Fire in the SUVs in Southern California Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Fire in the SUVs in Southern California - Essay Example Although these groups of terrorists do not kill people, they still create fear among innocent lives. Their manner of espousing their belief of protecting the environment is quite radical. They resort to arson and other similar violent acts. They would not be labeled as terrorists if they only resort to peaceful protests such as giving away stickers which express their abhorrence on SUVs.   The people who set fire on the SUVs and some SUV dealerships may be labeled as terrorists because of their clear violation of the criminal laws of the United States, particularly committing an â€Å"act dangerous to human life† (Federal Bureau of Investigation 4).   The burning of the SUVs was attributed to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) which is an extremist environmental movement who strongly believes that SUVs are pollutants because of their poor fuel efficiency. Their strategy is to destroy properties which harm the environment. They are like other terrorists who cause damages amounting to millions of dollars. They claim to be protectors of the environment, but how can they be considered as such if they are sowing terror in society. If this is not terrorism, then what is?   

Prudhoe Bay Oil Field: Discovery, Formation and Impacts

Prudhoe Bay Oil Field: Discovery, Formation and Impacts The Prudhoe Bay oil field: The largest oil discovery in the USA The Prudhoe Bay oil field is located in Alaska on the North Slope. The onshore field spans 214,000 acres. Due to the immense size, satellite fields are established within the field. These extract smaller quantities of oil and gas. In total, there are an estimated 24 billion bbls of OOIP and 40 tcf of OGIP (BP, 2006). The National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) is also in the North Slope, which is owned by the federal government. In 1944 the U.S Geographical Survey conducted an extensive exploration program on behalf of the U.S navy costing over $55 million (Morgridge, 1969). Seismic, gravity and magnetic surveys were completed and 3 oil and 6 gas reservoirs were found. Without this survey, there is little doubt this field would have been discovered so soon by ARCO and Exxon in 1968. This was followed by 8 years of legitimacy issues where surrounding lease owners including BP and Exxon resolved their equity participation for the future oil extractions. Production then began in 1977. Currently, BP is the operator of the Prudhoe Bay field and all satellite fields on the Prudhoe Bay unit. ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil have the highest joint percentage ownership of 36% each followed by BP (26%) and lastly Chevron (1%) (BP, 2013). The stratigraphy and structural formations made it possible for the reservoir to form. During rifting, rocks were uplifted which gave rise to an unconformity; these rocks were buried again, giving rise to an unconformity trap. Figure 1 shows the cross section of the field and the most important reservoir is found in the Sadlerochit group. The western boundary of this reservoir is sealed by the structural straddle in the upper surface on the reservoir. A stratigraphic trap seals the reservoir; this is an unconformable layer composed of a cretaceous mudstone. At the start of production the depth of oil bearing sandstone was 600ft, recently the thickness average is 60ft. (Jamison, Brockett and McIntosh, 1983, pp. 279–302) The deposition of the sadlerochit layer occurred under 2 separate conditions giving rise to an upper and lower sequence, containing different compositions. The main composition of the lower sequence ranges is clastic sediments, such as sandstone. This was derived through a northerly source, and crucially deposition occurred in a shallow-marine environment – the believed source of the petroleum. The sediments from the upper layer were derived from the south where non-marine alluvial complexes were present. Figure 2 shows the age of the reservoir is the Triassic age and visually shows the sadlerochit group and the different rocks present including the dipping that occurs. The Ivishak layer contains sandstone and has a slight dip of 2O south; this layer produces the largest proportion of the oil in the field (Erickson and Sneider, 1997, pp. 18–22). The permeability varies across the field. The Ivishak layer is subdivided into 8 