Deck 19: Oil and Natural Gas- the Bakken Oil Boom: Is Our Next Big Fuel Source Our Dirtiest- Air Pollution: Consequences of Using Fossil Fuels

Question 1

When talking about the formation of fossil fuels, cap rock is a ________________.

A) reservoir layer holding water
B) reservoir layer hold petroleum
C) reservoir layer holding natural gas
D) dense layer holding in natural gas and petroleum
E) none of these answers

Answer 1

dense layer holding in natural gas and petroleum

Question 2

What is the name of the process used to refine crude oil?

A) fractioning
B) complex distillation
C) simple distillation
D) combustion
E) filtration

Answer 2

simple distillation

Question 3

Currently, world demand for oil rises more than _______ each year.

A) 1%
B) 2%
C) 5%
D) 10%
E) 15%

Answer 3

2%

Question 4

If current rates of use and extraction do not change, known natural gas reserves are expected to last ____________ years.

A) 10 to 20
B) 60 to 100
C) 100 to 200
D) 500 to 1,000
E) 1,500 to 2,500

Question 5

Petrochemicals create the raw materials used to produce which of the following?

A) pesticides
B) plastics
C) soaps
D) medicines
E) all of these answers

Question 6

Which of the following resources is considered nonrenewable as an energy source?

A) natural gas
B) wood
C) peat
D) plant oil
E) dung

Question 7

What process allows for primary production of oil from a well?

A) significant pressure on the oil from millions of tons of rocks pressing down and Earth's heat
B) drilling of injection wells
C) water pumping through injection wells into the ground
D) injection of carbon dioxide or steam into the reservoir
E) use of hydraulic technologies in the well

Question 8

Which of the following types of fuel is composed of hydrocarbons?

A) oil
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) wood
E) all of these answers

Question 9

What is a conventional oil reserve? How does the distribution of conventional oil reserves impact relationships between countries?

Question 10

Infographic 19.2.

Refer to Infographic 19.2. Which area has both the most natural gas and oil reserves?

A) United States
B) Russia
C) Middle East
D) Libya and western Africa
E) Venezuela

Question 11

Explain why it is difficult to determine how long oil reserves will last.

Question 12

What does the term "peak oil" mean?

A) It is the heavy oil at the bottom of the well that isn't economical to pump.
B) It is the lighter weight oil at the top of the well.
C) It is the tiny droplets wedged within the open spaces inside rocks.
D) It is the moment in time when oil reaches its highest production levels.
E) It is oil produced from tar sands or oil shale.

Question 13

Infographic 19.3.

Refer to Infographic 19.3. The United States reached its peak oil for domestic deposits in 1970. What have we done since then?

A) increased our dependence on other countries for oil
B) reduced our demand for oil
C) found other fuel sources to use instead of oil
D) continued to search for new sources of oil in the United States
E) used up our stores of domestic oil while reducing our dependence on foreign oil

Question 14

Why might it be difficult to accurately predict the point at which we reach "peak oil"?

Question 15

What is a proven reserve?

A) the moment in time when oil will reach its highest production levels and then steadily and terminally decline
B) a measure of the amount of fuel that is economically feasible to extract from a deposit, using current technology
C) a liquid deposit that contains free-flowing oil or oil that can be pumped out
D) the value of a barrel of oil at any given time
E) none of these answers

Question 16

The three principle fossil fuels are __________________.

A) coal, oil, and natural gas
B) oil, natural gas, and tar sands
C) oil, natural gas, and oil shale
D) coal, peat, and lignite
E) none of these answers

Question 17

What would be the consequence of using up all available oil for gasoline and transport uses?

Question 18

At the current rate of usage, which of the following energy sources is expected to run out first?

A) wood
B) crude oil
C) coal
D) natural gas
E) wind

Question 19

A nonrenewable natural resource formed millions of years ago from plant or animal remains that is used as an energy source is called a ___________________.

A) hydrocarbon
B) peat
C) unconventional source
D) fossil fuel
E) none of these answers

Question 20

Which of the following choices is NOT a fossil fuel?

A) oil
B) peat
C) natural gas
D) coal
E) none of these answers

Question 21

Natural gas is predominantly which greenhouse gas?

