It is the hour to be drunken! to escape being the martyred slaves of time, be ceaselessly drunk. On wine, on poetry, or on virtue, as you wish.
-Charles Baudelaire
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Missing the stars
I have been missing the stars immensely as of late. In certain places in the world you can literally see the other arm of the Milky Way without a telescope, like for instance; Lake Powell, AZ, the Grand Canyon, AZ, Chaing Dao, Thailand and usually if you are out at sea or amidst mountain air. It seems as though we all take this simple pleasure for granted. Viewing the stars can give an individual an overall calm and sense of euphoria. Peace. Perspective. Mostly thought it is a reminder of the wonderful world.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Black Gold
Black Gold
When I think of petroleum, the first thing that comes to mind is gasoline--it’s expensive and I use it everyday. I can imagine that many people would concur. Obviously, we all have to consider the cost of transportation and gasoline is a major factor. However, outside of gasoline, crude oil (or petroleum) is also used to produce many other products that directly affect our everyday lives in profound ways. The consumption of petroleum based products is determined by the availability of differing types of crude oil, their respective locations and the costs associated with procurement and transportation. Not all crude oil is created equal and the cost associated with extraction and refinement can be extraordinary, making some types unrealistic for refinement into gasoline. For the United States, importing crude oil from countries that are in political unrest or half a world away may be undesirable as the oil can be difficult to procure or expensive to ship.
In order to understand the consumption of petroleum, we must examine the varying types of crude oil. Crude oil is typically classified as light, medium or heavy and then as either sweet or sour. Heavy crude oil is characterized as having a specific gravity of 20°-25° API (API refers to an American Petroleum Institute index used by companies to measure the specific gravity of crude oil) (Falola, Genova 7). Light crude oil is considered to have a specific gravity of 45°-50° API (Falola, Genova 7). Medium crude is considered to be anything in between. Heavy (or low-gravity) crude oil requires more refining which makes it less valuable and more expensive to process. In respect to crude oil, the term “sour” refers to high levels of sulfur and other impurities and the term “sweet” refers to relatively low levels of impurities (Falola, Genova 8). The percentage of impurities that the crude oil contains when it is taken from the ground determines the cost and level of refining required to transform it into usable products (Falola, Genova 8).
Crude oil that is most typically refined into gasoline is considered to be high gravity or in other words light crude. According to Slate Veazey, Artificial Lift Engineer and Worldwide Oil Derivatives Trader, “very high-gravity crude comes out of the ground in a state that is very near to gasoline”-- making it very easy and relatively inexpensive to refine into gasoline. Gasoline is a consumable, or more simply put—once it is used it is gone (8sages.com).
Saudi Arabia holds the world’s largest and most accessible reserves of high gravity sweet crude oil. Saudi Arabia is a stable country and most of its wells are developed and producing at high capacity so procurement is fairly easy. In 2008, the United States imported 15.4% of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia, making Saudi Arabia the second largest exporter of crude oil to the United States (eia.gov). Historically, political relationships between Saudi Arabia and the United States have been good, probably because of American consumption of Saudi oil (Noreng 94). High shipping costs for Saudi Arabian oil are compensated by low refining costs. Most likely, a large portion of the high gravity crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia is refined into gasoline.
On the other hand, heavy or low gravity crude oil contains high levels of impurities and can be a very viscous substance, so refining it into gasoline would be very expensive. Veazey also points out that “it is more realistic to use low gravity crude to produce other petroleum based products.” Asphalt or bitumen, a type of very low gravity crude, is used in the construction of roads, highways and buildings. Low gravity crude is also better suited than high gravity crude for the production of plastic, pesticides, fertilizer and other various petrochemicals. In other words, high gravity crude oil is best suited for energy consumption and low gravity crude oil is best suited for use in manufacturing. Manufactured petrochemicals are reusable; therefore they are more valuable for sustaining economies in the long run.
