Chapter 6: Section 3 - Energy From Petroleum and Natural Gas

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Overview

In this section you will find materials that support the implementation of EarthComm, Section 3: Energy From Petroleum and Natural Gas.

Learning Outcomes

  • Plan and carry out an investigation of the porosity of various kinds of sediment.
  • Carry out an investigation of the permeability of various kinds of sediment.
  • Analyze and interpret data to explain trends in oil production and consumption in the United States.
  • Analyze and interpret data on a map to explain the distribution of oil and natural gas resources across the United States.

Investigate

To examine petroleum data from 1954 to 2008, visit the following web sites:

Total United States Wells

Crude Oil Production and Crude Oil Well Productivity, U.S. Energy Information Administration

United States Total Production

Petroleum Overview, U.S. Energy Information Administration

Total Foreign Imports

Petroleum Imports, U.S. Energy Information Administration

Spreadsheet Data

Download the complete set of data as a spreadsheet file from the following web site:

Petroleum, U.S. Energy Information Administration

Inquiring Further

  1. To learn more about the top oil and gas fields in the United States, visit the following web sites:

    Top 100 Oil and Gas Fields, U.S. Energy Information Administration
    Summary data for the top 100 oil and gas fields of.

    Top 100 US Oil & Gas Fields By Proved Reserves, U.S. Energy Information Administration
    Map of the U.S. showing the top 100 oil and gas fields.

    Alaska

    Background: Prudhoe Bay Oil and Gas Discovery and Development, Arctic Power
    Background information on the oil fields at Prudhoe Bay.

    Potential Impacts of Proposed Oil and Gas Development on the Arctic Refuge's Coastal Plain: Historical Overview and Issues of Concern, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Overview of the oil and gas fields of the Arctic National Wildlife Range.  Includes description of oil and gas fields of Prudhoe Bay.

    California

    Midway-Sunset Oil Field
    Background information on the Midway-Sunset oil field.

    Elk Hills Oil Field, NASA JPL
    Overview of the Elk Hills Oil Field.

    Elk Hills Oil Field, NASA earth observatory
    Overview of the Elk Hills Oil Field.

    The Many Lifes of Beldridge, Geo ExPro
    Overview of the Belridge South Oil Field.

    Texas

    Wasson Field, Texas State Historical Association
    Overview of the Wasson Oil Field.

    Yates Oilfield, Texas State Historical Association
    Overview of the Yates Oil Field.

    Slaughter Field, Texas State Historical Association
    Overview of the Slaughter Oil Field.

    Colorado

    Wattenberg Field, Wattenberg Field
    Location of the Wattenberg field.
     
  2. To learn more about drilling technologies that minimize environmental impacts, visit the following web site:

    Waste Minimization in Drilling Operations, Railroad Commission of Texas
    Examines oil and gas drilling methods, such as slimhole drilling, directional drilling, and the use of less water for drilling purposes.
     
  3. To learn more about careers in the petroleum industry, visit the following web sites:

    Profiles of Geoscientists, American Geosciences Institute
    Provides biographies of distinguished geoscience professionals in the oil and gas industry.

Resources

To learn more about this topic, visit the following web sites:

The Nature and Origin of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Petroleum - Its Origin, Louisianna Department of Natural Resources
Reviews how hydrocarbon deposits (including oil and gas) form.

Natural Gas, Natural Gas Information and Educational Resources
Reviews how natural gas deposits form and also how geologists search for and discover these deposits.

The Formation of Fossil Fuels, Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network
Video that provides an overview of the formation of fossil fuels, including oil, gas, and coal.

Porosity and Permeability

Aquifers, USGS
Reviews the basics of how fluids move through rocks.  

Recovery of Petroleum

Fossil Energy Study Guide, U.S. Department of Energy
Examines how oil is recovered from the Earth.

The History of Oil Production in the United States

An Index to Early Petroleum History Sites, Little-Mountain.com
Contains a list of links for more information on petroleum history.

History of WV Mineral Industries - Oil and Gas, West Virginia Geological Survey
History of the oil industry in West Virginia.

History of Oil and Gas Production in Illinois, Illinois State Geological Survey
History of oil and gas production in Illinois.

United States Petroleum Production and Reserves

National Oil and Gas Assessment, USGS
Information on the USGS Energy Resources Program and how it provides periodic assessments of the oil and natural gas reserves of the U.S.

Economics and the 1995 National Assessment of U.S. Oil and Gas Resources, USGS
Reviews the status and location of United States onshore and offshore oil and gas resources as of 1995. Includes information about known oil and gas fields, as well as estimates of undiscovered reserves and the costs and methods associated with finding these reserves.

A Summary of the U.S. Geological Survey 1995 National Assessment of Oil and Gas Resources, USGS
Summarizes the findings of the 1995 National Assessment of Oil and Gas Resources, with a focus on undiscovered reserves.