Ch En 310

Reading Questions for Class 6

From Boyle et al., Chapter 7

Topic: Oil and Natural Gas History

1. Describe how oil was formed and in what geological formations it is usually found.

2. Talk about the beginning of the petroleum industry (i.e., history). Discuss how methods for finding oil have changed through the years.

3. Postulate why natural gas use started in the 1920’s in the U.S. but not until the 1970’s in the U.K.

4. Discuss implications of Tables 7.1, 7.2, and 7.4.

5. Look at the DOE/EIA pages for the world and the U.S. regarding oil and natural gas production and consumption. Please lead a class discussion on what you find interesting.

6. Discuss the oil refining process. Include a discussion of:
(a) how the refinery maximizes gasoline production,
(b) how almost all of the petroleum is used to make one product or another,
(c) common terms (including cracking, hydrocracking, sweet, sour, light, heavy, etc.)

7. Discuss the benefits of oil and natural gas as opposed to other forms of energy.

Write a question that will help the next class better study an important point in this chapter, or that will serve as a good discussion topic.