Canada is the leading exporter of crude oil to the United States, making up approximately 21% of total crude oil imports (eia.gov). Canadian crude oil primarily comes from the Athabasca Oil Sands deposits in Alberta, Canada and is a form of low gravity sour crude. Basically, oil sands are bitumen that is mixed with sand (centreforenergy.com). Costs associated with the extraction and refinement of Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands crude are extremely high. Environmental impact is also high. So, why does the U.S. import so much of the stuff? Low gravity crude oil is better suited for manufacturing and products manufactured from petroleum comprise an unimaginably huge sector of the U.S. economy. A substantial amount of the crude oil imported to the U.S from Canada will be used for manufacturing—not fuel.
The consumption of products manufactured from petroleum has become an everyday normality for most people on earth. Can you imagine living without modern transportation, highways, plastic or pesticides? I am sure that at first it may sound nice, no smog, landfill waste or noxious chemicals—but it is not realistic. We need fuel for transportation, not just cars, but boats and airplanes too. Without plastic we would not have many of the modern luxuries that are essential parts of every facet of our lives like; computers, cell phones, water bottles, children’s toys, food storage containers and televisions—just to name a few (eia.gov).
In particular, fertilizers and pesticides, produced from crude oil, are used to increase production output for agricultural farming sectors in many countries throughout the world. Without the use of fertilizers and pesticides, farmers would have to adopt alternative ways of controlling pests and fertilizing soil to maintain current output. This could have adverse effects on food supplies and prices (Dyson 157).
Although alternative fuels have been developed, the world is still a very long way from replacing petroleum based fuels. One good reason the world won’t be making the switch anytime soon is that an infrastructure for distribution of alternative fuels still needs to be implemented. Developing countries pose unique problems concerning adaptation of alternative fuels. Many developing countries are more concerned with economic growth and stability than with environmental policy and the price attached to it. China and India both have quickly growing populations and economies which contribute heavily to their inability to implement changes in fuel infrastructures. For these countries it is a trade off between poverty for many citizens and responsible environmental policies (Padma, Zissis).
Most likely, the demand for crude oil will not diminish any time in the near future. World populations continue to grow, creating more demand for petroleum based products. Petroleum based products derived from heavy crude oil like plastics, fertilizers and pesticides have become a way of life for many people and would be difficult to replace. Gasoline and other petroleum based fuels that are primarily derived from light crude oil provide the main source of fuel currently used by most of the world.
It is very important that we consider the effect that petroleum has on our lives; how we consume it, foreign relations based on the need of differing types of crude oil and the cost we ultimately pay for it. In order to meet the demand for petroleum products, the chemical makeup of the differing types of crude oil must be considered. Even if we could replace petroleum as a fuel, we still would not be able to replace it as the key ingredient for all of the other products we manufacture from it. Understanding the dynamics of crude oil supplies and consumption may shed some light on many geopolitical issues and economic problems. Analyzing production and consumption of this finite resource is essential to solving many of the problems that our world faces today and in the future. Also, informing consumers may assist them in making better informed decisions about the products they consume and at what rate. As world populations grow, demand grows making this valuable resource more expensive to producers and consumers alike.
Works Cited
Centre for Energy. Canadian Centre for Energy Information. “What are Oil Sands and Heavy Oil”. 19 March 2009.
EIA.gov. Energy Information Administration: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S.
Government. 19 March 2009.
Falola, Toyin, and Genova, Ann. The Politics of the Global Oil Industry: An
Introduction. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 2005
Noreng, Oystein. Crude Power: Politics and the Oil Market. London: I. B. Tauris,
2002
8 Sages “Spending for Food, Gasoline, and other Consumerables During the Recession”
Sage Survival and Growth Enterprise, LLC. 25 April 2009.
.
Padma, T.V. “Development vs Climate Change in India.” SciDev.net.
25 April 25, 2009.
Veazey, Slate. Telephone Interview. 23 Feb 2009 and 15 March 2009.
Zissis, Carin, and Jayshree Bajoria. “China’s Environmental Crisis.” Council on Foreign
Relations. 25 April 2009..
