Energy: How it makes our lives easier. Where would we be without energy? Heats our homes Makes electricity Fuels cars, trucks, buses and planes Products.

Energy: Energy: How it makes our lives easierHow it makes our lives easier

Where would we be without energy?

• Heats our homes• Makes electricity• Fuels cars, trucks, buses and planes• Products made from oil and gas

– Backpacks– Toys– Glasses– Clothing– Medicines– Plastics– Cosmetics

Fossil Fuels – Nature’s Batteries

Today’s Energy83 % = fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal)17 % = nuclear and all other sources

By 203580 % = fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal)20 %= nuclear and all other sources

Fossil fuels were forming before dinosaurs lived

How do oil and gas get from the ground into products we

use?1 2 3 4 5

Exploration: a treasure hunt to find oil and gas

• Geologists study rocks on the Earth’s surface and underground

• Geologists make a map of the rocks where they think oil and gas might be found

Photo by John Simmons, OnTV© The Geological Society of London www.geolsoc.org.uk

Drilling and Production

• Engineers use the geology map to drill a well under the Earth’s surface using a “rig”

• If successful, the well will bring a steady flow of oil and gas to the surface

Where Do Oil and Gas Come From?

Microscopic ViewMicroscopic View

GasGas

OilOil

WaterWater

Source Rock (Fossils)Source Rock (Fossils)

Oil drops in grains of sandOil drops in grains of sand

Oil and Gas Are Found On Land and under Water

Oil and Gas Are Often Found Together

• Oil is a liquid• Gas is liquid in a

gaseous (invisible) state – like air

• Oil and gas move through sand as a team

Extraction

• After the rig is removed, a pump is placed on the well head.

• An electric motor drives a gear box that moves a lever.

• The lever pushes and pulls, forcing the pump up and down, and creates a suction that draws up the oil.

Refining

• Chemicals and heat are used to remove water and solids

• Natural gas is separated• Cracking and rearranging

molecules prepares the finished products

• Oil is then stored in tanks.

Photo courtesy of © BP p.l.c.

Transportation

• Crude oil and refined products are transported across the water in barges and tankers.

• On land crude oil and products are moved using pipelines, trucks, and trains.

Photo above courtesy of BP

Energy Companies Help Protect the Environment

• Clean up areas after drilling• Care for plants, animals and the Earth in

work areas• Follow governmental rules

The Oil Industry HelpedSave the Whales

• In the old days, whales were hunted to near extinction

• Then scientists discovered a way to make kerosene from petroleum

• Kerosene began to be used for light instead of whale oil

• Using petroleum helped save the whales

Offshore Drilling Platforms are “Pit Stops” for Monarch Butterflies

• 300 million monarchs fly from Canada, U.S. – spending winters in warm central Mexico

• Offshore oil-industry equipment in Gulf of Mexico offers ideal rest stop

• Monarchs attracted to structures with bright yellow paint

• Sleep-over lets them rest

Source: Gary Noel Ross, PhD, professor emeritus of biology, Southern University, Louisiana Environmentalist.

Shhhh! Don’t Disturb the Bears

• Used special tools to keep track of drilling

• Drove on roads at certain times of day

• Drilled wells only during winter• Kept equipment noise as

quiet as possible• Let sleeping bears lie

When drilling in an When drilling in an area that was home to area that was home to grizzly bears, one grizzly bears, one energy company energy company cared enough to cared enough to protect them.protect them.

Oil and Gas Industry Works with Other Energy Sources

• To save on designing and building specialized offshore wind equipment, conventional windmills are mounted on old oil platforms.

• Many oil companies use the power from wind turbines to run the nerve center of oil rigs.

• Some traditional oil companies expanded their businesses to include energy sources, such as solar and hydropower.

What Can I Do To Save Energy?

• Turn down the thermostat in the winter, and turn it up in the summer

• Turn off lights when you leave a room• Use natural light when possible• Carpool or take public transportation• Ask your parents to drive vehicles

that get good gas mileage

Did You Know Energy Vampires Might Lurk in Your House?

““Vampire energy” is energy Vampire energy” is energy used by things that consume used by things that consume electricity 24 hours a day, even electricity 24 hours a day, even if they are turned off.if they are turned off.

• TVs• DVD players• Computers• Printers• Stereos• Microwaves

• Unplug appliances directly from the wall when not in use• Turn off your computer when not in use