Drilling Oil and Oil Consumption

This site is an excellent source to view for those interested in oil formations and oil drilling. It discribes everything from how oil is made, to finding and testing for oil, to drilling, and how oil rig systems work.


I had already known of the how oil was found. During the summer of 2008, I did an internship under BP in Anchorage, Alaska. I worked on a team under the petroleum engineer. During my time in the internship I was introduced to the geologist of the team and was shown how seismology was done. I was shown graphs that had shown the many layers of the earth. i didn't work much with the geologist. The majority of my work delt with water injections. My project was to create a water simulation using the information from water injector wells and oil producing wells.

Top image: gives a visual of the different layers of the earth. This information is usually provided after seismic survery is done.

Bottom Image: an example of how a siesmic survey is done with a boat.

There are many parts to oil and oil drilling. This site proved to be very useful if you know little of the trade of oil and oil drilling.

How Oil Works. (2008, October 28). Retrieved April 2, 2009 from

http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-drilling1.htm

renewable energy

This website is a short and simple site to renewable energy.It defines the most common types of renewable energy we use. Some of the renewbale energy includes a list of different types of biomas, hydropower, geothermal, wind and solar. This site also includes links to the different types of renewable energy. These extra links discribes what the spific type of renewable energy in detail. The site also includes a graph, shown to the right, with the percentages provided by the Energy Information Association of what types of fuel we use and how much of that fuel source America uses nationally. A brief history is given about the types of energy sources we've used before oil and natural gas. This site supports the fact that we will come to rely more upon renewable energy sources as the fuel availibility decreases.



CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE


Energy Information Administration. (2008 August). Retrieved March 31, 2009 from


http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/renewable.html#whatis

Laser-powered fusion energy - ASAP

You get a sense of doubt or disbelief, from Freedman, in sources of renewable energy development. He feels that hydrogen powered cars will always be 20 years away, despite the claims of researchers and engineers. Instead, Freedman seams to have more faith in development of a laser-powered fusion energy power plants. It would cost as much as a nuclear power plant and work like a coal power plant, without producing toxic waste or emitting green house gases. The energy is produced by aiming 192 huge lasers at a giant spherical chamber, where in the center is a gold can of frozen hydrogen pellets. The pellets are heated to roughly 800 million degrees Fahrenheit,where the hydrogen pellets burst, producing energy that is used to heat up liquid salt. Mass amounts of steam is produced from this to turn turbines, creating electricity.
I feel this potentially new source of energy is a dream come true for environmentalists. This plant, as it seams, is as effective as a coal plant, yet it is as clean as wind or solar power. I feel two issues stand between making this a reality: cost and reliability. A plant like this would cost nearly ten billion dollars. I am not too sure if we can afford something as costly as this in our near future, especially with the current state our economy. This is new technology. Every new invention has small kinks and bumps that has to be ironed out with time. Our government would not invest fully in something that may or may not work. But of it all, let us hope for the best. An invention as advanced and effective as this would definitely aid in reducing carbon emissions and lowering cost of electricity. I hope to see this technology out in our world as soon as possible.