
the power of oil countries like Saudi Arabia and
Venezuela. Although oil production (Fig. 4.9) and
consumption (Fig. 4.8) still increases it has
become clear that the oil age cannot last forever
just like none of the former ages of energetics.
Basically high amount of natural gas was
explored together with crude oil. On the one
hand, the natural gas cap in the top part of oil
reservoirs was tapped during oil production and
on the other hand, light gas came out of solution
as the extracted oil underwent pressure reduction
from the reservoir to the surface. Unwanted natural gas initially presented a disposal problem in
active oil fields and generally it was burned off
(Lash and Lash 2011).
Since natural gas is the “cleanest” fossil energy
resource available today, it quickly replaced coal
and also oil in electricity generation and also as a
fuel type for vehicles. Greatest reserves of natural
gas can be found currently in Russia, Iran, Qatar,
Turkmenistan and the USA (British Petrol 2018).
Because of its low density it is not easy to store
natural gas or transport it by vehicle. Pipelines are
a practical method to transport gas over land;
however, they are not practical across oceans.
Many existing pipelines in the USA are close to
reaching their full capacity while in Western
Europe the gas pipeline network is already dense.
When natural gas is recovered in the course of
oil exploitation and cannot be sold profitably it is
generally burned in a process called flaring. As
flaring is now illegal in many countries, gas is
sometimes re-injected into the formation from
which oil is produced for enhanced oil recovery
by pressure maintenance.
The story of natural gas is very much the same
as that of oil. Figure 4.10 shows that gas production has been increasing rapidly and continuously
since 1960 exceeding 3000 million tonnes of oil
equivalent nowadays. Current natural gas consumption also follows that of oil (Fig. 4.8) with
slowing increase for a short period of time from
1973 to 1975 and even decrease from 1980 to
1985 and then the rapid growth of gas demand
determines the development of the industry. With
15 countries accounting for 84% of the worldwide extraction, access to natural gas has become
an important issue in international politics, and
countries rival for control of pipelines.
Natural gas is a major source of electricity
generation via the use of cogeneration, gas turbines and steam turbines. Natural gas is also well
suited for a combined use with renewable energy
Fig. 4.9 Global oil
production in million
tonnes between 1950
and 2050 (Li 2014)
4.1 Changes in the Outer Boundary Zone of the Earth’s Crust
founded (OPEC) and as the Near East was responsible for half of the global oil production, oil supply became politically unpredictable. Within a
few years global oil production that was once controlled by a few international companies became
the power of oil countries like Saudi Arabia and
Venezuela. Although oil production (Fig. 4.9) and
consumption (Fig. 4.8) still increases it has
become clear that the oil age cannot last forever
just like none of the former ages of energetics.
Basically high amount of natural gas was
explored together with crude oil. On the one
hand, the natural gas cap in the top part of oil
reservoirs was tapped during oil production and
on the other hand, light gas came out of solution
as the extracted oil underwent pressure reduction
from the reservoir to the surface. Unwanted natural gas initially presented a disposal problem in
active oil fields and generally it was burned off
(Lash and Lash 2011).
Since natural gas is the “cleanest” fossil energy
resource available today, it quickly replaced coal
and also oil in electricity generation and also as a
fuel type for vehicles. Greatest reserves of natural
gas can be found currently in Russia, Iran, Qatar,
Turkmenistan and the USA (British Petrol 2018).
Because of its low density it is not easy to store
natural gas or transport it by vehicle. Pipelines are
a practical method to transport gas over land;
however, they are not practical across oceans.
Many existing pipelines in the USA are close to
reaching their full capacity while in Western
Europe the gas pipeline network is already dense.
When natural gas is recovered in the course of
oil exploitation and cannot be sold profitably it is
generally burned in a process called flaring. As
flaring is now illegal in many countries, gas is
sometimes re-injected into the formation from
which oil is produced for enhanced oil recovery
by pressure maintenance.
The story of natural gas is very much the same
as that of oil. Figure 4.10 shows that gas production has been increasing rapidly and continuously
since 1960 exceeding 3000 million tonnes of oil
equivalent nowadays. Current natural gas consumption also follows that of oil (Fig. 4.8) with
slowing increase for a short period of time from
1973 to 1975 and even decrease from 1980 to
1985 and then the rapid growth of gas demand
determines the development of the industry. With
15 countries accounting for 84% of the worldwide extraction, access to natural gas has become
an important issue in international politics, and
countries rival for control of pipelines.
Natural gas is a major source of electricity
generation via the use of cogeneration, gas turbines and steam turbines. Natural gas is also well
suited for a combined use with renewable energy
Fig. 4.9 Global oil
production in million
tonnes between 1950
and 2050 (Li 2014)
4.1 Changes in the Outer Boundary Zone of the Earth’s Crust