The Greening of Petroleum Operations E-Book

M. R. Islam

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Serie: Wiley-Scrivener
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 1229

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

The Future of Petroleum Operations This state-of-the-art text analyzes some of the most contentious issues in the energy industry, covering new and greener processes for engineers and scientists and urging them to move petroleum operations closer to sustainability. Although petroleum is still the world's most diverse, efficient, and abundant energy source, there is a growing initiative from global political and industry leaders to "go green," because of climate concerns and high gasoline prices. This book investigates and details how to do that. This groundbreaking new volume: * Explains why current petroleum industry practices are inherently unsustainable and offers unique new solutions for "greening" the petroleum industry * Discusses hot-button issues, such as global warming, carbon sequestration, zero-waste management, and sustainability * Shows engineers and scientists how to implement the processes necessary to be more environmentally conscious * Offers, for the first time, a new theory that certain carbons do not contribute to global warming, but their origin and the processes involved do Praise for The Greening of Petroleum Operations "The book proposes a paradigm shift in energy management. It correctly identifies root causes of environmental impact of current petroleum production operations. With proper science, the book shows that fossil fuel production and utilization are inherently sustainable as long as natural materials and energy sources are used.... This book has the potential of revolutionizing energy management practices." --Farouq Ali, Honorary Professor of Oil and Gas Engineering, University of Calgary

Leseprobe

Contents

Cover

Half Title Page

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Foreword

1: Introduction

1.1 The Science of Change: How Will Our Epoch Be Remembered?

1.2 Are Natural Resources Finite and Human Needs Infinite?

1.3 The Standard of Sustainable Engineering

1.4 Can Nature Be Treated as If It Were Static?

1.5 Can Human Intervention Affect Long-term Sustainability of Nature?

1.6 Can an Energy Source Be Isolated from Matter?

1.7 Is It Possible That Air, Water, and Earth Became Our Enemy?

1.8 The Difference Between Sustainable and Unsustainable Products

1.9 Can We Compare Diamonds with Enriched Uranium?

1.10 Is Zero-waste an Absurd Concept?

1.11 How Can We Determine Whether Natural Energy Sources Last Forever?

1.12 Can Doing Good Be Bad Business?

1.13 Greening of Petroleum Operations: A Fiction?

2: A Delinearized History of Civilization and the Science of Matter and Energy

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Fundamental Misconceptions of the Modern Age

2.3 The Science of Intangibles

2.4 The Science of Matter and Energy

2.5 Paradigm Shift in Scientific and Engineering Calculations

2.6 Summary and Conclusions

3: Fundamentals of Mass and Energy Balance

3.1 Introduction

3.2 The Difference Between a Natural Process and an Engineered Process

3.3 The Measurement Conundrum of the Phenomenon and its Observer

3.4 Implications of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity on Newtonian Mechanics

3.5 Newton’s First Assumption

3.6 First Level of Rectification of Newton’s First Assumption

3.7 Second Level of Rectification of Newton’s First Assumption

3.8 Fundamental Assumptions of Electromagnetic Theory

3.9 Aims of Modeling Natural Phenomena

3.10 Challenges of Modeling Sustainable Petroleum Operations

3.11 Implications of a Knowledge-based Sustainability Analysis

3.12 Concluding remarks

4: A True Sustainability Criterion and Its Implications

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Importance of the Sustainability Criterion

