school energy&environment

Potential developments

The cost of extracting and treating non conventional hydrocarbons is about 10-20$ per barrel more than for conventional hydrocarbons: of these costs, approximately half are for improving the quality of the hydrocarbons (upgrading). Therefore this is not an economically profitable source, and its utilization will not make the price of oil drop. However there are abundant reserves that will guarantee a constant production of hydrocarbons in the near future, together with other sources that are also not very “conventional”, such as the production of liquid hydrocarbons from coal liquefaction, from conversion of gas into liquid fuels (Gas To Liquid or GTL technology) and from the biomass, besides the possible exploitation of methane hydrates in the sediments of the ocean floors. While it is believed that the production of conventional hydrocarbons will reach its peak in the next 10 years, and will then inexorably decrease, it is estimated that the production of non conventional hydrocarbons should continue to increase for the next 50 years, and will reach 10% approximately of our energy requirements. Naturally the possibility of disposing of new unexpected reserves of fossil fuels, for a few more decades, must not lead us to forget that however it is necessary to reconvert our energy consumption and our production of energy, diversifying the sources, and favouring technologies that allow a production of energy that is as clean as possible and that respects the environment. For this reason non conventional hydrocarbons must not be considered a remedy for the oil crisis but a valid aid, and in the near future, these will become an increasingly important part of the so-called “Energy Mix” (together with clean coal, conventional oil, gas, nuclear power and alternative renewable sources): no more contrasts between the different sources of energy, but “team work” to develop technologies that are increasingly eco-compatible and sustainable.