DOCSLIB.ORG

A Life Cycle Analysis of Its Health and Environmental Impacts

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Life Cycle Analysis of Its Health and Environmental Impacts OIL A LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF ITS HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Lee Stoetzel,Oil,2000,Oil on paper mounted to aluminum,20 x 30 inches tCouresy ofthe artist and Mixed Greens (www.mixedgreens.com) Edited by Paul R. Epstein and Jesse Selber Contributors Santiago Borasin, Susannah Foster, Kebba Jobarteh, Nathaniel Link, Jose Miranda, Elise Pomeranse, Jennifer Rabke-Verani, David Reyes, Jesse Selber,Samir Sodha, Pratikshe Somaia Published By The Center for Health and the Global Environment Harvard Medical School March 2002 333 Longwood Ave Suite 640 Boston, Mass 02115 March 2002 Ph: 617 432 0493 Fx: 617 432 2595 Em: [email protected] www.med.harvard.edu/chge/oil.html Edited by Paul R. Epstein1 and Jesse Selber 2 An oiled penguin walks the beach after a Contributors South African oil spill Santiago Borasin,2 Susannah Foster,3 Reviewers Kebba Jobarteh,2 Nathaniel Link,3 Jose Miranda,2 Elise Pomeranse,2 Jennifer Rabke- Joanna Burger,Ph.D. Verani,2 David Reyes,4 Distinguished Professor Jesse Selber,2 Samir Sodha,2 Pratikshe Somaia2 Nelson Biological Laboratory Rutgers University 1. Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School David Jessup,D.V.M. 2. Harvard School of Public Health graduates Wildlife Veterinarian 3. Center for Health and the Global Wildlife Health Center Environment intern University of California, Davis 4. The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University graduate Flo Tseng,D.V.M. student Assistant Professor Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Production Coordinator Center for Conservation Medicine Kathleen Frith, M.S.1 Grafton, MA Definitions Richard Clapp,D.Sc. VOCs:Volatile Organic PM-10s - Particulate matter with Associate Professor Compounds a diameter of 10 microns or less Dept. of Environmental Health NOxs - Oxides of Nitrogen PM-2.5s - Particulate matter SOxs - Oxides of Sulfur with a diameter of 2.5 microns Boston University School of Public Health H2S - Hydrogen Sulfide or less CO - Carbon Monoxide Pb – Lead CO2 – Carbon Dioxide PAHs - Polycyclic Aromatic 1 micron = 1 millionth Hydrocarbons (10-6) of a meter Table Of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Page 4 Part 2. CONSUMPTION AND Figure 1: Effcts of Oil Recovery Page 6 COMBUSTION Page 30 by Stage Figure 2:Global Distribution of Page 7 V. HEALTH EFFECTS OF GASOLINE Proven Oil Reserves at the AND GASOLINE ADDITIVES Page 30 end of 2000 A. Exposures to gasoline Page 30 Figure 3: Number of Global Oil B.Acute toxicities Page 31 Drilling Sites Page 7 C. Chronic toxicities Page 32 PART 1: RECOVERY OF OIL VI.AIR POLLUTION Page 35 A.The pollutants Page 35 I. EXPLORATION,DRILLING B. Environmental impact Page 36 AND EXTRACTION Page 8 C. Human health impacts Page 36 A. Scope Page 8 Figure 5:Average Monthly Asthma Page 37 B.Technical process Page 8 Compared with PM-10 C. Environmental impacts Page 9 Figure 6:Age and Gender-adjusted Page 39 D. Human health impacts Page 12 Asthma Hospitalization E. Spills,explosions, fires and blowouts Page 14 å Case studies: VII.ACID RAIN Page 40 Nigeria Page 12 A.Terrestrial impacts Page 40 Ecuador Page 15 B.Aquatic impacts Page 41 Mexico Page 16 C.The recovery process Page 41 F. Human rights and environmental legal Implications Page 16 VIII. GREENHOUSE GASES Page 43 G. Chapter summary Page 17 A. Introduction Page 43 B.The greenhouse effect Page 43 II. POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS Figure 7:The Greenhouse Effect Page 43 AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE Page 18 Figure 8: Global Warming Potentials Page 45 å Case study:The Peruvian Amazon Page 18 Over 100 Years • Other implications Page 19 C. Emissions Page 45 D.The changing climate Page 46 III.TRANSPORT Figure 9: Global Temperature Changes Page 46 A. Introduction Page 20 E. Health impacts Page 47 B.Oil spills Page 20 Figure 4:The Largest Oil Spills Page 21 IX. OIL AND