Energy production from petroleum products

Petroleum is and will remain the major source of mobile energy for the next century. However, petroleum production has passed its peak in the United States, and in several decades it may peak in the rest of the world. However, in 2001, approximately 45.8 trillion kW hours of energy were consumed worldwide using oil, and projections indicate that this number jumps to approximately 71-74 trillion kW hours in 2025, indicating a —58.3% increase in oil consumption. Also in 2001, the U.S. energy supply from petroleum products was 11.2 trillion kW hours, and it is projected that this number will increase to 16.1 trillion kW hours, indicating a 43.8% increase.8... 

Synthetic fuels derived from shale or coal will have to supplement domestic suppHes from petroleum someday, and aircraft gas turbine fuels producible from these sources have been assessed. Shale-derived fuels can meet current specifications if steps are taken to reduce the nitrogen levels. However, extracting kerogen from shale rock and denitrogenating the jet fuel are energy-intensive steps compared with petroleum refining it has been estimated that shale jet fuel could be produced at about 70% thermal efficiency compared with 95% efficiency for petroleum (25). Such a difference represents much higher cost for a shale product. 

Transportation - production of gasoline and diesel from petroleum, fuel additives for greater efficiency and reduced emissions, catalytic converters, plastics to reduce vehicle weight and improve energy efficiency. 

GHG emissions associated with the raw material are determined from the energy used to manufacture the plastic materials and the fuel used to transport them to the plant. The transportation and manufacture of the secondary packaging used to transport the primary raw materials and finished materials may also be considered. The embedded energy of the materials, if made from petroleum products, is also accounted for when it is used as a raw material (Keoleian and Spitzley, 1999 Spitzley et al., 1997). End-of-life emissions may also be included in LCA of milk packaging and include fhe energy used fo recycle the package or emissions in the form of CH4 from a landfill. 

The unique power of synthesis is the ability to create new molecules and materials with valuable properties. This capacity can be used to interact with the natural world, as in the treatment of disease or the production of food, but it can also produce compounds and materials beyond the capacity of living systems. Our present world uses vast amounts of synthetic polymers, mainly derived from petroleum by synthesis. The development of nanotechnology, which envisions the application of properties at the molecular level to catalysis, energy transfer, and information management has focused attention on multimolecular arrays and systems capable of self-assembly. We can expect that in the future synthesis will bring into existence new substances with unique properties that will have impacts as profound as those resulting from syntheses of therapeutics and polymeric materials. 

Considering the composition of petroleum and petroleum products (Speight, 1994, 1999), it is not surprising that petroleum and petroleum-derived chemicals are environmental pollutants (Loeher, 1992 Olschewsky and Megna, 1992). The world s economy is highly dependent on petroleum for energy production, and widespread use has led to enormous releases to the environment of petroleum, petroleum products, exhaust from internal combustion engines, emissions from oil-fired power plants, and industrial emissions where fuel oil is employed. 

Modem civilization consumes vast quantities of organic compounds. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are primary sources of carbon compounds for use in production of energy and as starting materials for the preparation of plastics, synthetic fibers, dyes, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, detergents, rubbers and other elastomers, paints and other surface coatings, medicines and drugs, perfumes and flavors, antioxidants and other preservatives, as well as asphalts, lubricants, and solvents that are derived from petroleum. 

However, all saturated hydrocarbons are attacked by oxygen at elevated temperatures and, if oxygen is in excess, complete combustion to carbon dioxide and water occurs. Vast quantities of hydrocarbons from petroleum are utilized as fuels for the production of heat and power by combustion, although it is becoming quite clear that few of the nations of the world are going to continue to satisfy their needs (or desires) for energy thiough use of petroleum the way it has been possible in the past. 

The fuels that are derived from petroleum supply more than half of the world s total supply of energy. Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil provide fuel for automobiles, tractors, tmcks, aircraft, and ships. Fuel oil and natural gas are used to heat homes and commercial buildings, as well as to generate electricity. Petroleum products are the basic materials used for the manufacture of synthetic fibers for clothing and in plastics, paints, fertilizers, insecticides, soaps, and synthetic rubber. The uses of petroleum as a source of raw material in manufacturing are central to the functioning of modem industry. 

The common practice is to relate energy units to a common product, in this case, to petroleum liquid. For example, world consumption of crude oil and liquids (condensates) from natural gas in 1999 reached 149.72 Quadrillion (1015 BTUs)—Quad. If the amount of energy from other sources were converted to equivalent barrels of oil, the total world energy consumption in 1999 would be 380 Quads.1 The relative distribution of these sources is shown in Fig. 18.1. More energy comes from oil than from any other single source. 

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