located in the Middle East. Europe has only got 1%
and the whole of Asia about 3%.
Canada had up to recently very small reserves but
after the heavy oil and tar sand in Alberta was included
it has now nearly 15% and is second only to Saudi
Arabia.
If oil shales were to be included, however, the USA
would be the country with the largest reserves.
The world consumes about 90 million bbl/day; the
US consumption 20:7Â
ð
10
6 bbl=day
Á
makes up nearly
25% of that.
The most important producers are Saudi Arabia
(10.2 Â 10
6 bbl/day) and Russia (9.9 Â 10
6 bbl/day).
The US is also a major producer and has increased
from 7.5 million bbl/day in 2008 to 11 million barrels/
day in 2014, mainly from oil shale production, and
now provides for >50% of the country’s consumption.
China has become a major importer of oil with a
consumption of 9.0 Â 10
6 bbl/day, while their production is 4 Â 10
6 bbl/day.
It is clear that consumption of oil in Asia will rise
and it will be very difficult to meet this demand.
Norway’s oil production is about 1.9 Â 10
6 bbl but
the domestic consumption is comparatively small
(0.22 Â 10
6 bbl/day), so Norway is a major exporter.
Gas production has increased, supplying more than
20% of Europe‘s natural gas consumption.
It will probably be difficult to meet the demand for
conventional oil in the next decades. There are, however,
very large reserves of fossil fuels in terms of gas, heavy
oil, tar sand and also coal. All these types of fossil fuel can
be used for heating and transport. Particularly in North
America there is much oil shale and also gas shale. Gas in
fine-grained siltstones and shales is expected to be a
major source or energy in the years to come.
In recent years coal methane and shale gas have
become important sources of such energy. Gas in solid
form (gas hydrates) may also represent a future source
of hydrocarbons. There are, however, many environmental problems connected to the production and
utilisation of these resources and this represents a
great challenge, including for geoscientists.
It will probably take a long time before fossil fuels
can be replaced by other sources of energy. As the
demand increases, oil exploration and production will
become more and more sophisticated technologically
and also geologically.
A broader background in geological and engineering
disciplines will also be required to reduce the environmental problems with the exploitation of fossil fuels.
Storage of carbon dioxide requires expertise from
petroleum geologists.
The exploitation and burning of fossil fuels releases
large amounts of CO 2 into the atmosphere which is an
addition to what is part of the natural carbon cycle
(Fig. 1.14). The CO 2 in the atmosphere is dissolved in
seawater to H 2 CO 3 and then precipitated as carbonate.
Another part is taken up by plants, including algae,
and may be stored as reduced carbon.
The total amounts of calcite precipitated is equal to
the amounts of Ca
++ released by weathering of silicate
rocks (e.g. plagioclase) and transported into the ocean
by rivers.
1.16 The Future of Petroleum
Geoscience
Petroleum geoscience is geology and geophysics
applied to petroleum exploration and production. In
this book we will try to show the wide range of
disciplines that are relevant and useful for this
purpose.
Many of the disciplines in the geosciences are
highly specialised and there is often too little communication between the different fields. Most researchers
naturally focus on a very small area because of the
requirements with respect to methods and analytical
techniques, and the demands of following the literature. Applied petroleum geoscience requires a broad
overview of substantial parts of geology and geophysics and provides good training in the integration of
different types of data and models. These skills are
also applicable in many types of environmental
research and when solving practical environment
problems.
The petroleum industry employs a large percentage
of the world’s geologists and geophysicists and funds
much of the research in this field.
Most of the obvious petroleum-bearing structures
have already been found in the explored sedimentary
basins and there are now rather few areas that have yet
to be explored seismically and by drilling. The large,
easy-to-find structures did not usually require very
advanced methods and geological skills.
24
K. Bjørlykke
and the whole of Asia about 3%.
Canada had up to recently very small reserves but
after the heavy oil and tar sand in Alberta was included
it has now nearly 15% and is second only to Saudi
Arabia.
If oil shales were to be included, however, the USA
would be the country with the largest reserves.
The world consumes about 90 million bbl/day; the
US consumption 20:7Â
ð
10
6 bbl=day
Á
makes up nearly
25% of that.
The most important producers are Saudi Arabia
(10.2 Â 10
6 bbl/day) and Russia (9.9 Â 10
6 bbl/day).
The US is also a major producer and has increased
from 7.5 million bbl/day in 2008 to 11 million barrels/
day in 2014, mainly from oil shale production, and
now provides for >50% of the country’s consumption.
China has become a major importer of oil with a
consumption of 9.0 Â 10
6 bbl/day, while their production is 4 Â 10
6 bbl/day.
It is clear that consumption of oil in Asia will rise
and it will be very difficult to meet this demand.
Norway’s oil production is about 1.9 Â 10
6 bbl but
the domestic consumption is comparatively small
(0.22 Â 10
6 bbl/day), so Norway is a major exporter.
Gas production has increased, supplying more than
20% of Europe‘s natural gas consumption.
It will probably be difficult to meet the demand for
conventional oil in the next decades. There are, however,
very large reserves of fossil fuels in terms of gas, heavy
oil, tar sand and also coal. All these types of fossil fuel can
be used for heating and transport. Particularly in North
America there is much oil shale and also gas shale. Gas in
fine-grained siltstones and shales is expected to be a
major source or energy in the years to come.
In recent years coal methane and shale gas have
become important sources of such energy. Gas in solid
form (gas hydrates) may also represent a future source
of hydrocarbons. There are, however, many environmental problems connected to the production and
utilisation of these resources and this represents a
great challenge, including for geoscientists.
It will probably take a long time before fossil fuels
can be replaced by other sources of energy. As the
demand increases, oil exploration and production will
become more and more sophisticated technologically
and also geologically.
A broader background in geological and engineering
disciplines will also be required to reduce the environmental problems with the exploitation of fossil fuels.
Storage of carbon dioxide requires expertise from
petroleum geologists.
The exploitation and burning of fossil fuels releases
large amounts of CO 2 into the atmosphere which is an
addition to what is part of the natural carbon cycle
(Fig. 1.14). The CO 2 in the atmosphere is dissolved in
seawater to H 2 CO 3 and then precipitated as carbonate.
Another part is taken up by plants, including algae,
and may be stored as reduced carbon.
The total amounts of calcite precipitated is equal to
the amounts of Ca
++ released by weathering of silicate
rocks (e.g. plagioclase) and transported into the ocean
by rivers.
1.16 The Future of Petroleum
Geoscience
Petroleum geoscience is geology and geophysics
applied to petroleum exploration and production. In
this book we will try to show the wide range of
disciplines that are relevant and useful for this
purpose.
Many of the disciplines in the geosciences are
highly specialised and there is often too little communication between the different fields. Most researchers
naturally focus on a very small area because of the
requirements with respect to methods and analytical
techniques, and the demands of following the literature. Applied petroleum geoscience requires a broad
overview of substantial parts of geology and geophysics and provides good training in the integration of
different types of data and models. These skills are
also applicable in many types of environmental
research and when solving practical environment
problems.
The petroleum industry employs a large percentage
of the world’s geologists and geophysicists and funds
much of the research in this field.
Most of the obvious petroleum-bearing structures
have already been found in the explored sedimentary
basins and there are now rather few areas that have yet
to be explored seismically and by drilling. The large,
easy-to-find structures did not usually require very
advanced methods and geological skills.
24
K. Bjørlykke