Oil Drilling: The Pursuit of Black Gold

Tyler Evans 1 , Erin Schnettler 2 , Emma Levin 3

ANWR: A Heated Debate Oil Technology Oceanic Oil Spills: Costly Mistakes
Oil exploration in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge is a very important aspect of Introduction
STS. Future oil and gas developments, such as ANWR, rely heavily on science In 2005, the United States manufactured 9 million barrels of crude oil Major Oil Spills in History
and improved technology and many of the previous developments have had per day and imported 13.21 million barrels per day from other countries
Two major trends to note:
substantial effects of society. (How Oil Drilling Works). Therefore, the United States relies heavily on
various forms of oil. However, the rate at which we are consuming oil 1. Oceanic oil spills are decreasing in
The debate on whether or not to drill for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge means that many of the oil reserves will be dried up within the decades. frequency but increasing in scale
has been an ongoing social, economic and political controversy throughout the Thus, scientists, geologists, and multi-national corporations are
past three decades. Much of the debate rests on the amount of economically 2. Each oil spill is unique (challenging
searching for new and better ways to produce oil. This is pertinent to
recoverable oil and the potential harm that oil exploration might have on the STS because humans rely on oil for day-to-day activities and to be able for regulation, response preparation
dense natural wildlife within the region. to continue consuming oil at an increasing rate means that new and prevention
technology is needed to produce more oil in addition to technology that
is less harmful to the environment. Ultimately, we need to look at our
Background past oil drilling techniques and the damage they have caused to create The Life Cycle of an Oil Spill
Early 1900s: First reports of surface oil on the North Slope of Alaska new innovative more eco-friendly processes. Identifying the Source/Cause of the Spill
1930s: strong evidence that large oil deposits of oil did exist below
the Alaskan Surface
Clean-up techniques at this stage aim to
How is oil produced?
During World War II the United States Government declared the There is an easy seven-step process to ensure full
identify the source and stop the oil from
North Slope and the oil on it, reserved for the military.
comprehension on the production of oil. First, oil needs to be escaping it. For example, underwater robots
In the 1950s scientists began to realize the biodiversity of the land
formed, which is done by folding, faulting, or pinching out. are being used at the DeepWater Horizon oil
and proposed a plan to protect it.
By the 1960s, President Eisenhower created an 8.9 million acre Next, the diggers need to locate the oil to make sure that the rig to try to cap the leak or re-route it. The
reserve, which he named the Artic National Wildlife Range. conditions are correct for the oil pipe. Third, all of the environmental impacts at this stage are
In 1980, congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands preparations for the actual oil drilling need to be done. For source/causation-specific. th
Fig. 1: April 26 , 2010: The DeepWater Horizon oil drill
exploded 50 miles of the coast of Louisiana.
Conservation Act (ANILCA), which doubled the range to almost 20
million acres.
instance, they have to level the land to make sure the Weathering
The ANILCA renamed the land the Artic National Wildlife refuge and machinery can drill properly. Next, the oilrig system begins its Once oil is introduced into the ocean, it will
designated eight million acres as wilderness. work. There are five major areas of the rig: power system,
However, the 1.5 million acre coastal plain that boarders the Beaufort
undergo a natural degradation process known as
mechanical system, rotating system, casting, and circulation
Sea between Prudhoe Bay and the Canadian boarder, was not part system. Fifth, the oil drilling process takes place in five easy
weathering. Clean-up techniques are vary with
of the designated wilderness.
steps: assemble the tool; make mud; lay pipe; shake, shake, the different weathering steps. The overall
The Coastal Plain region, known as section 1002, comprises
approximately 8 percent of the 20 million-acre ANWR, and is the shake; finish the well. Sixth, the oil needs to be tested. There environmental impacts of oil within the oceanic
largest unexplored, potentially productive onshore basin in the United are three types of tests: well logging, drill-stem testing, and ecosystem include massive die-offs and
States core samples. Finally, the oil is extracted. unhealthy long-term populations. The most
Proponents of drilling in ANWR argue: important steps include:
Specific Oil Drilling Systems:
Decrease our dependence on foreign oil 1.Spreading: Clean-up techniques of oil slicks
United Kingdom Offshore Oil
Decrease the price of domestic oil After the Second World War, coal was replaced by oil and oil include floating booms and fire.
Create jobs and help support the local Alaskan economy consumption exponentially increased.
2.Natural dispersion: Critical stage in which wave
In 1965, oil was discovered in the southern sector of the North Sea and
Opponents claim: soon after, it was successfully producing commercial quantities. energy breaks apart the slick into droplets. Clean-
Uncertainty over the amount of economically recoverable oil Provisional Estimates of reserves from the two biggest barrels up techniques include the addition of chemical
demonstrated that enough oil could be recovered from the North Sea to
According to a report conducted by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), meet total UK demand of about 80 million tonnes per year for about five
dispersants to accelerate the process.
Fig 2&3: Diagram of oceanic oil weathering and an inflatable
in March 12, 2001, the increased production from ANWR would only reduce the years [Shell/Esso Brent Discover]. oil boom 3.Sedimentation/Sinking
net share of foreign oil used by the U.S. in 2020 from 62 percent to 60 percent. Major feature for future production is that there is a rapid decline in 4.Biodegradation
Americans use roughly 7 billion barrels of oil per year and the USGS estimates production of oil from UK Continental Shelf developments. Coastal Arrival or Beaching
Alberta Oil Sands A portion of the oil that is able to evade the
that there is only 7.7 billion barrels in ANWR.
The major difference between conventional oil reserves and oil sands
Furthermore, the actual pumping from ANWR would last for at least 25 years, so deposits is the viscosity of the oil. In oil sand reserves, it is necessary to clean-up techniques at sea is eventually
if you spread the 7.7 billion barrels of oil out over 25 or more years, it is very reduce its viscosity to keep the oil flowing through the reservoir. deposited on shore. The negative implications
unlikely that ANWR could provide more than 3 percent of the oil that American The process of extraction has two major drawbacks: the process of coastal arrival depend on whether the
consume each year produces large volumes of sludge and bitumen recoveries from the oil
sand are low.
coastline is rocky or marshy, exposed or
Potential damage to the environment and surrounding wildlife (oil spills, road sheltered etc. Shoreline cleanup efforts have
The future of sand oil extraction is the creation of alternative
construction, pollution, etc..) technologies to increase the bitumen recovery and decrease the sludge. proven ineffective. Typical recovery timelines
Temporary solution The Canadian government as well as private companies are actively
for rocky coastlines is three years and five Fig 4&5: Coastal arrival of the
pursuing these alternative technologies. Exxon Valdez Oil spill in Alaska,

