Top 17 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Petroleum
Would you like to know the advantages and disadvantages of petroleum? If yes, keep reading. This article will focus on the benefits of crude – easy extraction, power generation, industrial growth, and many more. Also, we will discuss the disadvantages such as environmental pollution and the rise in criminal activities.
What is Petroleum?
Petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid found beneath the earth’s surface but refinable for use as fuels in cars and equipment. It is the primary catalyst for global economic growth and has so much influence on global politics.
However, despite its relevance to the global economy, it has become a source of environmental pollution and civil unrest.
To start with, here are questions we need to answer. What are the advantages of petroleum? What benefits does it have over other forms of energy? Without much ado, let’s get started.
Advantages of Petroleum
Advantages of Petroleum include easy extraction, power generation, industrial growth, infrastructural development, and many more.
It aids mechanized farming.
Petroleum drives mechanized farming both in terms of chemical and mechanical inputs. You cannot major farm equipment such as planters and harvesters without the use of diesel. Also, fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides that serve as higher yield enhancements are byproducts of crude oil.
It enhances infrastructural development.
Infrastructural development such as road construction, power generation, pharmaceuticals, and many more come majorly from petroleum. Fossil fuel enhances infrastructural development in several ways because it provides raw materials for road construction, health, and sports facilities.
Technological development.
The advent of petroleum brought about technological developments in many sectors – sports, construction, health – of the global economy.
Most importantly, the oil and gas industry is also a beneficiary of the technological developments leading to improved drilling and extraction processes. Also, the fiber used for producing computers and other electronic devices is a byproduct of oil.
Low cost of extraction.
The cost of extracting crude oil is relatively low when compared to its numerous benefits because explorers spend less fortune on production costs after the initial technical and physical efforts. In the long run, it costs less to service an oilfield.
It has a broader area of application.
Crude oil is not just powering the transportation sector, but also serving as a primary energy source for power plants. Also, it is useful in the sports sector because some sports equipment such as basketballs, golf balls and bags, skis, tennis rackets, and football helmets contain some petroleum.
Other Advantages of Petroleum
It has a high density.
In petroleum production, density is for an estimation of the gasoline and kerosene, which in turn determines the price of whit products. The high density of petroleum enables the generation of a substantial amount of energy from a small quantity of it.
Easy transportation.
It is easy to transport crude oil from its point of extraction to the final destination thanks to its liquid state. Unlike other natural resources such as coal and gold, transporting crude oil is easy and efficient.
Industrial growth-boosting:
It is almost impossible to find any other natural resources that can provide several industries with raw materials compared to what petroleum offers. Petroleum is not only the backbone of the transport sector but also the primary source of raw materials for several industries. Also, going by the number of its derivable products, petroleum is a catalyst for industrial growth.
Easy distribution network:
Petroleum distribution is easy as refineries can receive their cargo via diverse distribution networks such as pipelines and vessels, while end-users can obtain their orders via tucks or rails. Petroleum distribution is accessible to any town with infrastructures such as rail, roads, and water transport facilities.
No vehicle can run without petroleum:
It may not be wrong to say this is possibly the most significant advantage of crude oil. Petroleum is indispensable to the automobile industry, including diesel, gasoline, and electric cars. Both diesel and petrol engines rely on petroleum products to run efficiently.
Two Major Disadvantages of Oil
Having looked at the positive side of oil, let us now consider some of its disadvantages.
It is a leading source of environmental pollution.
Some experts are becoming concerned over our continued dependence on oil despite its negative impact on our ecosystem. Petroleum generates greenhouse gasses such as water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide (N2O), and other gases that are never environment friendly. Consequently, this leads to the gradual heating of the earth’s atmosphere and surface – global warming.
It produces hazardous substances.
Petroleum is a bit hazardous because of its consistent release of toxic materials such as sulfur and carbon monoxide into our environment. Also, it exposes many oil workers to health hazards through inhalation and ingestion of petroleum products.
Other Disadvantages of Petroleum
It is limited in supply and prone to extinction.
Petroleum does not differ from other natural resources concerning limitedness in supply, no wonder, experts question its sustainability. Consequently, the global oil reserves are getting depleted because of increasing demand by several countries.
However, few countries are already getting ready for a shift knowing fully well that the world will sooner than later run out of supply.
It is hard to shift people’s attention away from them.
What a daunting task it is to turn people away from their preferred source of energy. It is difficult to dissuade people from using petroleum because it is relatively cheaper when compared to other sources of energy.
It is a non-renewable energy.
Petroleum is in the same class as other non-renewable fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, and they are hardly replaceable once used up. Therefore, we need to prepare for the consequences that arise when the world eventually runs out of petroleum.
It sustains the growth of terrorism and violence.
Some terrorist organizations make money through petroleum trading, while some receive funds from oil-rich countries. Furthermore, some despots have ruined their countries in the name of resource control, and are funding foreign terrorists for global political gains.
Impact of Modern Technology in the Petroleum Industry
Although it was hard to extract petroleum in the early years of oil discovery, modern technologies have since simplified the entire processes.
Modern technologies such as hydraulic fracturing, horizontal drilling, tar sands, deepwater drilling, seismic mapping, and environmental implications have paved the way for simplified extraction methods that are devoid of guesswork that characterized early oil production.
Consequently, problems such as geological conditions have reduced compared to what was obtainable in the early days of oil discovery.
Two of such technologies are hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, both designed to reduce the cost of extracting petroleum from unconventional formations.
Also, modern technology such as FPSO has simplified crude oil processing as producers can now process oil offshore without delay.
Furthermore, industry experts are developing some safety robots to safeguard oil platforms and personnel. According to Offshore Technology, oil and gas companies are investing heavily in robots for offshore operations. What other development have you noticed in the industry of late?
What is The Future of Oil
Although petroleum is posing so many challenges in our environment, its relevance to our development is mind-blowing, and it will continue to play major global developmental roles in the near to medium-term future.
Also, high costs of production may hinder the introduction of modern technologies that may serve as substitutes for fossil fuel. For instance, the introduction of electric cars may not produce immediate results because it needs more time to penetrate the global market.
Furthermore, switching to alternative energy sources will have little impact on oil because of its usefulness that cuts across several industries.
Petroleum has proven to be an all-encompassing necessity in modern society and will stay relevant for some time. What are we likely going to use to produce our pharmaceuticals as well as cosmetics? Will there be alternative raw materials for the productions of plastics and asphalt for road paving?
What do you think the future holds for oil? Also, don’t forget to share with us your thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of petroleum.