vertical zones and in descending order these zones are 4B, 4A, 3, 2C, 2B, 2A, 1B, and 1A. Zones are defined by the individual petrophysical properties of each vertical section. The permeability in each individual zone varies considerably, for example in zone 2A there is a 100-fold difference in minimum and maximum values- 25md to 2500md. This difference implies that there is a vast change in the pore system, not the magnitude of porosity (Sneider and Erickson, 1997, pp. 23–30). Figure 4 shows the varying rock type and thickness, as well as the geophysical properties. For example, the low gamma ray count indicates the presence of silt and shale. Development of the field has been hugely successful. There were 25 billion bbls of oil, of which only 9.6 billion bbls was initially thought to be recoverable. This estimate has increased to 13 billion bbls due to technological advances in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and through gas reinjection programs (ConocoPhillips, 2006). Of these 13 billion bbls, 11.3 billion bbls of oil has been extracted. Production rates of oil began to exceed one million bbls in 1969 and peaked in 1987 to 1.6 million bbls a day (Alaska Department of Administration, 2013). Since 1991 daily output began to decline annually at a rate of 7-12% a year; this is shown through Figure 5 (Standing, 2000). Nowadays, the Prudhoe Bay field produces 271,000 bbls of oil a day. Miscible gas injection is a successful EOR method used in Prudhoe Bay. Miscible gas acts as a solvent, vaporizing the oil from the residual oil content, thus more oil reaches the producing wells (BP, 2006). Once miscible gas is injected, water is then pumped into the reservoir. This method increases efficiency by preventing gas channeling within the reservoir. This EOR method is known as water-alternating-gas. In 1983, the Prudhoe Bay miscible gas project began. The project aimed to optimise the oil recovery of the field by carrying out a number of trials where the amount of miscible gas injected was varied. Each trial was ranked in order of efficiency in terms of produced oil and in respect to the amount of solvent retained in the reservoir (Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 1983). The most efficient injection ratio remained which is one of the reasons the ultimate recovery is around 60% of the initial reserves. Of this 60%, the miscible gas injection contributes up to 10% of the recovery in certain areas. This project occurred early in the field’s production increasing the oil production from the onset. Oil extracted from the Prudhoe Bay field is transported along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). The TAPS spans from the Prudhoe Bay field to the Valdez Marine terminal located 800 miles away; here up to 7.13 million barrels of oil can be stored which can then be loaded on tankers (Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, 2011). Without the pipeline, resources extracted from the North Slope cannot be monetised as the product cannot reach the market for sale due to the field’s location. The TAPS was the largest privately funded construction when built, costing $8 billion; since then, 16 billions barrels of oil has been transport to the Valdez Marine terminal (ConocoPhillips , 2014). However, the decline of oil output is soon to be an issue; with no investment, the minimum flow rate may occur as soon as 2045, which will lead to the shutdown of the TAPS. This is because, if flow rate is not achieved, corrosion and ice will occur to a greater extent causing the pipe to wrinkle and kink. Gas is just as important a resource as oil. Since a gas pipeline from the North Slope is non-existent; gas is not marketable as it cannot be transported away from the North Slope. Since startup, the majority of the gas extracted with the oil was re-injected into the reservoir to enhance oil recovery while some supports power the production plants. Gas and water are separated from the oil at a separation plant where the gas is then transported to the world largest central gas facility (CGF) that is located in Prudhoe Bay. The CGF can handle 9 bcf of gas daily and has the world largest smokeless flare where excess gas is burnt. The gas in the CGF is cooled and separated according to the size of the gas particles, the cooling facility alone costs $1 billion to build (BP, 2006). Most of the larger natural gas liquids are mixed with the oil and sent along the TAPS. The rest is mixed