Copyright Heather Gillette 2009
When I think of petroleum, the first thing that comes to mind is gasoline--it’s expensive and I use it everyday. I can imagine that many people would concur. Obviously, we all have to consider the cost of transportation and gasoline is a major factor. However, outside of gasoline, crude oil (or petroleum) is also used to produce many other products that directly affect our everyday lives in profound ways. The consumption of petroleum based products is determined by the availability of differing types of crude oil, their respective locations and the costs associated with procurement and transportation. Not all crude oil is created equal and the cost associated with extraction and refinement can be extraordinary, making some types unrealistic for refinement into gasoline. For the United States, importing crude oil from countries that are in political unrest or half a world away may be undesirable as the oil can be difficult to procure or expensive to ship.
In order to understand the consumption of petroleum, we must examine the varying types of crude oil. Crude oil is typically classified as light, medium or heavy and then as either sweet or sour. Heavy crude oil is characterized as having a specific gravity of 20°-25° API (API refers to an American Petroleum Institute index used by companies to measure the specific gravity of crude oil) (Falola, Genova 7). Light crude oil is considered to have a specific gravity of 45°-50° API (Falola, Genova 7). Medium crude is considered to be anything in between. Heavy (or low-gravity) crude oil requires more refining which makes it less valuable and more expensive to process. In respect to crude oil, the term “sour” refers to high levels of sulfur and other impurities and the term “sweet” refers to relatively low levels of impurities (Falola, Genova 8). The percentage of impurities that the crude oil contains when it is taken from the ground determines the cost and level of refining required to transform it into usable products (Falola, Genova 8).
Crude oil that is most typically refined into gasoline is considered to be high gravity or in other words light crude. According to Slate Veazey, Artificial Lift Engineer and Worldwide Oil Derivatives Trader, “very high-gravity crude comes out of the ground in a state that is very near to gasoline”-- making it very easy and relatively inexpensive to refine into gasoline. Gasoline is a consumable, or more simply put—once it is used it is gone (8sages.com).
Saudi Arabia holds the world’s largest and most accessible reserves of high gravity sweet crude oil. Saudi Arabia is a stable country and most of its wells are developed and producing at high capacity so procurement is fairly easy. In 2008, the United States imported 15.4% of its crude oil from Saudi Arabia, making Saudi Arabia the second largest exporter of crude oil to the United States (eia.gov). Historically, political relationships between Saudi Arabia and the United States have been good, probably because of American consumption of Saudi oil (Noreng 94). High shipping costs for Saudi Arabian oil are compensated by low refining costs. Most likely, a large portion of the high gravity crude oil imported from Saudi Arabia is refined into gasoline.
On the other hand, heavy or low gravity crude oil contains high levels of impurities and can be a very viscous substance, so refining it into gasoline would be very expensive. Veazey also points out that “it is more realistic to use low gravity crude to produce other petroleum based products.” Asphalt or bitumen, a type of very low gravity crude, is used in the construction of roads, highways and buildings. Low gravity crude is also better suited than high gravity crude for the production of plastic, pesticides, fertilizer and other various petrochemicals. In other words, high gravity crude oil is best suited for energy consumption and low gravity crude oil is best suited for use in manufacturing. Manufactured petrochemicals are reusable; therefore they are more valuable for sustaining economies in the long run.
Canada is the leading exporter of crude oil to the United States, making up approximately 21% of total crude oil imports (eia.gov). Canadian crude oil primarily comes from the Athabasca Oil Sands deposits in Alberta, Canada and is a form of low gravity sour crude. Basically, oil sands are bitumen that is mixed with sand (centreforenergy.com). Costs associated with the extraction and refinement of Canadian Athabasca Oil Sands crude are extremely high. Environmental impact is also high. So, why does the U.S. import so much of the stuff? Low gravity crude oil is better suited for manufacturing and products manufactured from petroleum comprise an unimaginably huge sector of the U.S. economy. A substantial amount of the crude oil imported to the U.S from Canada will be used for manufacturing—not fuel.