MACROECONOMIC in History DEVELOPMENT Page 51 C. Environmental impacts of oil spills Page 22 Oil and security Page 51 å Case study: Nigeria revisited Page 24 Environmental justice Page 51 IV. REFINING Page 27 X.CONCLUSIONS Page 52 A. Environmental pollution Page 27 B. Chronic occupational hazards Page 27 APPENDIX: CALIFORNIA Page 54 C.Accident potential Page 29 WILDLIFE STATISTICS FOR OIL SPILLS D. Environmental protection Page 29 REFERENCES Page 62 Introduction When significant deposits of oil were discovered in the 19th Century, this fossil fuel appeared to offer a limitless source of energy to drive development. While oil and the energy it supplies provide multi- ple benefits to human society, every stage in the life cycle from exploration to use can have harmful effects on our health and the environment. This re p o rt examines the health and envi ro n m e n t a l impacts of oil exploration, drilling, extraction, trans- port, refining and combustion. Drilling and extraction carry acute and View of an oil rig from a helicopter chronic hazards, including fires and blowouts, occu- pational injury and disease, and can lead to long- has impacts on terre s t r i a l , aquatic and marine term harm to plant and animal communities. Oil coastal systems. Finally, the aggregate of gas and spills and leaks along coastlines pose risks for particulate emissions from burning oil have begun marine life and fisheries, and can threaten the liveli- to alter the world’s climate system; with implica- hoods of human communities. Refining exposes tions for human health, agricultural productivity, workers and wildlife to petroleum, its by-products vulnerable ecosystems and societal infrastructure. and the chemicals used in the refining process. At This report, while not exhaustive, is intend- the pump, gasoline can be both toxic and carcino- ed to provide a comprehensive framework for eval- genic. uating the true costs of our use of oil.The authors Refining and combustion result in air pollu- hope it will serve as a resource for further study. tion and acid rain. Pollutant chemicals can be toxic to humans, other animals and plants, while acid rain Key Points Oil Extraction approximately 32 million gallons of oil spilled worldwide into • Each year, 0.75-1.8 billion gallons of crude oil are uninten- marine and inland environments as a result of 257 transport tionally released into the environment. incidents that year. • Occupationally-related fatalities among workers in the oil • While large tanker accidents attract the most attention, and gas extraction process are higher than deaths for work- the cumulative effect of spills and chronic leaks cause the ers from all other U.S.industries combined. greatest environmental damage and harm to wildlife commu- • Oil well workers risk injury and chronic disease from nities. exposure to chemicals such as cadmium, arsenic, cyanide, • Many leaks and spills occur in developing nations where PAHs and lead. safety regulations for pipelines and oil rigs are inadequately • Gulf Coast offshore oil rigs contaminate sediments, fish enforced. and fish consumers with mercury at levels far exceeding EPA • Coastal marine and human communities in developed standards. nations also experience significant impacts from oil spills and • Spills,explosions,fires and blowouts have multiple environ- leaks. mental and public health impacts. • Marine mammals are affected by the oiling of their fur and • Operational discharges of water, drill cuttings and mud skin, and through consumption of oil-contaminated foods have chronic effects on benthic (bottom-dwelling) marine (e.g., mussels),or via inhalation of fumes that have liver, kidney communities,mammals,birds and humans. and central nervous system toxicity. • Inadequately regulated drilling of oil has harmed sensitive • The marine mammals most commonly affected include: ecosystems in several developing countries. seals, sea otters,walruses, sea lions and whales; manatees and dugongs (in tropical waters); and polar bears in the Arctic. Oil Transport (Detailed in appendix of report.) • Spills and leaks from the transport