with methane giving a miscible gas, which is injected into the reservoir as an EOR method. The unused gas i s sent to the central compression plant (CCP), where it is compressed and injected into the reservoir to maintain pressure, which aids oil recovery. Consequently, since production the reservoir pressure has only declined by 1000 psi (4300 to 3300psi) (Weaver and Uldrich, 1999). The future prospects of the field are less promising due to the depletion of the oil. However, these prospects can be restored if the Alaskan gas pipeline is approved. The Alaska liquefied natural gas project (LNG) would be one of the world’s largest construction projects with estimated costs of $45 billion to $65 billion, funded by Exxon, ConocoPhillips and BP (Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects, 2014). The project includes an 800-mile pipeline shown in figure 6 spanning from Prudhoe Bay to Nikiski. LNG carriers would then transport the liquefied natural gas (LNG). The project includes a purpose built liquefaction plants and a gas purifying plant to remove carbon dioxide and other impurities. The pipeline will have the capacity to carry up to 3.5 billion cubic feet of gas, while the LNG plant will be capable of making up to 20 million metric tons of LNG a year (processing 2.5 billion cubic feet a day). This project would allow the gas extracted to be monetised and exp orted to countries with a free trade agreement with the United States. This includes South Korea, which is the second largest LNG importer (Hong, 2013). This project will increase the field’s economic outcome, attracting further investment. The productivity of the field is improved by establishing satellite fields. Figure 7 illustrates the 5 satellite fields. The Polaris and Orion satellite field produces the viscous oil in the formation that is difficult to extract at a depth of 4000-5000 ft. In comparison Midnight Sun extracts the hydrocarbon from a sandstone formation at a depth of 8000 ft. The Aurora and Borealis fields are established on similar formations. These fields combined contribute to around 30,000 barrels of oil a day (BP,2013). The satellite fields use existing infrastructure, which meant that the field was being optimised further by increase production while the initial costs were kept low. It is important to consider the impacts of oil and gas production in Prudhoe Bay. Approximately 2% of the land surface in the region has been altered due to the oil industry. Monitoring species diversity in the region has shown that there is little change due to this alteration. In fact, most animals use the oil field for nesting, breeding and summer forage. Some habitat has been lost which has resulted in some species being localised, however, there was no decline in population. This shows that the impacts of the oil industry on the North Slope are negligible showing sustainable development (Maki, 1992, pp. 1691–1707). Following the decline in production, exploration was renewed, which led to the discovery of two previously unutilised areas. The areas are in the west region of the field and the Sag River formation, which overlies the main Prudhoe Bay reservoir. Due to the potential of these new areas, BP has increased investment in Alaska by 25% to $1.2 billion. Part of this investment will be used to conduct a 190 square mile seismic survey and a new well pad. It is estimated that the investment may increase production by 40,000bpd, thus reduce the likelihood of the TAPS shutdown as minimum flow rate is easily overcome (Platts, 2014). The Sag River formation is a thin unexploited reservoir in which a 15 well test program will be conducted during 2015 and 2016. The success of this could enable a future 200 wells being built, this may yield 200 million barrels of oil once developed. The Western part of the field hasn’t been fully exploited yet with only the Borealis satellite field tapping in to a reservoir that is in a lower position than the main reservoir. Continuing west, the oil column reduces in thickness at times being only 30ft, this is in the Northwest Eileen. Horizontal drilling will be needed to maximize extraction of the thin oil column; this comes with the associated risks of water encroachment on top of the increased cost due to horizontal drilling (Bailey, 2013). Due to these issues, the decision to develop the Northwest Eileen is still in the pipeline and if approved would further increase production rates. To conclude, the