This is Reykjavic Iceland in 1932, when they burned imported fossil fuels to heat their homes. This is a present-day image of Reykjavic Iceland, where 95% of the buildings are now heated with geothermal energy.

Coal Petroleum Natural Gas is a rock consisting almost entirely of organic material. Coal consists of fragments of land plant material, including wood, cuticle (the waxy surface found on some leaves), sap (amber), spores and pollen. Each of these can be present in varying degrees of degradation due to decay near the surface and "cooking" due to burial in thick sediments. or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, and other organic compounds, that is found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with other fossil fuels, in coal beds, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills. It is an important fuel source, and the cleanest burning of the three fossil fuels.

Coal is one of our fossil fuels because it was formed from the remains of terrestrial vegetation that grew as long as 400 million years ago. Most of our coal was formed about 300 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period, when much of the Earth was covered by steamy swamps. As plants and trees died, their remains sank to the bottom of the swampy areas, accumulating layer upon layer and eventually forming a soggy, dense material called peat.

History of Coal Use Human use of coal dates back 35,000 years BP Industrialization brought about an escalation in the need for the energy contained in coal, and now we collect it in two ways: Surface mining Underground mining In science we date things “before present”. (BP)

Coal It is burned in power plants to produce more than half of the electricity we use in the United States Even though you may never see it, you each use several tons of it every year

Four Types of Coal Mined Today in the US Lignite Subbituminous Bituminous Anthracite Peat Plant materials buried under sediments decay to form peat, a compressed mass of plant remains. Compaction forces water out of the sediments to form lignite, a soft, brown coal. Further compression and aging turn lignite into bituminous coal, a soft, black coal. Heat and pressure metamorphose bituminous coal to anthracite, a hard coal that is almost pure carbon. A stage between lignite and bituminous

Oil and gas formed in our geologic history during a similar time as coal… from 400 million ybp to 150 million ybp. During this time the seas were rich in microscopic and macroscopic zooplankton and phytoplankton (NOT DINOSAURS!!!) When these died they slowly sank to the bottom forming thick layers of organic material. This in turn became covered in layers of mud that trapped the organic material, which over time became compressed and decomposed into oil and natural gas.

History of Oil Use in the US Oil use goes back 150 years Our oil fields are some of the oldest still producing in the world We have used approximately 175 billion barrels of oil in that time There are still an estimated 350 billion barrels left Probably billions more in fields yet to be discovered

Oil Uses Oil keeps America moving Used to produce lubricants Used to make plastics Used to make fertilizers While coal is the most abundant fossil fuel, oil is the most used in the US. Oil supplies 40% of all energy this country consumes. Gasoline, Diesel fuel, aviation fuel Used to keep homes and businesses warm

Crude Petroleum must be refined from oil rigs Then to pipeline Then to the refinery Nearly 75% of refined oil goes towards transportation!

What is an oil reservoir? Tiny droplets of oil are trapped inside pores in rocks These pores can only be seen with a microscope Think about the aquifer which transfers water freely to above the ground. Instead of water…

Oil Technology and Production Drilling wells and oil rigs Gushers Blowout preventors Primary production Secondary recovery Christmas tree Grasshoppers Waterflooding Problems: Very expensive, and only recovers only 1/5 of oil

Natural Gas Colorless, shapeless, and odorless Considered worthless for many years, and simply burned off during primary oil production. Methane is the chief chemical component of natural gas It is highly flammable burns completely produces no ash very little air pollution (cleanest burning fossil fuel)

Use of Natural Gas Only 1/5 of energy used in US is natural gas. Mostly used in homes for heating, and cooking Gas companies add a chemical to make it smell. What do you notice about the placement of natural gas resources in the United States?

History of NG No record of collection or use until 1821 Used exclusively in street lamps until electricity was harnessed. Robert Bunsen Welding after WWII, pipes manufacturing

Why Use Natural Gas? Plentiful Easy to pipe from one location to another Clean burning Easy and Difficult Gas Easy flows naturally due to pressure: Christmas tree Difficult must be pumped via horsehead pump or Hydraulic fracturing

From Ground to Home Pipeline Storage facility Smaller pipe network Homes and businesses