The consumption of products manufactured from petroleum has become an everyday normality for most people on earth. Can you imagine living without modern transportation, highways, plastic or pesticides? I am sure that at first it may sound nice, no smog, landfill waste or noxious chemicals—but it is not realistic. We need fuel for transportation, not just cars, but boats and airplanes too. Without plastic we would not have many of the modern luxuries that are essential parts of every facet of our lives like; computers, cell phones, water bottles, children’s toys, food storage containers and televisions—just to name a few (eia.gov).
In particular, fertilizers and pesticides, produced from crude oil, are used to increase production output for agricultural farming sectors in many countries throughout the world. Without the use of fertilizers and pesticides, farmers would have to adopt alternative ways of controlling pests and fertilizing soil to maintain current output. This could have adverse effects on food supplies and prices (Dyson 157).
Although alternative fuels have been developed, the world is still a very long way from replacing petroleum based fuels. One good reason the world won’t be making the switch anytime soon is that an infrastructure for distribution of alternative fuels still needs to be implemented. Developing countries pose unique problems concerning adaptation of alternative fuels. Many developing countries are more concerned with economic growth and stability than with environmental policy and the price attached to it. China and India both have quickly growing populations and economies which contribute heavily to their inability to implement changes in fuel infrastructures. For these countries it is a trade off between poverty for many citizens and responsible environmental policies (Padma, Zissis).
Most likely, the demand for crude oil will not diminish any time in the near future. World populations continue to grow, creating more demand for petroleum based products. Petroleum based products derived from heavy crude oil like plastics, fertilizers and pesticides have become a way of life for many people and would be difficult to replace. Gasoline and other petroleum based fuels that are primarily derived from light crude oil provide the main source of fuel currently used by most of the world.
It is very important that we consider the effect that petroleum has on our lives; how we consume it, foreign relations based on the need of differing types of crude oil and the cost we ultimately pay for it. In order to meet the demand for petroleum products, the chemical makeup of the differing types of crude oil must be considered. Even if we could replace petroleum as a fuel, we still would not be able to replace it as the key ingredient for all of the other products we manufacture from it. Understanding the dynamics of crude oil supplies and consumption may shed some light on many geopolitical issues and economic problems. Analyzing production and consumption of this finite resource is essential to solving many of the problems that our world faces today and in the future. Also, informing consumers may assist them in making better informed decisions about the products they consume and at what rate. As world populations grow, demand grows making this valuable resource more expensive to producers and consumers alike.
Works Cited
Centre for Energy. Canadian Centre for Energy Information. “What are Oil Sands and Heavy Oil”. 19 March 2009.
EIA.gov. Energy Information Administration: Official Energy Statistics from the U.S.
Government. 19 March 2009.
Falola, Toyin, and Genova, Ann. The Politics of the Global Oil Industry: An
Introduction. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger, 2005
Noreng, Oystein. Crude Power: Politics and the Oil Market. London: I. B. Tauris,
2002
8 Sages “Spending for Food, Gasoline, and other Consumerables During the Recession”
Sage Survival and Growth Enterprise, LLC. 25 April 2009.
Padma, T.V. “Development vs Climate Change in India.” SciDev.net.
25 April 25, 2009.
Veazey, Slate. Telephone Interview. 23 Feb 2009 and 15 March 2009.
Zissis, Carin, and Jayshree Bajoria. “China’s Environmental Crisis.” Council on Foreign
Relations. 25 April 2009.
Copyright Heather Gillette 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
This is for you, I miss you and love you.
Most learned men are like courtiers. Sometimes they are just as greedy, intriguing, treacherous, and cruel; and the only difference between the pests of the court and the pests of the school is that the latter are the more ridiculous.
-Voltaire, 1736 (Lapham's Quaterly, Volume 1, Number 4, Fall 2008. p.108)
-Voltaire, 1736 (Lapham's Quaterly, Volume 1, Number 4, Fall 2008. p.108)
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Guantanamo Bay Prison
Today Obama signed an order to close Guantanamo Prison within a year. Amazing. What a bold action to take only your second day in office, President Obama! I have to say it has always been disturbing to me that America is imprisoning human beings without proof of the crimes they may or may not have commited. I hope that Obama extends the same amount of urgency to the rest of us by returning our civil liberties and doing something about the USA Patriot Act.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
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