possibilities and the history of Prudhoe Bay make it attractable to investors. Prudhoe Bay is a giant field where majority of the oil has been extracted resulting in a decline in production rates. The TAPS is vital for the success of the field and if minimum flow rate is not achieved then the oil can no longer be transported and sold. Investments to the pipeline will mean that minimum flow rate can be lowered extending the life of the TAPS. There are no plans of abandonment due to the likelihood of future proposals being successful. The liquefied natural gas project alone would be highly profitable and successful for investors as around 40 tcf of gas is still present. If the future exploration projects are successful in areas such as the Sag River formation then oil production will begin to increase. A successful future of the field is dependent of these tests but if encouraging, investors will be in a privileged position. Bibliography: Alaska Department of Administration (2013)AOGCC Pool Statistics. Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects (2014)Alaska LNG project. Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Projects. Available at: http://www.arcticgas.gov/alaska-lng-project (Accessed: 6 December 2014). Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Comnission (1983)PRUDHOE BAY MISCIBLE GAS PROJECT. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company (2011)The Valdez Marine Terminal. Alyeska 2011. Available at: http://www.alyeska-pipe.com/TAPS/ValdezTerminalAndTankers (Accessed: 6 December 2014). Arctic Gas (2013)Alaska natural gas pipeline projects guide, maps. Arcticgas.gov. Available at: http://www.arcticgas.gov/alaska-natural-gas-pipeline-projects-guide-and-maps (Accessed: 16 December 2014). Bailey, A. (2013) ‘BP looks to new development at Prudhoe Bay to help stem decline’, Petroleum News, August. BP (2013)Greater Prudhoe Bay. Available at: http://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/pdf/bp-worldwide/prudhoe-bay-2013.pdf (Accessed: 6 December 2014). BP (2006)Prudhoe Bay factsheet. Available at: https://dec.alaska.gov/spar/perp/response/sum_fy06/060302301/factsheets/060302301_factsheet_PB.pdf (Accessed: 6 December 2014). ConocoPhillips (2006) ‘Viscous oil the Slope’s next major proven oil opportunity’,Arctic Energy: For today and tomorrow. ConocoPhillips (2014)Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS). Available at: http://alaska.conocophillips.com/who-we-are/alaska-operations/Pages/trans-alaska-pipeline-system.aspx (Accessed: 6 December 2014). Division of Oil and Gas (1996) ‘Generalised North Slope Stratigraphic column displaying oil and gas reservoirs and associated columns’. Erickson, J. W. and Sneider, R. M. (1997) ‘Structural and Hydrocarbon Histories of The Ivishak (Sadlerochit) Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field’,SPE Reservoir Engineering, 12(01), pp. 18–22. doi: 10.2118/28574-pa. Hamilton, J. (2007) ‘The challenge of depletion’. Holstein, E. D. and Warner, H. R. (1994) ‘Overview of Water Saturation Determination For the Ivishak (Sadlerochit) Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field’,SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition. doi: 10.2118/28573-ms. Hong, C. H. (2013) ‘South Korea LNG Imports Climb 19 Percent on Higher Power Demand’, Bloomberg, November. Jamison, H., Brockett, L. and McIntosh, R. (1983) ‘Chapter 13 Palaeogeomorphic and Unconformity Traps’,Developments in Petroleum Science, pp. 279–302. doi: 10.1016/s0376-7361(08)70097-9. Maki, A. (1992) ‘Of measured risks: The environmental impacts of the Prudhoe Bay, alaska, oil field’, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 11(12), pp. 1691–1707. doi: 10.1002/etc.5620111204. Morgridge, D. (1969) ‘Geology and Discovery of Prudhoe Bay Field, Eastern Arctic Slope, Alaska: ABSTRACT’, AAPGAAPG Bulletin. doi: 10.1306/5d25cc57-16c1-11d7-8645000102c1865d. Platts (2014) ‘BP to hike 2014 Alaska investment 25% to $1.2 bil, plans new projects’, Bradner, T., February. Sneider, R. M. and Erickson, J. W. (1997) ‘Rock Types, Depositional History, and Diagenetic Effects, Ivishak Reservoir, Prudhoe Bay Field’,SPE Reservoir Engineering, 12(01), pp. 23–30. doi: 10.2118/28575-pa. Standing, T. H. (2000) ‘Data shows steep Prudhoe Bay production decline.’,Oil Gas Journal. Weaver, J. W. and Uldrich, D. O. (1999) ‘Optimizing Solvent Allocation in the Prudhoe Bay Miscible Gas Project’,SPE Western Regional Meeting. doi: 10.2118/54615-ms.

Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Violence Against Children

Child Abuse is a very serious issue all throughout the world, in all different countries, cultures, and communities. The four main types of abuse are emotional abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse, and although emotional abuse and neglect are often overlooked, each has just as severe effects on children as sexual and physical abuse (Saisan et al.). The many causes of all kinds of the abuse of children have devastating effects on the child’s life presently and later on in life. There are multiple different causes of child abuse, and although abusing a child cannot be pinpointed to one specific characteristic, issue, or situation, there are factors which contribute to the abuse or neglect of a child. It is preposterous to determine whether child abuse will occur, but commonly a family may be at risk if the caretaker is young, has little education, has little knowledge about child development, has had several children born within a few years, is under great stress, and is extremely dependent on social welfare (Causes and Effects). As a child being taken care of by someone with alcohol and/or drug addictions is difficult, as a result of these addictions sometimes caretakers cannot make good parenting choices and all too often are unable to properly provide for their children. There are many factors that can lead to child abuse, but not all families who meet this â€Å"criteria† abuse their children, just as those families who seem perfect on the outside may actually abuse their children (Saisan et al.). Child abuse happens in all different types of families, and although there are some predicaments where abuse is more common, there is still no singular cause of child abuse. Contrary to many beliefs, the emotional a... ...Emotional Child Abuse – Definitions of Child Neglect and Other Emotionally Abusive Behavior. American Humane Association, n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. Miller, Debbie. "Child Abuse and Neglect." Encyclopedia of Education. Ed. James W. Guthrie. 2nd Ed. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2003. 267-270. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2014. Neher, Jon O. "Unreleased Emotions from Child Abuse Can Create Devastating Anger." Child Abuse. Ed. Heidi Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Decade Dance." Annals of Family Medicine 3 (2005): 462. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 12 Dec. 2013. Saisan, MSW, Joanna, Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., and Melinda Smith, M.A.,. "Child Abuse & Neglect: Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse." Helpguide.org: Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life's Challenges. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2014.

Military Courtesy and Respect Essay

Good citizenship A good citizen needs to imbibe many qualities. That he has some duties and responsibilities to bear is true, but at same time, he enjoys some rights and privileges as a citizen of a free state. While he has every right to participate in the judicial, legal politics, religious and social affairs of the nation, he has also some responsibilities i.e. not to injure the sentiments of others and to protect the weak against the strong. To stand by the state, under all conditions, is his first and foremost duty. A good citizen must be ready to sacrifice his everything for the sake of his motherland. He is also required to be a patriot and nationalist. He should have firm and deep faith in the welfare of his motherland. He has to obey law and order. But he has also to keep in his heart the betterment of the country, the good of society and the interest of the nation. A good citizen must respect the cultural heritage of his country, i.e. he will have to respect the heroes, ‘the prophet, the sages and saints of his country. He must respect the race which has given birth to him. He must always keep in mind the future of his country. He must attempt to raise the standard of living of his country by working honestly. At an event of aggression or foreign attack, he must be ready to shed his blood for the sake of his motherland. Thus, defense of the country is the supreme duty of a good citizen. Unity of the nations should be his topmost priority. He should work for the unity of the country. A goodwill for other races, protection to the weak, help to the victims, sympathetic and kind consideration to his fellow citizens are things that are needed in good citizen. A good citizen should have a spirit of cooperation, friendliness, humanity, dedication, devotion for his fellow citizens. He must respect other faiths. He must not do anything which brings disgrace to his society or to his country. Greatest good of greatest number should be his principle. All these good and great qualities, if possessed, make one a good citizen Military leadership Within the U.S. military, leadership is generally considered something of a given. It is a fundamental ingredient of warfare, without which the outcome of a combat operation cannot be assured. The leader is the brain, the motive power of command, upon whom subordinates rely for guidance and wisdom, and  depend upon for good judgment. The leader must be determined, unflappable and charismatic; confident in delegation of authority; able to combine the various strands of command into a common thread; seasoned, intelligent, and thoughtful. When judging the qualities of leadership, there is a tendency to think of the gifted, or natural leader, involving some expectation that leadership is an inherent personality quality that some have, and others have not. Military history is full of â€Å"born leaders,† suggesting