of petroleum and • Sea otters are particularly vulnerable as they feed near the petroleum by-products occur from the point of extraction to surface, have little blubber and depend upon an intact fur coat refineries and to the sites of consumption. to maintain their body temperature. • According to the Oil Spill Intelligence Report, 1999, 4 Oil Refining studies demonstrate that even allowable levels of many of the • Oil, by-products and chemicals used in the refining process pollutants result in significant negative health effects. cause chemical, thermal,and noise pollution. • Oil refining affects the health and safety of refinery work- Combustion:Acid Rain ers through accidents and from chronic illness (e.g.,leukemia) • Acids formed from oxides of nitrogen (NOxs) and sulfur associated with exposure to petroleum and its by-products (SOxs) acidify all forms of precipitation. (e.g.,benzene). • The anticipated recovery of acidified soils appears to be a • Petroleum refineries present major health hazards for longer, more protracted process than originally projected, as human communities living near refineries, and for marine and the depletion of minerals (calcium and magnesium) persists terrestrial ecosystems where they are situated. even after correction of soil acidity. • Regulations on labor, safety, emission standards and envi- • Calcium and magnesium deficiencies in soils harm plants ronmental protection are often inadequate in developing and animals. nations and in poor communities in developed nations. • Acidification leaches lead,copper and aluminum into drink- ing water. Gasoline • NOxs from oil combustion (along with sewage and fertiliz- • Gasoline and many of its additives can lead to acute and er runoff) cause eutrophication of lakes, estuaries and marine chronic toxicity, and is associated with some types of cancer. coasts. • Groups at high risk for exposure to gasoline and its addi- • Eutrophication (excessive nitrogen and phosphorus) con- tives include: employees in the distribution, storage and tributes to harmful algal blooms in inland waters and coastal pumping of gasoline;people living near refineries, transfer and "red tides" that contaminate seafood, and leads to biologically storage facilities,and service stations;automobile drivers who unproductive "dead zones".
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Coal and Oil: the Dark Monarchs of Global Energy – Understanding Supply and Extraction Patterns and Their Importance for Futur
    nam et ipsa scientia potestas est List of Papers This thesis is based on the following papers, which are referred to in the text by their Roman numerals. I Höök, M., Aleklett, K. (2008) A decline rate study of Norwe- gian oil production. Energy Policy, 36(11):4262–4271 II Höök, M., Söderbergh, B., Jakobsson, K., Aleklett, K. (2009) The evolution of giant oil field production behaviour. Natural Resources Research, 18(1):39–56 III Höök, M., Hirsch, R., Aleklett, K. (2009) Giant oil field decline rates and their influence on world oil production. Energy Pol- icy, 37(6):2262–2272 IV Jakobsson, K., Söderbergh, B., Höök, M., Aleklett, K. (2009) How reasonable are oil production scenarios from public agen- cies? Energy Policy, 37(11):4809–4818 V Höök M, Söderbergh, B., Aleklett, K. (2009) Future Danish oil and gas export. Energy, 34(11):1826–1834 VI Aleklett K., Höök, M., Jakobsson, K., Lardelli, M., Snowden, S., Söderbergh, B. (2010) The Peak of the Oil Age - analyzing the world oil production Reference Scenario in World Energy Outlook 2008. Energy Policy, 38(3):1398–1414 VII Höök M, Tang, X., Pang, X., Aleklett K. (2010) Development journey and outlook for the Chinese giant oilfields. Petroleum Development and Exploration, 37(2):237–249 VIII Höök, M., Aleklett, K. (2009) Historical trends in American coal production and a possible future outlook. International Journal of Coal Geology, 78(3):201–216 IX Höök, M., Aleklett, K. (2010) Trends in U.S. recoverable coal supply estimates and future production outlooks. Natural Re- sources Research, 19(3):189–208 X Höök, M., Zittel, W., Schindler, J., Aleklett, K.
