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Chapter 11
Coal, Petroleum, and Energy Sources
44
Geology
Undergraduate 2
12/08/2009

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Term
What are the two environmentally hazardous gases produced as products of burning coal.
Definition
SO2 - Sulfur Dioxide, responsible for acid rain.
CO2 - Carbon Dioxide - greenhouse gas that plays a role in global warming.
Term
Acid rain forms from the burning of coal, when SO2 combines with oxygen to form H2SO4.
Definition
Term
Coal is given a rank based on the total amount of potential heat energy, mostly determined by the ____ of the coal
Definition
The age of the coal. Older = Better
Term
"Robber Barrens"
Definition
People who didn't restore the land they used for coal mining.
Term
The _____________________________________ of 1977 requires that all mined land be restored to an usable condition.
Definition
The Surface Mine and Reclamation Act of 1977.
**Only includes land that was mined after the act was passed.
Term
What country is the world's leading exporter of coal (primarily to Asian nations)
Definition
Australia
Term
Over half of the recoverable coal reserves are found in _____countries.
Definition
Four (4) Countries:
Unites States, Russia, India, China
Term
True or False:
Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel.
Definition
True: Coal is the most abundant fossil fuels with an estimated recoverable reserves at more than 1 Trillion tons - enough to last 200 years.
Term
The two most significant uses of coal in the U.S are ___________ and ________
Definition
The production of steel
Generate steam power
Term
Most economical deposits of coal are believed to have originated in _______. Why?
Definition
River deltas or mountain basins where there are numerous stream channels and back swamps. The saturated conditions help block out oxygen and hence slow the break down of organic material, leading to the accumulation of thick organic deposits that eventually turn into coal. Delta's are also depositional centers where sediment acquires.
Term
Peat
Definition
As additional sediment deposits accumulate, the increasing weight compacts and transforms the organic matter into a more compact form.
Term
Coal is heavily concentrated by what element?
Definition
Carbon
Term
The amount of carbon content in coal increases with ________ and __________.
Definition
Time and depth of burial.
Term
Order the ranks of coal according to increasing amounts of carbon content.
Definition
1)Ligmite 3)Bituminous
2)Sub-Bituminous 4) Anthracite
Term
If the temperature and pressure go beyond that of anthracite, the coal will________________
Definition
metamorphoes and form a mineral deposit of graphite.
Term
Extracting coal from underground and surfacing mining techniques usually requires the removal of the mineral ______ as well.
Definition
Pyrite FeS2
Term
True or False:
Coals found in the Western United States contain relatively few sulfide minerals compared to coals in the Eastern United States.
Definition
True: Due in part that some of the western coals were deposited and formed in freshwater environments as opposed to the marine (salt water) origin of the East Coast. Created a coal-mining boom in the West when regulations were passed to reduce the impact of acid rain from coal emissions.
Term
Coal Gasification
Definition
The process of producing natural methane (CH4) gas from coal and reducing carbon emissions. Coal is ground up, combined with water to produce a slurry, slurry combined with O2, high temp. and pressure reaction produces methane gas.
**Gas is burned in a gas turbine (producing power). The Heat created produces steam to power steam trubines
Term
Petroleum Resources are (similar/dissimilar) to coal in that it contains combustible _______ that originates from organic material, hence is ultimately derived from ______.
Definition
carbon;
sunlight.
Term
The Two primary forms of petroleum are _______ and ________. _______ Sands and _____________ gas are also included.
Definition
Crude Oil
Natural Gas
Tar Sands
Unconventional gas
Term
Conventional land-based recovery of petroleum is done with ______
Definition
Pump jacks
Term
The LARGEST sea platform today is:
Definition
BP'S THUNDER HORSE
Term
The Largest oil producers in the world:
Definition
Saudi Aramco
National Iranian Oil Co.
Kuwait Petroleum
Mexico - Venezuela
Term
Source Rock
Definition
Denotes an organic rich rock from which hydrocarbons can be generated. Most common source rocks are thought to be marine shales.
Term
_______ is synonymously uses with Petroleum because of the greater amount of _______ found in petroleum than coal.
Definition
Hydrocarbons
Hydrogen
Term

________ is a complex misture of hydrogen and carbon compounds

unrefined liquid phase is called ________

vapor phase is called _________

Definition

Petroleum

Crude Oil

Natural Gas

Term
At _______ feet petroleum source rocks enter the _______ window, where temperatures are high to high enough to turn organic material into oil.
Definition
7,5000 ft
Oil Window
Term
Gas Window
Definition
The depth (15,000 ft) at which the petroleum is considered natural gas, because high temperatures are high enough to breakdown the remaining oil.
Term
True or False:
At 40,000 feet, petroleum rocks are transformed into graphite.
Definition
True
Term
Petroleum Trap
Definition
Any configuration of rocks in the subsurface that allows hydrocarbons to accumulate.
**The top fold of an inclined aquifers that creates a trap for less-dense hydrocarbons as the more-dense water is forced to flow downward.
Term
Petroleum reservoir
Definition
That part of an aquifer where hydrocarbons are stored.
Term
Why does natural gas always occupy the highest point in a trap
Definition
It contains the lightest of all the hydrocarbon molecules.
Term
Anticline
Definition
The arch-shaped fold that is one of the most common types of petroleum traps.
Term
Refining
Definition
The process by which hydrocarbon c=molecules are separated into different fractions base don their density.
Term
The total amount of energy a country uses depends on two things:
Definition
1) the size of its economy
2) its population
**Largest Energy Consumers: U.S, China, Russia, Japan, India.
Term
Hubberts's Peak
Peak Oil Theory
Definition
Geologist's Hubbert's predictive model that oil petroleum production would peak in the 1970's. Hubbert based his model off the Peak Oil Theory. It was scoffed at first but proved to be followed precisely when in 1970 U.S petroleum production actually peaked.
Term
Coal and petroleum are energy sources in that they are different than electricity because....
Definition
an energy source is a form of energy humans can use directly, like sunlight and falling water. Energy is not a resource because it has to be made.
Term
What forces eventually transform organic-rich deposits into coal.
Definition
Pressure (from being burried)
Heat (from earth's core)
Time
Organic Material - plants that harvest sunlight - hence contain carbon.
Term
Petroleum originates from ________ found in organic-rich sedimentary rocks, referred to source rocks, that get buried and converted in
Definition
marine plankton
Term
True or False:
Fossil fuels make up 89%-94% of the energy of the two largest country consumers.
Definition
True; the two largest energy consumers are the U.S and China
Term
True or False:
Most industrialized nations do have sufficient energy resources to meet their own needs.
Definition
False - nearly 60% of all crude oil reserves are held by the Persian Gulf nations in the Middle East
Term
The Peak Oil Theory holds the production of conventional oil will reach its peak between ____ and _____.
Definition
as early as 2005 and as late as 2040
Term
Most solutions to the current energy crisis include:
a. increasing the supply of oil
b. decreasing demand by conservation
c. both of these
Definition
c. both of these
Term
What is the most common type of Petroleum Source rock?
Definition
Marine Shale high in concentration of remains of marine plankton.
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