Case Studies: Carbon: Fossil Fuels Flashcards
(34 cards)
Canada holds the world’s largest reserves of?
Tar sands
Which region has been mined for tar sands since 1967?
Athabasca region in Alberta
Why is tar sands only a viable source of energy when the price of oil is high?
Oil from tar sands is extremely expensive
The process of extracting oil from tar sands uses …………………………. to help the oil separate from the crushed sands
Large volumes of water
What does separating oil from tar sands produce?
Contaminated wastewater
Why is contaminated waste water bad?
It is toxic to life and threatens the already ecologically sensitive landscape
What happens when wastewater enters the natural water courses?
Vegetation growth is almost impossible and aquatic life can be killed
The exploitation of Canadian tar sounds produces…
High levels of local income
What type of people moved out of the Athabasca area?
Groups of indigenous people
Groups of indigenous people moving out has caused?
The decline of their cultural ways of life and removed their connection to the land
Define fracking
A method used to extract natural gas and oil from deep underground by injecting high-pressure fluid into rock formations. This process creates fractures in the rock, allowing hydrocarbons to flow more freely to the surface.
Which country has been fracking extensively for shale gas since 2005
The USA
How many states has fracking been recorded in?
30
What are the two main states of America that fracking occurs in?
Texas and Colorado
What does fracking attempt to access?
Multiple, widely dispersed, pockets of gas in the ground
What happens when shale gas is detected?
Large areas of vegetation are removed
What can the removal of vegetation lead to in an area?
Habitat destruction and the migration of wildlife out of an area
In 2014 how many gallons of wastewater was created from fracking sites in Colorado
3 billion gallons
What has been found about wastewater from fracking?
It is highly toxic
In the USA which type of fossil fuel has taken over from coal as the largest energy source?
Natural gas
What has the take over of natural gas led to for the coal industry?
The number of coal-fired power stations have been reduced
What environmental impact has been caused by fracking?
Increased air pollution around fracking sites as methane and other gases are released
Which oilfield was discovered off the South Brazilian coast in the Santos Basin in 2007?
The Lapa Deep water oilfield
When did extraction of oil from the site begin?
10 years later
