GCSEGeography: B (1GB0)EdexcelRevision Notes7. People and the Biosphere7.4 Consuming Energy Resources7.4.4 Reliance on Fossil Fuels

Reliance on Fossil Fuels (Edexcel GCSE Geography: B (1GB0))

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Developing New Oil & Gas Sources

  • To meet the demand for energy new oil and gas sources are being developed
  • It also includes drilling for oil and gas in increasingly difficult and dangerous environments including:
    • Extreme cold - Arctic
    • Extreme heat - deserts
    • Deep water drilling such as Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Chayvo field in Russia

Arctic 

  • The Arctic region supplies 10% of the world's oil and 25% of its gas
  • Approximately 25-30% of the Earth's remaining gas and oil reserves are in the Arctic region
  • The costs of exploration are high but oil and gas profits are at an all time high so they have money to invest 
  • Technological improvements mean that:
    • Finding oil and gas reserves is easier and quicker
    • Drilling can take place in areas that were previously too cold or under deep seas
    • It is now possible to transport gas to a liquid for easier transport through liquefaction
  • The melting of permafrost due to global warming has also increased the accessibility of oil and gas reserves
  • There are disputes over which countries have the rights to which areas
  • Russian oil companies have been drilling for oil for over ten years
    • Gazprom announced recent success drilling in the Kara sea and Barents Sea

Benefits

  • Exploration of new areas creates many jobs and boosts the economy
    • Oil sales enable countries such as Norway to invest in social benefits/childcare
    • Education and care of the elderly are also funded in part through the sale of oil and gas
  • Gas and oil are abundant
  • The US government is extracting oil from the oilfields near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
  • Over 50% of Alaska's income comes from oil and gas 

russian-oil-exploration

Russian drilling and exploration sites in the Arctic

Costs 

  • Damage to Arctic fisheries and impact on the way of life of indigenous communities
  • Increased potential for oil spills
    • 21,000 tonnes of oil spilt into the Ambarnaya river and surrounding subsoil
    • 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska
  • Oil spills will impact on many animals including whales, seals, polar bears, birds and whales
  • Heat from the terminal buildings, workers homes and transport to and from the oil fields has led to permafrost melt and buildings subsiding

Worked example

Study Figure 1 

screenshot-2023-02-08-at-10-53-30

Explain two social benefits for Norway's people from selling its oil

(4 marks)

  • These must be social benefits they cannot be just 'services'

Answer:

  • Maintains a generous welfare system/maternity/childcare benefits (1) by selling most (85%) of its oil (1)
  • Support for its ageing population (1) comes from SWF’s global investments / 9,000 part-owned TNCs (1)
  • Norway’s 1 HDI ranking shows it must be benefiting socially (1) through education and health funding (1)
  • Norway can afford generous childcare payments (1) giving parents to choice to work if they want to (1)

Environmental Impacts

  • To meet the demand for energy new oil and gas sources are being exploited
  • The new sources include:
    • Tar sands
    • Shale
  • These are not how oil and gas are usually produced and so are called unconvectional energy sources
    • They don't require drilling/oil wells/oil platforms

Tar Sands

  • Tar sands are reservoirs of bitumen which is a heavy crude oil
  • Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta Canada and Tunguska in Russia
  • The oil sands are made up of bitumen, silica, clay and water
  • Treating the bitumen to extract the oil uses huge quantities of water
  • Almost 60% of Canada's oil production is from tar sands

canadian-tar-sands

Tar sands in Canada

Worked example

The Athabasca Tar Sands are an example of an 'unconventional oil source'

Define this term

(2 marks)

Answer:

  • Unconventional sources’ (eg tar sands and oil shales) are obtained through other techniques (1) than the traditional well extraction/drilling (1) 
  • Alternative way of removing oil from rock (1) Not the use of oil wells/oil platforms/oil drilling (1)

Shale gas

  • The process of extracting shale gas is known as hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking' for short
  • A mixture of sand, chemicals and water is pumped into shale rocks at high pressure
    • This shatters the rock and releases shale gas trapped in the rocksfracking

Hydraulic fracturing 'fracking' process

  • Over 40% of USA's dry natural gas is shale gas

Environmental Costs of Oil and Gas Exploration from Unconventional Sources

Energy Source Environmental Costs
Tar Sands
  • Decline of caribou, lynx and wolverine populations
  • Water pollution - waste water leaks into water sources
  • Destruction of natural habitats
  • Greenhouse gas emissions from bitumen are higher than conventional oil
  • Higher rates of air pollution and possible links to higher cancer rates
  • Deforestation
  • Acid rain
Shale
  • Contamination of groundwater
  • Subsidence
  • Methane emissions
  • Small earthquakes

Worked example

Study Figure 1 and 2

screenshot-2023-02-08-at-11-06-46

Figure 1 - Aerial photograph of tar sands development

screenshot-2023-02-08-at-11-06-55

Figure 2 Environmental impacts of Athabasca Tar Sands development and exploitation

The photograph and diagram show environmental impacts of the Athabasca Tar Sands exploitation

Using evidence from both resources, assess the view that the local impacts of tar sands mining are more severe than the global impacts

(8 marks)

Answer:

  • The environmental impacts of mining are extremely severe locally. Huge opposition to the amount of environmental and ecological impact.
  • Environmental damage is not cost free, with longer term consequences that might be greater than short term economic benefits.
  • Issues of concentration and ‘overheating’ of Fort McMurray – environmental damage from migrant camps.
  • Only recently have the mining companies been forced to consider damage limitation strategies, some are short term goals (more efficient use of water), others such as CCS, longer term as a result of Alberta legislation, so this may lessen local impact.
  • The local impacts have a knock-on effect on global air pollution and especially climate warming. Failure to meet Kyoto targets has pressurised new government into greener strategies to improve Canada’s track record (Paris 2015).
  • Whilst acid rain is localised, can become a widespread problem.
  • Migratory birds more of a global problem

AO4

  • Locally, damage to water courses by overuse and pollution (Figure 8)
  • Scale of extent of scarring, size of trucks, piles of overburden and toxic tailings (Figure 8) and settling ponds
  • Possibility of water/air contamination leading to damage to fish, impact on human health as a result of food chain (Figure 9)
  • Clear cutting of trees (Figure 8), loss of habitat for Caribou and wilderness (First Nation subsistence living) (Figure 9).
  • Globally impact of contribution to GHGs (Figure 9), use of large supplies of fossil fuels in production (Figure 9)
  • Loss of birds on global migration routes (Figure 9)

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    Bridgette

    Author: Bridgette

    After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.