A) carbon dioxide
B) water vapor
C) ozone
D) methane
E) nitrous oxide

Question 22

What is the definition of "unconventional oil reserves"?

A) unrecoverable oil that is found in rock, sand, or clay, whose extraction is cheap and environmentally sound
B) recoverable oil that is found in rock, sand, or clay, whose extraction is cheap and environmentally sound
C) recoverable oil that is found in rock, sand, or clay, whose extraction is expensive and environmentally costly
D) unrecoverable oil that is found in rock below natural gas deposits
E) unrecoverable oil that is found deep below the ocean floor

Question 23

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster threatened the lives of numerous species and the livelihoods of communities living along the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 24

The burning of fossil fuels is the number _______ anthropogenic contributor to climate change.

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) five
E) ten

Question 25

Which of the following is the heaviest fraction refined during the distillation process?

A) liquefied petroleum gas
B) kerosene
C) diesel
D) fuel oil
E) none of these answers

Question 26

The EROEI must be ____________ for any fuel to be worth harvesting.

A) positive
B) negative
C) positive or negative, it does not matter
D) fluctuating
E) EROEI is not associated with profitability.

Question 27

All of the following are products of crude oil refining EXCEPT ________________.

A) liquefied petroleum gas
B) gasoline
C) diesel oils
D) natural gas
E) kerosene

Question 28

Why is flaring off of natural gas preferable to its release into the atmosphere?

A) Since it is actually methane, natural gas is a potent greenhouse gas.
B) It can spontaneously combust.
C) It doesn't cost as much.
D) There is less loss of harvestable gas.
E) Flaring off rids the gas of its impurities.

Question 29

Which act protects the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

A) the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act
B) the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
C) the National Parks and Recreation Act
D) the Conservation of Natural Resources Act
E) There is no protection for these lands.

Question 30

Natural gas is similar to oil in that it _________________.

A) has a similar extraction method
B) contains impurities before it is refined
C) has a similar processing method
D) is found deep under the ground
E) all of these answers

Question 31

Which fuel is less damaging to the environment to harvest?

A) oil
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) A, B, and C are all damaging to the environment.
E) A, B, and C do not damage the environment during harvest.

Question 32

Which of the following environmental costs is directly related to oil and natural gas mining?

A) oil pollution
B) habitat loss
C) destruction due to explosions
D) global warming
E) All of these answers are costs of mining oil and natural gas.

Question 33

Why are environmentalists opposed to oil and natural gas mining in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

Question 34

Fracking is a method to extract ___________ from deep unconventional reserves.

A) coal
B) oil
C) natural gas
D) oil shale
E) both B and C

Question 35

What do you think would be the most effective measure humans could take to reduce the amount of environmental damage from oil and natural gas mining?

Question 36

Drilling could detrimentally affect which species in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

A) Arctic fox
B) polar bears
C) caribou
D) migratory birds
E) all of these answers

Question 37

How does the preliminary search for oil reserves cause environmental degradation?

A) Drilling to try to find oil may release oil from reserves that then affects ecosystems.
B) Searching for oil can often cause spills that negatively affect ecosystems.
C) When searching for oil, companies often have to clear-cut areas of forest.
D) Seismic waves sent into the ground by companies searching for reserves can disorient marine and other wildlife.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 38

What are the stages in the production of oil after a new well is drilled?

Question 39

When an oil well is first drilled, what is the primary recovery method?

A) natural pressure
B) pumpjack
C) water injection
D) steam injection
E) CO₂ injection

Question 40

What is the sequence used for extracting oil from the petroleum reservoirs?

Question 41

What are some of the chemicals used in fracking?

A) antifreeze
B) disinfectants
C) acetaldehyde
D) hydrochloric acid
E) all of these answers

Question 42

Which of the following is probably the most compelling reason to use unconventional sources of oil and natural gas here in the United States?

A) We have a lot of them in North America.
B) They are easier to extract than conventional sources.
C) They are cleaner to burn than conventional sources.
D) Their extraction process is more environmentally friendly than conventional extraction.
E) They have a higher EROEI than conventional sources.

Question 43

___________ is compressed sedimentary rock that contain kerogen that is released as oil-like liquid when the rock is heated.

A) Oil shale
B) Coal
C) Natural gas
D) Oil sands
E) Tar sands

Question 44

Compare and contrast oil sand and oil shale.