    [Show full text]
  • Peak Oil, Peak Energy Mother Nature Bats Last
    Peak Oil, Peak Energy Mother Nature Bats Last Martin Sereno 1 Feb 2011 (orig. talk: Nov 2004) Oil is the Lifeblood of Industrial Civilization • 80 million barrels/day, 1000 barrels/sec, 1 cubic mile/year • highly energy-dense • easy to transport, store • moves goods and people • allows us to fly (there will never be a battery-operated jet plane) • digs huge holes and puts up huge buildings • ballooned our food supply (fertilize, cultivate, irrigate, transport) • our 'stuff' is made from it (iPods to the roads themselves) • we're not "addicted to oil" -- that's like saying a person has an "addiction to blood" Where Oil Comes From • raw organic material for oil (e.g., from plankton) is present in low concentrations in ‘all’ sedimentary rocks, but esp. from two warm periods 90 million and 140 million years ago • temperature rises with depth (radioactivity, Kelvin’s mistake) • oil is generated in rocks heated to 60-120 deg Celsius • rocks at this temp. occur at different depths in different places (N.B.: water depth doesn't count) • oil is ‘cracked’ to natural gas at higher temps (deeper) • abiotic oil from “crystalline basement” is negligible, if it exists • exhausted oil fields do not refill Recoverable Oil • oil must collect in a “trap” to be practically recoverable • a trap is a permeable layer capped by an impermeable one • obvious traps: anticlines, domes (“oil in those hills”) • less obvious traps found by seismic imaging: turned up edges of salt domes, near buried meteorite crater (Mexico) • harder-to-get-at traps: shallow continental shelf (GOM) • even-harder-to-get-at traps: edge continental slope (Macondo, resevoir pressure: 12,000 pounds [6 tons] per sq inch) • essentially no oil in basaltic ocean floor or granitic basement (Used to be!) Second Largest Oilfield Cantarell used to supply 2% of world oil (water) Guzman, A.E.
    [Show full text]
  • The Winning of the Carbon War
    JEREMY LEGGETT THE WINNING OF THE CARBON WAR POWER AND POLITICS ON THE FRONT LINES OF CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY THE WINNING OF THE CARBON WAR POWER AND POLITICS ON THE FRONT LINES OF CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY JEREMY LEGGETT The Winning of The Carbon War © Jeremy Leggett 2015. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. This first edition published 2016 by Jeremy Leggett. Colophon Set in Minion Pro, 11pt on 14pt leading. For Aki Humanity is in a race, a kind of civil war. On the light side the believers in a sustainable future based on clean energy fight to save us from climate change. The dark side defends the continuing use of fossil fuels, often careless of the impact it has on the world. Jeremy Leggett fought for the light side for a quarter of a century as it lost battle after battle. Then, in 2013, the tide began to turn. By 2015, it was clear the the war could be won. Leggett’s front-line chronicle tells one person’s story of those turnaround years, culminating in dramatic scenes at the Paris climate summit, and what they can mean for the world. iv “Given how vital developments in energy and climate will be for the future global economy, a front-line chronicle of events as they unfold in the make-or-break year ahead promises to be fascinating.
    [Show full text]
  • Crude Oil Reserves 1986
    o un E I Introduction FACTS AND FIGURES is produced annually at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna, to assist people requiring a means of rapidly assimilating important facts about the energy industry, without themselves having to delve into time- consuming research from an array of sources. Since it is the belief of OPEC Member Countries that energy cannot be viewed in isolation from other global economic considerations, parts of this booklet broach such related issues as comparisons between the economic fortunes of industrialized and developing nations. A wide range of authoritative sources have been con- sulted in producing this booklet. Where disparities have occurred among sources, great pains have been taken at the Secretariat to distill those figures which most faithfully reflect observed market trends. The graphs are presented in six sections. The first three examine energy issues on a global scale, the next two con- centrate on OPEC, while the final one makes broad econ- omic comparisons between different world groupings. It is hoped that this latest issue of FACTS AND FIGURES, which covers the period up to the end of 1986, will prove of interest and value to its readers. November 1987 Published by: The Secretariat, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Obere Donaustrasse 93, A-1020 Vienna, Austria 1987 Printed in Austria by H Carl UeberreuterGes. m. b. H-, Vienna OPEC flows of crude and refined oil — 1986 I I OPEC Far East 4 Indonesia ^| OPEC Latin America - 2 Ecuador; 13 Venezuela • OPEC Africa 1 Algeria; 3 Gabon; 9