4.3 The Criterion: The Switch that Determines the Direction at a Bifurcation Point

4.4 Current Practices in Petroleum Engineering

4.5 Development of a Sustainable Model

4.6 Violation of Characteristic Time

4.7 Observation of Nature: Importance of Intangibles

4.8 Analogy of Physical Phenomena

4.9 Intangible Cause to Tangible Consequence

4.10 Removable Discontinuities: Phases and Renewability of Materials

4.11 Rebalancing Mass and Energy

4.12 Energy: The Current Model

4.13 Tools Needed for Sustainable Petroleum Operations

4.14 Conditions of Sustainability

4.15 Sustainability Indicators

4.16 Assessing the Overall Performance of a Process

4.17 Inherent Features of a Comprehensive Criterion

5: Scientific Characterization of Global Energy Sources

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Global Energy Scenario

5.3 Solar Energy

5.4 Hydropower

5.5 Ocean Thermal, Wave, and Tidal Energy

5.6 Wind Energy

5.7 Bio-energy

5.8 Fuelwood

5.9 Bioethanol

5.10 Biodiesel

5.11 Nuclear Power

5.12 Geothermal Energy

5.13 Hydrogen Energy

5.14 Carbon Dioxide and Global Warming

5.15 Nuclear Energy and Global Warming

5.16 Impact of Energy Technology and Policy

5.17 Energy Demand in Emerging Economies

5.18 Conventional Global Energy Model

5.19 Renewable vs. Non-renewable: No Boundary as Such

5.20 Knowledge-based Global Energy Model

5.21 Concluding Remarks

6: Scientific Characterization of Light and Light Sources

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Natural Light Source: The Sun

6.3 Artificial Light Sources

6.4 Pathways of Light

6.5 Light Energy Model

6.6 Spectral Analysis of Light

6.7 Effect of Lamp Coating on Light Spectra

6.8 Effect of Eyeglasses and Sunglasses on Light Spectra

6.9 Concluding Remarks

7: The Science of Global Warming

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Historical Development

7.3 Current Status of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

7.4 Comments on Copenhagen Summit

7.5 Classification of CO2

7.6 The Role of Water in Global Warming

7.7 Characterization of Energy Sources

7.8 The Kyoto Protocol

7.9 Sustainable Energy Development

7.10 Zero Waste Energy Systems

7.11 Reversing Global Warming: The Role of Technology Development

7.12 Deconstructing the Myth of Global Warming and Cooling

7.13 Concluding Remarks

8: Diverging Fates of Sustainable and Unsustainable Products

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Chemical Composition of Polyurethane Fiber

8.3 Biochemical Composition of Wool

8.4 Pathways of Polyurethane

8.5 Pathways of Wool

8.6 Degradation of Polyurethane

8.7 Degradation of Wools

8.8 Recycling Polyurethane Waste

8.9 Unsustainable Technologies

8.10 Toxic Compounds from Plastic

8.11 Environmental Impacts Issues

8.12 How Much is Known?

8.13 Concluding Remarks

9: Scientific Difference Between Sustainable and Unsustainable Processes

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Physical Properties of Beeswax and Paraffin Wax

9.3 Microstructures of Beeswax and Paraffin wax

9.4 Structural Analysis of Paraffin Wax and Beeswax

9.5 Response to Uniaxial Compression

9.6 Ultrasonic Tests on Beeswax and Paraffin Wax

9.7 Natural Plastic and Synthetic Plastic

9.8 Plastic Pathway from Crude Oil

9.9 Theoretical Comparison Between Nylon and Silk

9.10 Theoretical Comparison Between Synthetic Rubber and Latex (Natural Rubber)

9.11 Concluding Remarks

10: Comparison of Various Energy Production Schemes

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Inherent Features of a Comprehensive Criterion

10.3 The Need for a Multidimensional Study

10.4 Assessing the Overall Performance of a Process

10.5 Global Efficiency of Solar Energy to Electricity Conversion

10.6 Global Efficiency of Biomass Energy

10.7 Global Efficiency of Nuclear Power

10.8 Discussion

10.9 Concluding Remarks

11: The Zero-Waste Concept and its Application to Petroleum Engineering

11.1 Introduction

11.2 Petroleum Refining

11.3 Zero Waste in Product Life Cycle (Transportation, Use, and End-of-Life)

11.4 No-Flaring Technique

12: Sustainable Refining and Gas Processing

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Pathways of Crude Oil Formation

