Rockaholic Adventures

Drilling in coastal marine environments has been of continued debate since the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Drilling in locations that aren't readily accessible increases the risk and cost associated with the operation. Will stringent environmental and safety regulations allow us to safely operate deep-water drilling operations? And is the attempt to pursue arctic offshore drilling operations a feasible endeavor that could counter-balance future well performance in other geographic locations?

The Arctic Challenge

Arctic offshore drilling operations add severe climatic variables that complicate the integrity of drilling operations. The remote location of the well lacks any supporting infrastructure. Seasonal variations of ice volume affect wave patterns. Mobility and accumulation of seasonal and multi-year ice masses endangers the stability of drilling platforms, while scouring coastal marine beds and complicating the integrity of pipelines and other subsea equipment. While the environment seems to oppose the concept, artic offshore engineers work methodically to harness the potential resources.

The Shell Experience

After gaining a permit to pursue artic offshore developments in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the oil and gas giant Royal Dutch Shell is taking a hiatus. While Shell is experienced with working in the rigorous and challenging arctic environments, they were plagued by equipment failures and safety violations during the 2012 drilling season. The biggest issues that Shell faced last year were due to the loss of control of a drill ship and conical drill rig.

• July 2012, Shell's drill ship, Noble Discoverer, drifted out of control near Dutch Harbor.
• December 2012, On New Year's Eve the Conical Drill Rig, Kulluk, was left afloat and it grounded off Sitkalidak Island.

While both drilling rigs were left in need of serious repair, many lessons were learned from Shell's first season in Alaska's arctic offshore environment. They need to re-evaluate the integrity of marine transport and the associated spill response systems. Safety and pollution violations need to be rectified while satisfying future regulations. Shell has recognized the obstacles, but remains optimistic that they will pursue what has been deemed a key component of the 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy envisioned for America's energy independence.

Resources:

Shell to suspend Arctic offshore drilling program over safety fears

Arctic Conditions Challenge Offshore Projects

Shell's Arctic Drilling Troubles Demonstrated Company Unprepared For Offshore Program, Says Report

Salazar Releases Interior Review of Shell Arctic Offshore Drilling

The United Nations (UN) announced three core objectives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The objectives are included in their Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) initiative. Could this possibility be the reprise of the Kyoto Protocol and can we have a short-term impact on the global carbon budget?

The three core objectives are to; provide universal access to modern energy, double the rate of improvements to energy efficiency, and double the share of renewable energy to the global energy budget.

Access to modern energy

A number of developing countries and rural communities have entered the 21^st century with a lack of modern energy; nearly 1.3 billion people live life without access to electricity and 2.6 billion people use traditional biomass combustion to cook their meals. In order to revolutionize their daily lives it will cost approximately $1 trillion dollars through 2030 equating to $49 billion per year to meet this objective alone.

Doubling the rate of improvements to energy efficiency

Doubling the rate of improvements to energy efficiency could have dramatic effects on the global energy budget. This initiative, if successfully implemented, would reduce energy demands by as much as 20 percent by 2030. This means that the current rate of energy efficiency improvements needs to increase 2.5 percent annually through 2030.

Double the share of renewable energy

Biomass fuels makeup 80 percent of the current global renewable energy budget. As other alternative energies like wind power and solar power expand, they decrease the effect that biomass has on the global energy budget, which in turn increases the deficit margin.

Conclusion

The SE4All initiative contains aggressive objectives that could collectively have a substantial short term effect on the global carbon budget. The feasibility of effectively implementing this initiative is dependent on extensive research and analysis of the deficit margin as well as timely execution.

Resources:

Doubling the Global Share of Renewable Energy A Roadmap to 2030

UN Sustainable Energy Initiative Could Put World on a Path to Climate Targets

Modern Energy for All

Improving Energy Efficiency

Unconventional oil and gas continues to boom in areas like Texas and North Dakota. Directional drilling, fracking, and gasification practices have proven their capability to provide a considerable amount of the petrochemical demands for the United States. These practices allow the USA to lower its imports from OPEC nations, stimulate its economy, and supply a sizeable portion of its petrochemical needs to achieve energy independence.

While OPEC nations historically supplied the petrochemical needs for much of the industrialized world, other oil producing nations like Canada, United States, and Mexico have entered the market. With new technologies and the building of supporting infrastructure, estimations suggest that North America will become energy independent by 2030.

Unconventional oil and gas production will also have two effects that stimulate its economy:

1. The price goes down. By producing oil and gas the global supply and demand chain will shift, decreasing the price of a barrel of oil by as much as $10. This stimulates the economy by providing cheaper energy and transportation costs.