Question 45

What does it mean if a country is "energy independent?"

A) A country can pay to have all of its energy imported from other countries without having to borrow money.
B) A country uses a hybrid plan of energy production and energy imports to provide a stable supply of electricity for its citizens.
C) A country has access to enough reliable and affordable energy resources to meet its needs.
D) A country can meet of all of its energy needs without importing any fuel.
E) None of these answers are correct.

Question 46

Which energy source likely has the lowest EROEI?

A) conventionally mined oil
B) tight oil
C) tar sands
D) kerogen shale
E) fracking natural gas

Question 47

Explain what an oil shale is and what its potential is as an energy source.

Question 48

Which method of fracking wastewater disposal has no negative impact on the environment?

A) storage in open pits
B) injection into deep wells
C) use as a roadway de-salter
D) A, B, and C all have negative impacts on the environment.
E) None of these answers has negative impacts on the environment.

Question 49

Which area leads the world in fracking recovery of oil and natural gas?

A) the United States
B) Canada
C) the Middle East
D) South America
E) Europe

Question 50

What is an unintended result of the Bakken boom?

A) increase in air pollution
B) increase in the crime rate
C) road destruction
D) increase in water pollution
E) All of the answers are unintended results.

Question 51

Infographic 19.7.

Refer to Infographic 19.7. What is the correct order of the steps involved in fracking?
I. Gas escapes through fractures and is collected.
II. Holes are blasted into rock, using explosive charges.
III. A well is drilled down into rock and then extended horizontally.
IV. A slurry of sand, water, and chemicals is pumped into fractures in the rock.

A) IV, II, III, I
B) III, IV, II, I
C) I, II, III, IV
D) III, II, IV, I
E) II, I, III, IV

Question 52

Which of the following statements about tar sands is NOT true?

A) They trap heavy, black oil called bitumen.
B) Tar sands mining is more efficient than harvesting conventional sources of oil.
C) Tar sands can be mined and processed to produce a substitute for petroleum.
D) Canada has the world's largest bitumen reservoir, but much of it is trapped in tar sands.
E) All of these answers are not true.

Question 53

Infographic 19.5

Which products from Infographic 19.5 can be made with tar sand reserves?

A) petroleum gas
B) gasoline
C) diesel oil
D) waxes
E) materials for roads

Question 54

Which natural occurrence has been linked with fracking sites in the United States?

A) monsoons
B) tornados
C) forest fires
D) earthquakes
E) hurricanes

Question 55

Which of the following is NOT a reason why our energy supplies may become unreliable or unaffordable?

A) dwindling supplies
B) competition from other countries
C) dependence on energy exports
D) increasing demand
E) a cartel or monopoly that increases prices

Question 56

If all sources of oil, unconventional or not, in the United States were equally economically feasible to harvest, which source would be most profitable?

A) conventional oil
B) conventional natural gas
C) fracking natural gas
D) oil sands
E) kerogen shale

Question 57

The largest concentrations of oil shales are found in ______________.

A) Canada
B) Russia
C) Saudi Arabia
D) the United States
E) Venezuela

Question 58

What is the "Marcellus Shale"?

Question 59

What chemical contaminant has been found in local water supplies near fracking sites?

A) oxygen
B) methane
C) carbon dioxide
D) lead
E) oil

Question 60

Pollution caused by mining unconventional energy sources can directly affect ecosystems many thousands of miles away from the mining site.

Question 61

What effect will intensive extraction of oil sands and tar sands have on the surrounding area?

Question 62

What is energy security, and why is it an important issue for many countries?

Question 63

Explain why oil consumption in the United States is on the decline but globally oil consumption is on the rise.

Question 64

What are the key environmental problems associated with the fracking methods for natural gas recovery?

Question 65

The United States has 700 billion barrels of tight oil in the Bakken, so why do people predict that we only have a 2-year supply of oil?

A) Oil demand is decreasing.
B) The oil in the Bakken is unusable.
C) Only a small fraction of the oil is recoverable.
D) We export the majority of the oil.
E) The type of oil in the Bakken can only be used for tar and roofing.

Question 66

How can a society increase its energy security?

A) develop alternative energy sources
B) increase energy efficiency
C) exploit local energy sources
D) reduce overall energy imports
E) all of these answers