12.3 Pathways of Crude Oil Refining

12.4 Additives in Oil Refining and Their Functions

12.5 Emissions from Oil Refining Activities

12.6 Degradation of Crude and Refined Oil

12.7 Pathways of Natural Gas Processing

12.8 Oil and Condensate Removal from Gas Streams

12.9 Water Removal from Gas Streams

12.10 Separation of Natural Gas Liquids

12.11 Sulfur and Carbon Dioxide Removal

12.12 Problems in Natural Gas Processing

12.13 Innovative Solutions for Natural Gas Processing

12.14 Concluding Remarks

13: Flow Assurance in Petroleum Fluids

13.1 Introduction

13.2 The Prevention of Hydrate Formation

13.3 Problems with the Gas-processing Chemicals

13.4 Pathways of Chemical Additives

13.5 Sustainable Alternatives to Conventional Techniques for Hydrate Prevention

13.6 Mechanism of Microbially Induced Corrosion

13.7 Sustainable Approach to Corrosion Prevention

13.8 Asphaltene Problems and Sustainable Mitigation

14: Sustainable Enhanced Oil Recovery

14.1 Introduction

14.2 Chemical Flooding Agents

14.3 Rendering CO2 Injection Sustainable

14.4 A Novel Microbial Technique

14.5 Humanizing EOR Practices

15: The Knowledge Economics

15.1 Introduction

15.2 The Economics of Sustainable Engineering

15.3 The New Synthesis

15.4 A Case of Zero-waste Engineering

16: Deconstruction of Engineering Myths Prevalent in the Energy Sector

16.1 Introduction

16.2 The Sustainable Biofuel Fantasy

16.3 “Clean” Nuclear Energy

17: Greening of Petroleum Operations

17.1 Introduction

17.2 Issues in Petroleum Operations

17.3 Pathway Analysis of Crude and Refined Oil and Gas

17.4 Critical Evaluation of Current Petroleum Practices

17.5 Management

17.6 Current Practices in Exploration, Drilling, and Production

17.7 Challenges in Waste Management

17.8 Problems in Transportation Operations

17.9 Greening of Petroleum Operations

17.10 Concluding Remarks

18: Conclusion

18.1 Introduction

18.2 The HSS® A® (Honey → Sugar → Saccharin® → Aspartame®) Pathway

18.3 HSS®A® Pathway in Energy Management

18.4 The Conclusions

Appendix 1: Origin of Atomic Theory as Viewed by the European Scientists

Atoms

The Greek Atomistic Philosophy

The Rise of Experimentation

The Chemical Atom

Democritus Of Abbera

Appendix 2: Nobel Prize in Physics (2008) given for discovering breakdown of symmetry

Nobel Prize for Physics 2008

Appendix 2.1 Fascination for symmetry

Symmetry

Appendix 2.2 Ct Scan Study was Paid by Tobacco Companies (New York Times story)

Appendix 2.3 Problems with Nanomaterials

References and Bibliography

Index

The Greening of Petroleum Operations

Scrivener Publishing3 Winter Street, Suite 3Salem, MA 01970

Scrivener Publishing Collections Editors

James E. R. Couper        Ken DragoonRichard ErdlacRafiq IslamPradip KhaladkarVitthal KulkarniNorman LiebermanPeter MartinW. Kent MuhlbauerAndrew Y. C. NeeS. A. SherifJames G. Speight

Publishers at ScrivenerMartin Scrivener ([email protected])Phillip Carmical ([email protected])

Copyright © 2010 by Scrivener Publishing LLC. All rights reserved.

Co-published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey, and Scrivener Publishing LLC, Salem, Massachusetts.Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permission.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic formats. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

For more information about Scrivener products please visit www.scrivenerpublishing.com.

Cover design by Russell Richardson.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

ISBN: 978-0-470-62590-3

This book is dedicated to the memory of two giants of sustainable petroleum engineering

Dr. Sara Thomas, PERL, Edmonton, Canada

and

Prof. T.F. Yen, University of Southern California.

Both passed away in recent years.

Foreword

Civilization is defined by energy policies which, in turn, are subject to partisan politics — one side of the political aisle supports petroleum production and use while the other side supports the injection of various alternate energy sources. The argument can be prolonged ad nauseam depending upon the interests of those voicing the pros and cons.

