The rocks beneath have rich deposits of oil and gases that can be purified to supplement the energy requirements. Several researches are done to establish the sites with considerable quantities of oil or gas and sometimes the presence of both. Once this is established, a number of factors are considered in the underground environment to establish the safety precautions and the nature of the extraction procedure to be used. The principle behind oil and gas extraction relies on the accumulation of pressure in the underlying rocks. The processes are divided into three basic extraction levels, primary, secondary and enhanced recovery levels. In the primary recovery process, hydraulic lifts are used to bring the mixtures containing the extracted material to the surface. In another technique, natural gas is pumped below the underneath deposits. This pumped gas expands and exerts an upward pressure on the mixture which is then pushed to the surface. This process extracts only 10 percent of the total estimated deposits.
In the secondary delivery process, water which was produced and separated from the oil in the preliminary phase of drilling is injected back into the oil-bearing formation to fetch more oil to the surface. This is a strategy used to increase the extraction volumes of the oil or gas. Another process done to enhance the quality of the oil produced, wastewater embedded in the mixture is extracted and flown back to the initial positions. This actually raises the extraction percentage a further 10 percent. The enhanced recovery processes are processes done on the mixture to mobilize the remaining oil. At this point in the extraction process, three common approaches can be used; thermal recovery, gas injection and chemical flooding. In thermal recovery, steam is injected into the original depth which makes the oil to flow more readily. Pressure is afterward applied to push the flowing oil to the surface. On the other hand gas injection uses gases in making the mixture to flow more easily. The use of miscible gases enables the possibility of dissolving out carbon dioxide, propane, methane or other gases which lowers its viscosity and increases its ease of flow. However, immiscible gases do not mix with the oil but is used to add pressure in the already accumulated pressure.
The total pressure avails additional mixture in the well bore which increases the percentage oil available for extraction. Chemical flooding to some degree uses the principle of thermal recovery. It involves amalgamation of dense, water-soluble polymers with water and injecting the concoction into the field. This is also a move to avail more oil in the well bore for extraction. The water pushes the oil out of the structure and into the well bore. The use of these recovery techniques ensures that the recovery process is fruitful enough to as much as 60 percent of the original deposits. Moreover, there are various sophisticated processes that are used to individualize elements from the mixture and obtain pure forms of the extracted material.
There are numerous negative effects the process of oil or gas extraction has on the environment. It is a characteristic of the process that large volumes of water are used in the process, therefore the wells are situated in major water bodies which provide the water needed. This process has adverse effects on marine life. There are possible spills which poison aquatic life forms by cutting their air supply from the surface. Moreover, the extraction processes are very expensive. Studies have revealed that the cost of setting up a single pump takes billions of money.
Additionally, the sites produce a lot of noise which may be perceived as harmful for settlements situated near the plant. There are high noise levels which are the characteristic of drilling and flaring of gas. Moreover, the pressures in which the mixtures are emitted onto the surface are high enough to cause marginal sublimation which pollutes the air. Large Emissions of harmful gases are generated during the drilling phase, which include diesel emissions from large construction equipment and generators; vehicle emissions; flare stacks; small amounts of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates from blasting activities. These emissions are directly absorbed in the atmosphere and become part of the air we breathe. These are pollutions of the highest degree as these chemicals are very harmful to not only humans, but also wildlife.
Furthermore, there is extensive pollution in land use given the amount of pressures employed in these activities. The effects of the activities on both ground and surface water are normally not taken into account. Moreover, the process of individualizing the constituents of the surfaced mixture leaves a lot of harmful waste. This waste has adverse environmental effects unless it is properly treated or managed in safe sites. As a matter of fact, the vastness of these projects makes it practically impossible to manage these wastes to the standard levels. Therefore, the percentage pollution attributed to their presence can be determined. In conclusion, it is important to evaluate the effect of different projects with respect to the environment in a bid to objectify the project on general moral and ethical platforms.
Works Cited
Termeer , Chris . Oil and gas exploration and drilling operations. New York: Chris Termeer Publishing, 2013.