    [Show full text]
  • The Great Spill in the Gulf . . . and a Sea of Pure Economic Loss: Reflections on the Boundaries of Civil Liability
    The Great Spill in the Gulf . and a Sea of Pure Economic Loss: Reflections on the Boundaries of Civil Liability Vernon Valentine Palmer1 I. INTRODUCTION A. Event and Aftermath What has been called the greatest oil spill in history, and certainly the largest in United States history, began with an explosion on April 20, 2010, some 41 miles off the Louisiana coast. The accident occurred during the drilling of an exploratory well by the Deepwater Horizon, a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU) under lease to BP (formerly British Petroleum) and owned by Transocean.2 The well-head blowout resulted in 11 dead, 17 injured, and oil spewing from the seabed 5,000 ft. below at an estimated rate of 25,000-30,000 barrels per day.3 The Deepwater Horizon is technically described as “a massive floating, dynamically positioned drilling rig” capable of operating in waters 8,000 ft. deep.4 In maritime law, such a rig qualifies as a vessel; yet, as a MODU, the rig also qualifies as an offshore facility that may attract higher liability limits under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA).5 Under these provisions the double designation as vessel and/or MODU 1. Thomas Pickles Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Eason Weinmann Center for Comparative Law, Tulane University. This paper was presented in October 2010 in Hong Kong at a conference convened under the auspices of the Centre for Chinese and Comparative Law of the City University of Hong Kong. The conference theme was “Towards a Chinese Civil Code: Historical and Comparative Perspectives.” The conference papers will be published in a forthcoming volume edited by Professors Chen Lei and Remco van Rhee.
    [Show full text]
  • Environment Problems in the Coastal Zone
    3 Environment Problems in the Coastal Zone Chairs: Hideo Sekiguchi and Sanit Aksornkoae 3.1 Coastal Characteristics and Changes in Coastal Features Yoshiki Saito Geological Survey of Japan, AIST, Central 7, Higashi 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305 8567 Japan Understanding coastal dynamics and natural history is important in developing a better understanding of natural systems and human impacts in coastal zones. This chapter outlines the characteristics of sedimentary environments in coastal zones which must be understood in order to manage and preserve coastal environments. 3.1.1 Coastal Classification, Shoreline Migration, and Controlling Factors The world’s coastal environments and topography are classified into two types on the basis of the changes which occurred during the Holocene when they were particularly influenced by millennial-scale sea-level changes. Transgres- sive coastal environments, where shorelines migrate landward, are characterized by barriers, estuaries, and drowned valleys (Boyd et al., 1992). Regressive coastal environments, where shorelines migrated seaward, consist of deltas, strand plains, and chenier plains (Fig. 3.1.1). Thus regressive shorelines at river mouths are called deltas, while trans- gressive shorelines at river mouths are called estuaries. The latter consist of drowned, incised valleys. In regressive environments, coastal lagoons sepa- rated from the open ocean by barriers are well developed alongshore, whereas estuaries cross the general coastline. A strand plain is a coastal system that develops along a wave-dominated coast; it is characterized by beach ridges, a N. Mimura (ed.), Asia-Pacific Coasts and Their Management: States of Environment. 65 © Springer 2008 66 H. Sekiguchi and S. Aksornkoae FIG.
