Pros and Cons of Oil Drilling

As we all know, crude oil is a fossil fuel that is found deep under the Earth's surface, trapped between the rock layers. It is formed from the remains of plants and animals in the seas, after being subjected to high temperature and pressure conditions. To have a better understanding about the pros and cons of oil drilling, let's discuss in brief on how crude oil is formed and how oil drilling works.

Crude Oil Formation

Formation of crude oil require millions of years. As organisms die, they settle at the sea bottom, which are then covered by layers of mud and sediment depositions. The anaerobic microorganisms act slowly on the dead plants and animals in the absence of oxygen, forming carbon-rich organic layers. This organic layer along with sediments is called the source rock (fine-grained shale). Due to the overlying sedimentary layers, the organic layer is subjected to high temperature and pressure. Because of this, distillation of organic material occurs, leading to the formation of crude oil and natural gas. The crude oil formed is accumulated in porous reservoir rocks that can either be limestone or sandstone. These reservoir rocks are trapped in compact and impermeable rocks (without pores) called cap rocks.

Oil Drilling

Oil drilling is the process of extracting crude oil by drilling through the cap rock. The most crucial part is locating crude oil, as it is found under the cap rocks that can be several miles thick. The geologists use certain techniques to locate crude oil, of which the most common is seismology. According to this method, shock waves are sent to the land surface or sea surface, to estimate the time taken by the waves to return back. By comparing the travel times of known rock layers, geologists determine and predict the layers that could be present in the particular region. Seismology is found to have a 10 percent success rate of discovering oil sites. Other techniques used for locating oil are satellite imaging, sniffers (electronic noses to smell hydrocarbons), magnetometers and gravity meters.

Oil Drilling: Pros and Cons

Oil drilling should be allowed in order to lower the fuel prices that will play a significant role in the economic growth of the country. If oil drilling is banned in a particular region, it leads to a situation, whereby the dependence on other countries for oil increases. In simpler words, oil import level increases and consequently, affecs the overall country's income. With the development of new technologies, it has been stated that oil drilling can be done without damaging the environment and/or disturbing the plant and animal habitats. Another benefit of oil drilling is that drilling itself and development of land after the process will help in engaging people, thus creating jobs for hundreds of citizens. Overall, oil drilling will improve the economy of the people and the country.

One of the major negative impacts of oil drilling is the environmental issue. If oil production rate is higher, then there will be more usage, thus generating more greenhouse gases. It is obvious that the drilling process will disturb the organisms surviving in those areas. The success rate of drilling is also very low, meaning that it may take lots of time and the outcome is unpredictable. Another major issue is offshore drilling; starting from locating to the drilling process, it disturbs the sea environment. While locating oil, the seismic waves and the associated sound affects the sea organisms and another debate is about oil spillage in the seas.

The pros and cons of oil drilling has been a debatable topic since a long time. Some are of the opinion that since oil is a basic necessity that is utilized for carrying out our day-to-day activities, why not drill oil to meet our requirements, other than relying on foreign oil. While the environmentalists oppose the idea stating that oil drilling increases environmental pollution and disturbs the biodiversity of that area.

The conclusion of the oil drilling issue is to choose between the economic growth and environmental impacts. Since, oil is a non-renewable energy source, why not save energy for the future generations by looking out for alternative energy source like solar energy, hydroelectric powers and wind energy. This way, we can put an end to environmental issues and shortage of energy sources.