that â€Å"inspired leadership† is the only true measure of the trait. For a very long time the American people relied on the emergence of just such an individual when necessity demanded it, and fortunately the country has been well†served in this respect. Much of this has been due to American military egalitarianism, which presumed that any individual, regardless of background, could lead a body of troops in combat as long as the leader had the requisite ability. An obvious case in point is the Civil War, which gave rise to a number of gifted commanders—Joshua Chamberlain, Nathan Bedford Forrest, John Logan, and Nelson A. Miles, to name but a few—who yet had little, if any, military training. So great was the renown of such natural leaders that a veritable school of military command grew up around them, declaring that genius alone was the true sign of leadership, and that leaders were born, not made. As the army matured and professionalized after the Civil War, these sorts of arguments met the resistance of educational reformers who argued that certain principles of leadership could be taught, given the proper lessons from military history. Military courtesy and desipline Military courtesy is basically no different from courtesy in civilian life, just good manner and politeness in dealing with other people. The experience of life has proven that courteous behavior is essential in human relations. The distinction between civilian courtesy and military courtesy is that, military courtesies were developed in a military atmosphere and have become customs and traditions of the service. Most forms of military courtesy have some counterpart in civilian life. For example, you are required to say  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Sir† or â€Å"Ma’am† when you talk to an officer. Throughout our history, young men and women were taught to say â€Å"Sir† to their fathers and other male elders. and â€Å"Ma’am† to their mothers, unknown women and female elders. This tradition is still carried on and it is considered good manners for a younger man to say â€Å"Sir† when speaking to an older man. The use of the word â€Å"Sir† or â€Å"Ma’am† is also common in the business world, in the address of letters, and in any well-ordered institution. Military courtesy is not a one-way street. Enlisted personnel must be courteous to officers, and officers are expected to return the courtesy. Officers respect soldiers as individuals, just as you respect officers as individuals. Without this basis of mutual respect, there can be no military courtesy, and discord will result. One of the most important of military courtesies is the salute. It is a respectful greeting, a sign of recognition between military persons. It is that, and no more. Salutes are given and returned. They are a privilege of the military alone. Every officer salutes every other officer, just as every enlisted man salutes every officer. The highest-ranking general in the Army is required to return the salute of the newest private. The fact that the subordinate salutes first is simply common-sense courtesy applied to a military expression; it is for the same reason that gentlemen step aside for ladies in doorways and younger people are†¦

Aggressive Driving

Sometimes I wonder why people died of accident. Some blame this on reckless or aggressive driving while some believe it is normal for accident to occur. This is why the issue of aggressive driving has been a very vital issue today. These are recognized aggressive driving behaviors: over speeding, tailgating, weaving and running red lights, darting in and out of lanes, yelling and gesturing etc.Growing concerns about these drivers and the hazards they create on the roads have led to a flurry of activity by safety groups, law enforcement, mental health professionals and legislatures.There have been different studies about this issue and this study is very important, because these drivers’ endangers their life and others. Sometimes it might be suicide on the drivers’ part.One of these studies is the findings by the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research at the University of Albany, in conjunction with Fact Finders, Inc. and the New York Governor's Traffic Saf ety Committee, which showed that almost 29 percent of those surveyed say they see someone driving aggressively every day.Most of the participants admitted that they tend to drive more aggressively when in hurry, but not when angry or in a bad mood. The survey also indicated that aggressive driving poses problems for teens. The survey found that 24 percent of those aged 16 to 24 say they sometimes or most of the time drive aggressively as compared with 11 percent for those aged 45 to 54.In another study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, which found that between 1990 and 1996 road rage contributed to 218 deaths and 12,610 injuries.The study analyzed 10,037 police reports and newspaper stories about traffic accidents that led to violence. What's more, AAA found that road rage incidents increased nearly 7 percent each year within that six year period. Some experts blame the increase on longer commutes, which have led to more people on the roads others blame it on aggressiveness, risk-taking and personality traits of high-anger drivers.In conclusion, this study shows that teens are more likely to drive aggressively. In addition, there is a difference in the number of aggressive behavior between Convertible/Sports car (Porsche) drivers and drivers of Minivan and Truck.It is believed that drivers of Trucks and Minivans drink most of the time than those driving sports car and will most times drive aggressively.Reference:Dittmann, M, â€Å"Anger on the road†, Monitor staff, (2005, June).