    [Show full text]
  • Dramaturg As Artistic Instigator Megan J
    University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 2012 Dramaturg as Artistic Instigator Megan J. Mcclain University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Part of the Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, and the Playwriting Commons Mcclain, Megan J., "Dramaturg as Artistic Instigator" (2012). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 880. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/880 This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DRAMATURG AS ARTISTIC INSTIGATOR A Thesis Presented by MEGAN J. MCCLAIN Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF FINE ARTS May 2012 Theatre © Copyright by Megan J. McClain 2012 All Rights Reserved DRAMATURG AS ARTISTIC INSTIGATOR A Thesis Presented By MEGAN J. MCCLAIN Approved as to style and content by: ___________________________________________________ Harley Erdman, Chair ___________________________________________________ Regina Kaufmann, Member ___________________________________________________ Priscilla Page, Member ___________________________________________________ Daniel Sack, Member ________________________________________________ Penny Remsen, Department Chair Department of Theater DEDICATION To my family for their unconditional support, and to all those theatre artists (dramaturgs and otherwise) who are inspired to instigate and dare to devise. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my thesis chair, Harley Erdman, for his indefatigable support, dramaturgical wisdom, and immense kindness. I offer my gratitude to Gina Kaufmann for her probing questions and open collaborative spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • Black Gold." Fuel: an Ecocritical History
    Scott, Heidi C. M. "Black Gold." Fuel: An Ecocritical History. London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. 177–222. Environmental Cultures. Bloomsbury Collections. Web. 1 Oct. 2021. <http:// dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350054011.ch-006>. Downloaded from Bloomsbury Collections, www.bloomsburycollections.com, 1 October 2021, 05:08 UTC. Copyright © Heidi C. M. Scott 2018. You may share this work for non-commercial purposes only, provided you give attribution to the copyright holder and the publisher, and provide a link to the Creative Commons licence. 6 Black Gold I Oil ontology Oil pulses through the carburetors of the industrial world. It is the fossil fuel of modern motion. Once oil became widely and cheaply available sometime between the twentieth century’s world wars, various grades of diesel and gasoline drove engineering innovation toward the automobile. Old coal drove the locomotives and steamships of nineteenth- century moving industry; now, diesel and heavy fuel oil do that work. As a symbol of freedom, power, and recklessness, the automobile has left its tire tracks on many a literary page. We’ll kick those tires and take them for a spin in this chapter. Fossil oil is not only a fuel of motion; its carbon chains appear in a mind- boggling array of materials. Anything not explicitly metal or glass oft en has some petroleum component, usually one of the ubiquitous plastics of modern life. Its usefulness is not just convenient, it is equally terrifying. Th e architecture of late- capitalist consumerism would collapse without load- bearing oil. No computers or television without oil: no Amazon.com, Facebook, OK Cupid, or Candy Crush.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of the Decline in Oil Prices on the Economics, Politics and Oil Industry of Venezuela
    THE IMPACT OF THE DECLINE IN OIL PRICES ON THE ECONOMICS, POLITICS AND OIL INDUSTRY OF VENEZUELA By Francisco Monaldi SEPTEMBER 2015 B | CHAPTER NAME ABOUT THE CENTER ON GLOBAL ENERGY POLICY The Center on Global Energy Policy provides independent, balanced, data-driven analysis to help policymakers navigate the complex world of energy. We approach energy as an economic, security, and environmental concern. And we draw on the resources of a world-class institution, faculty with real-world experience, and a location in the world’s finance and media capital. Visit us atenergypolicy. columbia.edu facebook.com/ColumbiaUEnergy twitter.com/ColumbiaUEnergy ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS SIPA’s mission is to empower people to serve the global public interest. Our goal is to foster economic growth, sustainable development, social progress, and democratic governance by educating public policy professionals, producing policy-related research, and conveying the results to the world. Based in New York City, with a student body that is 50 percent international and educational partners in cities around the world, SIPA is the most global of public policy schools. For more information, please visit www.sipa.columbia.edu THE IMPACT OF THE DECLINE IN OIL PRICES ON THE ECONOMICS, POLITICS AND OIL INDUSTRY OF VENEZUELA By Francisco Monaldi* SEPTEMBER 2015 *Francisco Monaldi is Baker Institute Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy and Adjunct Professor of Energy Economics at Rice University, Belfer Center Associate in Geopolitics of Energy at the Harvard Kennedy School, Professor at the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administracion (IESA) in Caracas, Venezuela, and Founding Director of IESA’s Center on Energy and the Environment.
    [Show full text]
  • The Political Economy of Oil and Natural Resources Instructor
    Course Title: The Political Economy of Oil and Natural Resources Instructor: Yahya Sadowski. Number of credits: 2. Teaching Format: 2-3 introductory lectures followed by 9 seminar discussions. Semester: Winter 2015. Class Times: Mondays, 9:00AM to 10:40 AM at Costa Coffee or equivalent. Office Hours: 11:00-12:00 AM Mondays…or by appointment. Course Status: Elective. Course Summary A common—but controversial—idea in global policy debates is that the production of natural resources is associated with a whole host of political problems. These resources are supposed to be sources of domestic and international exploitation, civil and inter-state violence, corruption and crime, pollution and authoritarianism. There are now international public policy processes that focus upon these issues as they relate to water, wheat, bananas, coffee, timber, opium, copper, uranium, rare earths, etc. In this course we will examine each of these debates, focusing the elaborate literature that has developed from analysis of the largest commodities—by value and volume—in world trade: the hydrocarbons crude oil and natural gas. Learning Objectives The first third of the course will supply students with an overview of the hydrocarbons industry, including some of the technological and economic particulars that set it apart from the production of other commodities. In the second third of the class, attention will shift to the role that hydrocarbons play in the political and economic development of individual countries. In the final third of the class, the subject will be geopolitics, and how hydrocarbons produce conflict or cooperation at the international level. This course will not frame the controversies surrounding oil and gas in the conventional manner as matters of energy policy.