2. Jobs are created. Over 1.7 million jobs are supported by unconventional gas production and if unconventional oil reserves continue to increase, we could see chemical manufacturing plants and other products made in America.

As with all forecasts there are other variables that can come into play including climatic variables, legal issues, and future well performance. In order for the Americas to become winners amidst an energy revolution we will have to support our local production capabilities and engage in other technologies that influence our energy budget.

Resources:

America's New Energy Future: The Unconventional Oil and Gas Revolution and the US Economy

http://www.ihs.com/info/ecc/a/americas-new-energy-future.aspx

US Is on Fast-Track to Energy Independence: Study

http://www.cnbc.com/id/100450133

Carbon dioxide is naturally sequestered by the accumulation of gas hydrates. To simplify discussion I would like to analyze their existence in marine environments. The daily cyclic pattern of CO2 concentrations at or near sea surface suggests that primary production is the driving force that allows the otherwise saturated water masses to absorb carbon dioxide. Field studies show that CO2 is only sequestered during daylight. When primary production shuts down, our oceans act as a source for pumping CO2 back into the atmosphere.

The sequestered CO2 is stored in organic matter, such as photo-plankton. The organic matter dies off and settles in intermediate marine environments. These organic-rich sediments decompose and contribute to gas hydrates as the empty pore spaces fill with solid gas hydrates from decomposition.

These hydrates exist dependent on the pressure and temperature of the environment. As global temperatures increase, saline-rich waters that are warmer than normal enter the convection cycle. The warming trend then destabilizes the solid gas hydrates allowing the gas to rise to the surface in a vertical column.

The question arises, how much or quick of a temperature shift would be needed to destabilize methane hydrates at a rate that the oceans could not dissipate the gas before reaching the surface? Is an abrupt climate change induced by destabilizing methane hydrates a plausible theory? Such a theory could explain unprecedented changes in global climate, such as the Younger Dryas, but is it plausible and is this a natural process?

Today, the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) exists between 250 to 500 meters below sea level. As temperature increases the GHSZ will drive deeper into our oceans while shallow methane hydrate beds destabilize, releasing methane gas. While smaller scale gas releases could explain sinking ships in the Bermuda Triangle, we should really be concerned about climatic responses.

Resources:

http://www.agiweb.org/geotimes/nov04/feature_climate.html

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/24/14670511-climate-changing-methane-rapidly-destabilizing-off-east-coast-study-finds

The conscious mind of modern humans may be quelled by the luxuries we afford ourselves, but is it concerning that our efforts to preserve nature don't measure up to tip the scales of anthropogenic induced climate change? In the past century environmentalists have vocalized the need to minimize our carbon foot print and preserve existing ecosystems. Dams have been removed that previously blocked spawning fish. It is increasingly easier to recycle human waste. Alternative energy solutions have been commercialized. The automotive industry has pushed the need to be as efficient as possible. It is even arguable that modern science has solved the global carbon budget.

Despite our best efforts, the annual growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations suggest that we still have a significant influence on climate change. The trace signal, atmospheric carbon dioxide, has been on the rise to unprecedented levels since the industrial revolution. The annual growth rate at which the trace signal has increased peaked just before the turn of the century, but on a decadal scale we have just experienced the highest growth rate ever recorded at the Mauna Los Observatory in Hawaii.

Annual Mean Growth Rate for CO2 at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

Image Credit: NOAA/ESRL's Global Monitoring Division

Resources

NOAA - Trends in Carbon Dioxide

Nature Reports Climate Change -Missing carbon mystery - Case solved?

National Geographic - The Case of the Missing Carbon

Backcountry skiing in the Adirondack Park is an experience like none other. Much different than the vast open terrain of the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas, the Adirondack Park offers several skiable slides which run into heavily wooded terrain managed via a network of narrow hiking trails, wondering brooks and glades. To ascend and ski any slides in the park is much less than a leisurely way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

The Park

The Adirondack State Park is the largest state park in the continental United States of American encompassing over 1 million acres. The biggest tourist attraction alongside the Olympic Village, Lake Placid, NY, is the central high peaks region of the park. The central high peaks region contains the 46 tallest mountains in New York State led by Mt. Marcy at 5,344ft.

The Journey

To access any of the acclaimed slides you must first hike in from one of several trailheads. Then the challenge begins. Navigating to the base of the slide alone requires a keen set of mapping skills as a portion of your journey will be off any maintained hiking trails.

These skiable sections of the Adirondack Park are neither down nor alongside the heavily traveled paths to the summit. Although you can access some of this terrain from the summit, ascending the slides gives you a first-hand visual of what you may encounter on your descent. Familiarizing yourself with your surroundings can also be essential to making a timely and safe exit back to your car.

Resources:

National Geographic - http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0111/trips_6.html