However, this book shows, with scientific arguments, that there is indeed a sustainable solution to petroleum production and operations. Moreover, the book is about scientific change and proposes that the science of change is equated with the science of sustainability. To achieve this, the book covers critical distinctions between the outcomes of natural processes from the outcomes of engineered processes, as well as conventional scientific discourse and work that has been either missed or dismissed. A comprehensive theory is presented that answers many of the questions that remain unanswered with the current engineering tools.

The book goes on to show that if most of the misconceptions had been addressed, all the contradictions of our modern age would not come to do us harm and deprive us of the sustainable lifestyle that has become the hallmark of our current civilization. This involves the deconstruction of a series of engineering myths that have been deeply rooted in the energy sector, with the potential for powerful impacts on modern civilization.

The book is well written and will cause scientists and engineers to think and look before they leap onto the latest bandwagon of myth, circumstantial evidence, and preference for a particular partisan funding source.

James G. Speight Ph.D., DSc.

2

A Delinearized History of Civilization and the Science of Matter and Energy

2.1 Introduction

The term “sustainable” cannot be a matter of definition. If it were so, the greening of petroleum operations would simply mean painting gas stations green, which has actually been done (Khan and Islam 2007). In order that “sustainability” or “green” status be deemed real and provided with a scientific basis, there are criteria to be set forth and met. Nowhere is this need clearer or more crucial than in the characterization of energy sources. Petroleum fuels being the principal driver of today’s energy needs, one must establish the role of petroleum fluids in the overall energy picture. One must not forget that petroleum products (crude oil and gas) are natural resources and they cannot be inherently unsustainable, unless there is an inherent problem with nature. Here it is crucial to understand nature and natural phenomena without any preconceived bias. If we have to rely on our scientists who promoted New Science theories and laws, we won’t make much headway.

Lord Kelvin, whose “laws” are a must for modern day engineering design, believed that the earth is progressively moving toward a worse status that would eventually lead to the “heat death” of the habitat of the “best creation of God.” So, if Kelvin were correct, we are progressively moving toward a greater energy crisis, and indeed we need to worry about how to fight this “natural” death of our planet. Kelvin also believed flying an airplane was an absurd idea, so absurd that he didn’t care to be a member of the aeronautical club. Anyone would agree, it is not unreasonable to question this assertion of Lord Kelvin, but the moment one talks about the environment progressively improving, if left alone (by humans, of course), many scientists break out in utter contempt and invoke all kinds of arguments of doctrinal fervor. Then how do these scientists explain, that if the earth is progressively dying, how life evolved from non-biological materials and eventually a very sophisticated creature called homo sapiens (thinking man) came to exist? Their only argument becomes the one that has worked for all religions, “you have to believe.” All of a sudden, it becomes a matter of faith and all the contradictions that arise from that assertion of Lord Kelvin become paradoxes and we mere humans are not supposed to understand them. Today, the Internet is filled with claims that Kelvin is actually a god and there is even a society that worships him. This line of argument cannot be scientific.

The new talk is that of hydrogen fuel, and the world is now obsessed with getting rid of carbon. Hydrogen fuel is attractive because it is not carbon. The slogan is so overpowering that a number of universities have opened up “hydrogen chairs” in order to advance humanity out of the grip of carbon. In 2005, the President of Shell Canada talked about hydrogen being the wave of the future. But what hydrogen are we talking about? Could it be the hydrogen that is present in hydrocarbons, after we get rid of the carbon, of course? This question would be discarded as “silly.” Everyone should know he meant hydrogen as in fuel cells, hydrogen as in after dissociation of ultra-pure water, and so on. This is the hydrogen, one would argue, that produces clean water as a byproduct, and nothing but water. As petroleum engineers, we are supposed to marvel at how nature produces water infested with countless chemicals, many of which are not even identifiable. No one dares question if this is possible, let alone beneficial. Until such a question is raised and actually investigated, however, any claims can be made. After all, we have taken for granted the idea that “if it cannot be seen, it does not exist” (Zatzman and Islam 2007). An even more convincing statement would be, “If the Establishment says so, it exists.” What progress has been made, on what pathways, in rolling hydrogen out as