    [Show full text]
  • Regarding Cherry Point Amendments Oil Spills And
    From: [email protected] To: PDS_Planning_Commission Cc: Council; Satpal Sidhu; Barbara Brenner; Rud Browne; Barry Buchanan; Carl Weimer; Ken Mann; Todd Donovan; Jack Louws; Sam (Jeanne) Ryan; PDS Subject: Regarding Cherry Point Amendments, oil spills and explosions Date: Wednesday, December 07, 2016 6:36:45 PM Dear Whatcom County Planning Commission: I just read Paula Rotondi's December 6, 2016 comment that has been posted on the Whatcom County Cherry Point Amendments web page. I am so appreciative of the effort that Paula expended to assemble the comprehensive list of oil spills and explosions that she included with her comment, which is relevant to any pipeline projects that companies may propose at Cherry Point. Such catastrophes speak to the need for strong policy and regulations in Whatcom County to protect Xwe'chi'eXen/Cherry Point and is part of why I support the Council Proposal for the Cherry Point Amendments. Just after I read Paula's letter, I came across a post on Facebook about a new spill on December 6, 2016 that occurred about 200 miles from Standing Rock North Dakota and thought I would send the article to you to add to the list. From the article: "The pipeline owner, Belle Fourche Pipeline Co., is part of True Companies of Wyoming, which also owns Bridger Pipeline that had a major oil spill in 2015 in Montana that contaminated the Yellowstone River and affected the water supply for the city of Glendive. "The spill discovered Monday morning about 16 miles northwest of Belfield contaminated Ash Coulee Creek with the release contained about 2½ miles downstream, said Bill Suess, spill investigation program manager for the North Dakota Department of Health.
    [Show full text]
  • The Case Against U.S. Crude Oil Exports Researched and Written by Lorne Stockman
    October 2013 The Case againsT U.s. CrUde Oil expOrTs Researched and written by Lorne Stockman. With thanks to Paulina Essunger and David Turnbull for comments. Design: [email protected] Cover photo: iStock ©Ngataringa Published by Oil Change International 714 G Street SE, Suite 202 Washington, DC 20003 [email protected] www.priceofoil.org © All rights reserved October 2013 Contents executive summary 4 Crude Oil Exports Will Undercut Climate Goals 4 Report Outline 4 1. Boom! 6 Tight Oil Fever: Can the Hyperbole be Believed? 9 2. Mismatch: Why U.s. Refineries are Awash in tight oil 11 Tight Oil’s Inconvenient Geography 11 Tight Oil’s Inconvenient Chemistry 13 Product Yields: Why Tight Oil is Too Light for Some U.S. Refining Markets 13 Bad Timing: Light Oil Growth in a Heavy Oil Market 14 3. Unburnable Carbon: Why U.s. Crude exports Will Undermine Climate Goals 16 4. Current Crude export Regulations 20 5. Crude oil exports Past and Present 22 Current Export Licenses 23 Foreign Crude Exports: A Route Out of North America for the Tar Sands 25 6. Boom or Bust! Increasing Calls for U.s. Crude oil exports May Be Gaining traction 26 Industry’s Dissenting Voices 29 7. Will the tight oil Refining Wall ever Really Hit? 31 The Growing North American Market for Tight Oil 31 Refinery Modifications: Increasing U.S. Capacity to Refine Light Oil 31 Splitters: One Answer to the Condensate Problem 32 Exploiting Loopholes 33 8. Conclusion 34 Figure 1. Bakken Tight Oil Fracking Schematic 6 Figure 2. Tight Oil Production, 2000 to 2012 7 Figure 3.
    [Show full text]