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Powered by Rock. Earth's Energy Systems. Dr Liam Herringshaw [email protected]. Fracking for shale gas. To finish from last week. Unconventional hydrocarbons. Does fracking pollute aquifers?. From 'Gasland'. Fracture propagation. 350m 600m minimum safe - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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To finish from last week...
Fracking for shale gas
Unconventional hydrocarbons
Does fracking pollute aquifers?
From 'Gasland'
Fracture propagation
Redrawn from Davies et al. (2012)
<1% risk of vertical frack >350m
600m minimum safeseparation distance
Fracking fluids?
4000 holes in Blackpool Lancashire?
Well density
Carboniferous–Bowland Shale thicker than US shales–1300 Tcf resources?–5% recoverable = 65 Tcf–2.5-5 Bcf per well–= 13,000-26,000 wells–10 wells per pad–= 1300-2600 pads
But many uncertainties
Well integrity
Leakage rate?Is UK well-prepared?
24 Jan 2013
23 Jan 2013
Consensus?
Researching Fracking In Europe
www.refine.org.uk
Research briefsTranslationsVideosNews
Oil & Gas – for or against?
VOTE!
This week: Nuclear
Energy from uranium?
One of heaviest natural elements:~19x as dense as water;
Two common isotopes:U-238 & U-235:Nucleus: 92 protons + 143
or 146 neutrons
Slow, radioactive decay
Energy from uranium?
When U-235 captures a neutron it splits
= FISSIONReleases heat (& neutrons)Neutron release can create
chain reaction if other U-235 atoms nearby
= NUCLEAR REACTOR
Uranium geologyOccurs in most rocks (and seawater) but
in small quantities: 2-4 ppm
Need enrichment for economic viabilityMain producers:
Australia, Kazakhstan,Canada
Pitchblende
The U in unconformity
Highest grade uranium ores occur at ancient geological erosion surfaces
Uranium power
~440 uranium-fuelled nuclear reactors2500bn kWh per year (13% of global elec.)
Nuclear – for or against?
Your arguments(with reference/s)
Where does the waste go?
Deep geological storage
Retention over 10s-100s of ka
Finland
USA
Nuclear danger?How risky is nuclear power?
Much less so than coal, oil or gas!Deaths/cases per TWh(Markandya & Wilkinson 2007)
Nuclear danger?
Do disasters pose as great a risk as is generally perceived?
Fukushima:“for the general population inside and outside
of Japan … no observable increases in cancer rates above baseline rates are anticipated.” (WHO)
A Fusion Future?
Nuclear fusionIn hearts of stars, enormous heat generated by
atomic nuclei colliding at high speed, fusing and releasing energy (as neutrons)
Image from Universe Today
Fusion breakthrough?New research by Hurricane et al. (2014):
Nuclear – for or against?
VOTE!
Next week: GeothermalA major source of heat?
Economically viable for UK?
Consider your arguments...