致密油是一种发现于不透水的页岩和石灰岩矿床中的油. Also known as “shale oil,” tight oil is processed into gasoline, diesel, 而喷气燃料——就像传统石油一样——是用水力压裂法提取的, or “fracking.”
Relative to conventional sources, shale oil typically produces more pollution to extract, 尽管程度取决于经营者是否避免浪费和不必要的排放.
As demand for oil outstrips conventional oil supplies, 越来越多的石油来自致密油资源, especially in the United States. 北达科他州、纽约州、得克萨斯州和其他地方的页岩储量都有所帮助 increase 美国致密油产量从2011年占国内石油产量的23%上升到2013年的45%.
Environmental impacts of tight oil
Natural gas 是在与致密油相同的岩层中发现的，还是随着石油的开采而开采的. 收集和销售天然气的技术是可行的, but rather than installing the necessary infrastructure, operators often burn excess gas at the well site, selling just the liquid fossil fuels. Known as flaring, 这一过程大大增加了与页岩油相关的全球变暖排放(在某些地区，燃烧是如此广泛 North Dakota’s flaring sites can be seen from space). 当天然气泄漏或排放时，逸散的甲烷排放是另一个可避免的617888九五至尊娱乐变化因素.
Even more emissions are produced by fracking, 这比传统的钻井技术需要更多的能源. 许多这样的排放可以通过更好的基础设施和更清洁的开采技术来避免.
致密油的其他影响包括潜在的大量水, air, and noise pollution around drilling sites, and the risk of oil spills by the trucks, trains, 以及将提取的页岩油输送到炼油厂的管道.
The solution: Half the Oil
使用更少的石油和向更清洁的运输技术过渡，将有助于减少对非常规能源的需求，如致密油或天然气 tar sands. More efficient cars and trucks and clean fuel alternatives 能减少我们的石油使用，对司机、经济和国家都有巨大的好处吗.
随着其他国家在更清洁的交通系统方面取得进展, 石油公司应该确保我们使用的石油不会变得更糟. Avoiding unnecessary flaring, reducing fugitive emissions, 同时，完全避免污染最严重的来源将有助于减少页岩油的排放.
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