The Fossil Fuel Extraction Process
Will Chun ’25
Ellen Chen ’25
Fossil fuels are arguably one of the most important unseen resources in our everyday lives. They power our homes, run our machines, and feed our electronics. So, how exactly do people extract these precious fossil fuels, and why are scientists concerned that we might run out?
Crude oil, a fossil fuel, originates from plants and algae that lived in shallow reservoirs millions of years ago. Once deceased, their bodies sink toward the seafloor and become buried among sediment. After millions of years of extreme temperatures and pressures, the hydrocarbons within those corpses transform into crude oil. One method of extracting this natural crude oil is called onshore drilling. Once a proper extraction site is determined, a drill bit digs while a mixture of water and lubricant circulates down into the borehole. This lubricant carries away rock shards, cools the drill bit, and maintains pressure. Then, steel casing is placed around the sides of the dig area to form a pipe that secures the “well” and prevents groundwater contamination. Next, the well is “completed” using a perforating gun, which is lowered into the deepest part of the oil well and creates holes revealing the rocks containing crude oil. After this, the fracking liquid is pumped at high pressure to form cracks in these exposed rocks, making the crude oil available for extraction.
Another method of fossil fuel extraction is mountaintop removal mining, where an entire mountaintop is removed to access the coal underneath. First, the entirety of forests and vegetation on top of the mountain are cleared. Then, explosives shatter and dislocate the soil and rock that cover the coal underneath, and this sediment ends downhill. To clean up the excess dislodged rock, machines like bulldozers are used to push this loosened rock into deposits known as “valley fills” to clean up the extra dislodged rock. Finally, after preparations, the exposed coal rocks are mined and extracted. Due to its environmentally destructive methods, including deforestation, the devastation of wildlife habitats, and the contamination of water sources with pollutants from the mining process, this method is highly controversial. In addition, mountaintop mining permanently destroys the natural scenery of an area, erasing its cultural heritage and scenic beauty.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
So, if we keep mining and drilling, will we eventually run out of fossil fuels? In short, the answer is yes, as fossil fuels are nonrenewable and take millions of years to form. The estimated time when crude oil will run out is 2052, and the date for natural gas is around 2060. Additionally, the burning of fossil fuels releases heavy amounts of carbon emissions into the air, effectively contributing to climate change through the greenhouse gas effect. Alternatives include utilizing renewable energies solar power, offshore wind farms, and biofuels. Doing so not only reduces our global carbon emission rate but also gives us a lasting source of energy that we can reap day after day.
References:
When will fossil fuels run out?. MET Group. (2021, January 18).
https://group.met.com/en/mind-the-fyouture/mindthefyouture/when-will-fossil-fuels-run-out
Oil and Gas Extraction: Process & Standards. SafetyCulture. (2023, January 31).
https://safetyculture.com/topics/oil-and-gas-extraction/
Onshore vs. offshore oil and gas drilling: A complete guide. Fenstermaker. (2023, May 18).
https://blog.fenstermaker.com/onshore-vs-offshore-oil-and-gas-drilling
Mountaintop removal 101. Appalachian Voices. (n.d.). https://appvoices.org/end-mountaintop-removal/mtr101/
Images:
Board, T. E. (2016, February 16). How the coal industry flattened the mountains of Appalachia. The New York Times.
Drilling & well completions - overview. (n.d.). https://www.petroleumonline.com/content/overview.asp?Mod=4
