Science/Economic-Policies behind Unprocessed Crude-Oil & Petroleum Products
1. Why are we so much fretful about interdicting fossil fuel, if the science behind global peak oil theory has really proven the statement that global oil reserves remain highly limited and at some point would start to run out?
Is it true that oil and natural gas reserves over the years have actually increased?
Does it also mean that if the number of exploration/drilling activities increase, then, the respective oil/gas reserves also would increase?
Deep gas, tight gas, Devonian shale gas and gas hydrates: Yet to be exploited?
2. What is the current status of cumulative oil production as a function of ultimate recoverable reserves (albeit knowing the fact that the boundary of the resource and the technology keeps advancing continuously)?
3. Where is the catch? Why is it difficult to figure out the year of maximum annual production (global peak) – in the absence of deducing the maximum producible reserve @ global-scale?
4. If fossil fuels remains to be outlawed, then, are we still not running out of fossil fuels?
If so, then, a resource that turns into reserve with time is no more finite?
If so, then, are we just struggling with sustainable technology and not with complex technology?
What does it mean? Upon deducing sustainable recovery tools, whether, petroleum resources would become infinite and would remain to be a part of the continuous cycle?
If so, then, does it just mean that while solar, geothermal, hydro and wind sources are being renewed at every second based on the global natural cycle, the respective natural processing time for fossil fuels remain to be relatively higher (requiring geologic time-scales)?
Is this what getting reflected in an increasing average energy values of wood (18 MJ/kg), coal (39.3 MJ/kg), oil (53.6 MJ/kg) and natural gas (51.6 MJ/kg) (the energy content per unit mass of the fuel keeps increasing as the natural processing time increases)?
If so, then, are the fossil fuels and solar energy remain to be so interlinked in the sense that fossil fuel sources are solar energy stored by the trees in the form of carbon and due to the pressure and temperature, are these fossil fuels emerging as coal, oil and/or as natural gas after millions of years?
If biomass could be renewed from a few days to a few hundred years (since a tree can live up to several hundred years), and since such biomass renewal processes keep continuing forever (and since the biological activities continue on earth forever; the process of formation of fossil fuels also continues forever), does it essentially convey that we no more have a well-defined single-point, where, fossil fuel started or stopped its formation?
If so, then, mathematically, whether the concept of ‘time step tending towards zero’ and ‘the time tending towards infinity’ have significantly different physical interpretations in the context of defining ‘sustainability’?
If the physical meaning of such fundamental mathematical interpretations are understood precisely, then, will there be no boundary at all – between the renewable and non-renewable sources in the long run, as ALL natural processes essentially remain renewable?
5. Whether artificial chemicals added during oil-refining and gas-processing actually make the petroleum inherently toxic (upon using high heat, toxic chemicals and catalysts)?
6. In the absence of externally/artificially added chemicals, whether, petroleum itself would remain to be 100% sustainable?
In other words, whether, processing and refining are the root cause of global warming?
Does it also mean that if fossil fuels are processed using natural and non-toxic catalysts and chemicals, then, fossil fuel would still remain to be a good supplement in the global energy scenario in the near future (where such fossil fuel resources become totally recyclable)?
7. Whether rendering petroleum sustainable remains to be much easier than rendering wind or solar energy sustainable?
8. Concept of Peak Oil Theory: Root cause for Energy Crisis?
9. Introduction of electricity (artificial energy) and plastic (artificial mass): Root cause for crisis @ global-scale?
10. If ancient and Medieval era remained associated with sustainable technology, where, both mass and energy sources remained to be natural, can we scientifically deduce the root cause for today’s unsustainability (rather than ‘the majority’ ruling the concept of ‘all carbon-based technologies remain to be the source of unsustainability’)?
PE6030 Reservoir Engineering
Dr Suresh Kumar Govindarajan
Professor [HAG]
IIT Madras
21-Jan-2025
Even if fossil fuels are outlawed, the question of whether we're running out of them remains relevant. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are finite resources formed over millions of years. Current estimates suggest that we have about 50 years' worth of oil reserves left. However, new reservoirs are being discovered, and technological advancements may make previously inaccessible reserves viable.
The consumption of fossil fuels has increased significantly over the past century, shifting from coal to a combination of oil and gas. Despite efforts to transition to renewable energy sources, fossil fuels still dominate global energy systems.
Outlawing fossil fuels would accelerate the transition to renewable energy sources, reducing our reliance on these finite resources and mitigating their environmental impact. However, the existing reserves and consumption rates indicate that we are still depleting these resources, even if their use is restricted.
The problems posed by the use of fossil fuels need to be viewed much more broadly. We must not forget to assess the environmental pollution and global warming caused by the use of these fuels. This year's winter in Lithuania was the warmest in the entire 250-year history of air temperature measurements. For the first time, the average air temperature in December and January was positive this year in all 250 years of measurements. Grass was green throughout the winter, spring flowers bloomed in January, which had not happened before. If a snowflake fell on the ground from time to time this year, it immediately melted. If in my youth we used to have 4 seasons of 3 months each (spring, summer, autumn and winter), now many people are convinced that there are only 3 seasons left - spring, summer and autumn of about 4 months each. Climate warming is already harming agriculture, and what will happen next when the weather warms up even more? The average annual increase in air temperature above the Earth's surface already reached 1.6℃ last year (the United Nations had pledged not to exceed 1.5℃). If decisions are made by people with little knowledge, then an increase in air temperature of 3℃ or more will be achieved. In short, everyone needs to be more interested in the results of scientific research conducted by meteorologists. Most politicians in this case will not help us, but only mislead us.
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