Advantages And Disadvantages Of Petroleum Industry

Currently Saudi Arabia is one of the leading producers of oil in the world. However, it is losing its foothold on the market. Many countries, like North America, are increasing their oil production and are looking for ways to become less dependent on foreign oil. The increased competition has caused oil prices to decrease. By producing their own oil, countries not only will increase their revenues, but will also reduce their need to rely on foreign oil. By reducing their need foreign an oil a country does not have to worry that their oil supply will be cut off if they go to war.

Almost 95 million barrels of oil and fuel are produced each day in order to provide energy and fuel to people the world over. A major component of the oil industry is the transportation of oil through various means including oil pipelines. These pipelines are capable of transporting thousands of barrels of oil thousands of miles per day. In the United States one possible pipeline has caused a lot of controversy and discussion on the impact it will have on the United States. The difficulty in deciding if the Keystone XL Pipeline should be built is in whether the possibility of economic growth outweighs the possibility of environmental destruction. In order to make a decision, one must first look into the history of oil pipelines. It is crucial

Pipeline is the best alternative and safest mode of transporting fuel compared to freight trains or tanker tracks. However, there are those who argue that it is not safe because of lack of adequate resources to inspect them, as well as the absence of regulations regarding the use of a pipeline to transport fuel. Equally important, another issue is the great hazard to human life and environment that can be difficult to control or eliminate in case of a spill.

Considering the potential negative effects this pipeline would have on the environment if a leak

Economist claim that since the United States depends on oil so much, this project would definitely be a huge asset to the country. Right now, oil is usually transferred using the railing system. There have been many accidents involving trains with oil, which have caused explosions, fire and in turn, death. Economists argue that the pipeline would be the safest way to transport the oil without the dangers of trains.

The construction of pipelines means that companies would have to dig up ground, which could lead to several issues. The most notable issue of the oil pipelines is the destruction of the life cycle. Deforestation, homeless wildlife, and soil erosion are the main factors that would be greatly affected in the life cycle. (Williams, 2012). Although this issue is of great concern, there is not a more effective, efficient, and safer way to transport oil across the country. All other modes of transportation cause greater emissions of detrimental gases to the environment from the pulling of the heavy amounts of oil. Lastly, pipelines have valves that can block off spillages, while other methods have no possible way of stopping these spillages, causing the same environmental defects as the construction of the

The Keystone XL Pipeline will provide a secure and reliable source of oil for the United States. The southern portion of the pipeline alone can “ transport 830,000 bpd of crude from Cushing, Oklahoma to Gulf Coast refineries” (Kalen). The Keystone XL pipeline is necessary to keep up with consumer demand as the supply from Mexico and Venezuela decreases continually. The oil imports from Mexico and Venezuela are unreliable and are continually declining; therefore, the Keystone XL Pipeline will provide a reliable source of oil for

There are some questions should be asked before using the pipes again such as the condition of the pipes and for how many years it will be in good condition, the impact of spill more oil on the lakes? Is the company will release the information of the conditions of the pipes and other information such as the time of the maintenance frequently?

According to a study conducted by Dr. Dagmar Etkin of Environmental Research Consulting, pipelines are not the safest mode of petroleum transportation. In accordance with this information, transportation by train is more effective and safer than using pipelines. The mode of transportation with the highest ratio of oil spillage in waterways is by vehicles such as fuel trucks. Between the years 1980 and 2003, land vehicles were in the lead with 44% oil spillage per transport, while pipelines had 32%. The remaining 24% of oil spills were awarded to train transports. These special train cars are the safest mean of transportation out of the three. Even though the percentages seem to be very close in the spectrum, the total volume of spilled oil from pipelines exceeds road vehicles by over 100,000,000 gallons of oil (Wile). However, a more recent source, the official Dakota Access Pipeline webpage states, “…pipelines are the safest, most efficient method of transporting oil, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation” (“Dakota Access

It is important to note over time metal rust, and the constant pumping of crude oil through the pipelines will eventually overtime causes the pipes to rupture and break apart. Anything made by man is able to be destroyed, whether by man themselves or by nature.

The approximate 1,172 mile, 30-inch diameter, would connect Bakken and Three Forks production areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline would allow oil to be moved in a “More profitable and environmentally safer manner.” Yet, any leak would cause immediate and irreplaceable

Of the all the oil fields throughout Canada, 25% are offshore locations in Newfoundland. 8% comes from either BC or Ontario and 67% of all onshore oil fields are in Alberta, which is defined by the term “Oil Country”. From these locations, pipelines are used to transport liquid oil to refineries. It is at these refineries the process of being turned into gasoline, diesel, and petroleum takes place. After this process, petroleum products are sent to distribution centres.

The issue of whether offshore oil drilling is a safe operation or not has been arguing for a long time in the United States. ( SPE International, N.D.) Drilling on water started in early 1930s in Louisiana by shallow-draft barges. Nevertheless, the first oil well on water was drilled in 9th of September, 1947 by Kerr-McGee’s unit Tender Assist Drilling (TAD) in the Gulf of Mexico (SPE International, N.D.). A year after year, oil companies used more and more sophisticated equipment to drill on water, but the number of spilled accidents has been rising since 1964 (Ivanovich, and Hays, 2008). After all, while

For every spill of oil or gas, it damages that ecosystem sometimes beyond repair or it takes it many many years to recover from it. That being said the North Dakota Pipeline is going to be one of the safest most technologically advanced pipelines in the world. Another controversy is that the Native Americans are claiming that the pipeline runs through some of their sacred lands and can possibly contaminate their water supply. The North Dakota Pipeline can be a very successful oil transporter but there also seems to be some drawbacks like it possibly running through sacred land, contaminating water, and the possibility of leaking or exploding and causing a major disaster for the people and animals that live

Flow assurance is a term created by Petrobras in the early 1990s aiming to ensure successful and economical flow of hydrocarbon stream from reservoir to point of stream. Wells located in water deeper than 1200 feet require flow assurance. Deep water temperatures can get down into the thirties depending on the depth of the well. Because of the low temperatures the fluid within the wells may have issues flowing. Some issues could be hydrate, scale, corrosion, and asphaltenes. The best way to combat these issues is to install chemical injections. Chemical injection pumps such as a low dose hydrate inhibitor (LDHI) could be used to prevent complications caused by hydrate. Corrosion inhibitors can also be used when wells have experienced corrosion that may have occurred due to water. Corrosion inhibitors coat the inside of the walls of the pipes. Asphaltenes can be treated by using an asphaltene inhibitor. Because of the steadily evolving industry, flow assurance for deep water production is becoming increasingly more important. Flow assurance is made successful by flowing the strategy, PI3, Proficiency, Integration, Implementation, and Improvement. Without flow assurance, deep water wells would not be able to produce oil.