Oil vs. Petroleum and Arctic Follow-Up

In this focus section on oil I have been using oil and petroleum pretty much interchangeability. I thought it might be good to just clarify the definitions of them (source US Energy Information Administration).

Crude Oil: a mixture of hydrocarbons that exist as a liquid in natural underground reservoirs and remain as a liquid when brought to the surface.

Petroleum products: produced from the processing of crude oil in petroleum refineries and the extraction of liquid hydrocarbons from natural gas.

Petroleum: a broad category that includes crude oil and petroleum products.

After the section on Arctic Oil I did a few days ago, I wanted to do a quick update on the subject. As countries get ready to stake their claims on the Arctic as the glacier retreats what will the impact be on the natural environment? Research by Smith and Stevenson 2012 suggests that by 2040, ships maybe able to cross the Arctic directly: hugely reducing shipping costs for companies. This diagram shows the change in shipping for Open Water ships (blue line) and Polar Clash ships (red line). The later are better able to deal with pack ice therefore can cross closer the Arctic.

Smith and Stevenson 2006, PNAS
Shipping routes for hypothetical ships across the Arctic Ocean. Note that this shows 'medium-low' radiative forcing (RCP 4.5) The scenario for RCP 8.5 allows even easier access for shipping through the Arctic. 

So which ever scenario you take, shipping through the Arctic is going to become more commercially viable for a lot of countries along with the access to natural resources. Untapped resources are estimated to be about 10% to the global amount of oil and gas (USGS, 2012). I think I would be feeling sad if I was this seal.

Image courtesy of seppo.net