Overall, the underlying issue is our Countrys unsustainable dependence on oil. It

years for wetlands. 1989

is clear that increasing oil production will just delay the inevitable; eventually, we Future of Oil Long-term impacts
are going to run out of oil and renewable resources such as wind, hydroelectric, Oil is a major facet in most powerful countries economies. Chronic exposure to oil can cause health impacts to wildlife and human
solar, and biomass will be our only option. Therefore, development in the Arctic Therefore, governments coupled with private companies are
populations such as endocrine disruption and cancer.
National Wildlife Refuge is not necessary. The procedures required for oil investing trillions of dollars into oil production and consumption.
development would greatly impact the surrounding regions and would have For example, the development of the Brent Production (four Future Perspectives
adverse effects on individual species, indigenous people, and the environment as platforms) and its associated pipelines and terminals costs
over 3 billion Euros. This is approximately a cost comparable Advancing technologies such as nanosponges
a whole.
to a moon shot. and bioremediation hold promise, however, the
The future of oil drilling relies on finding new unlikely fields for stages of an oil spill will continue to diversify
production and continuing investments in current fields. and become more complicated, challenging
Oil prices will also affect the future of oil production and effective clean-up techniques.
Sources
consumption. The price of oil within the last century has Fig 6: Close up of a nanosponge: a paper-thin, ultra-absorbent
Shogren, Elizabeth. "Arctic Refuge Damaged, Scientists Find." Los Angeles Times
5 Mar. 2003. 1 May 2010
fluctuated. Thus, the search for alternative sources of fuel will be sponge for future oil spill clean up
<http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0305-07.htm>.
invested in more, as oil prices remain high. Additionally, the Take-Home Message: While the frequency of oil spills is decreasing
"To Drill or Not to Drill, That is the Question." Arctic National Refuge. 1 May 2010
growing green movement coupled with the drying out of current
<http://www.solcomhouse.com/anwr.htm>.
Oil Production in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge : the Technology & the Alaskan Oil
fields will aid in the search for alternative sources energy along due to technological development and increased regulation, an
Context. Washington DC : Congress of the U.S., Office of Technology Assessment, Feb
1989.
with alternative techniques for drilling. increasingly desperate oil industry will continue to employ riskier and
Potential Oil Production From the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:
Updated Assessment. Energy Information Administrations (EIA) Reserves and riskier oil drilling techniques that escalates the scale of inevitable future
Production Division. Energy Information Administration, 2000. 1 May 2010
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/petroleum/analysis_publications/arctic_national_wild
life_refuge/html/execsummary.html>.
oil spills.