Evaluation of Environmental Impacts of Oil Exploration and Production in Southern Iraq after Iraqi Freedom Operation In 2003

List of Abbreviation

IEA International Energy Association

PHC Petroleum hydrocarbons

ISO International Standards Organization

UV rays Ultra Violet rays

UAE United Arab Emirates

4.0 RESULT AND ANALYSIS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

Oil is considered a source of energy that has turned out to be the essential part of our economy. Demand for oil is increasing as we are persistently using this valuable resource. The report of BP asserts that consumption of oil all over the globe has increased by 890,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 0.9% (BP.com, 2013, A-1). The chart that is given below shows the increase in the demand of the oil globally from the year 1995 to 2011. This chart pertains that oil demand has been increased from 70 MB/d to 89mb/d.

Figure 4.1 Global Oil Demand

While using these resources we do not acknowledge the fact that oil is a finite resource. The supply of these resources is supposed to be controlled by the economic factors. As a result of the increased demand of oil more new sites are explored to find oil. According to sjvgeology.org (2013) exploration of new sites to discover oil has been started years ago when the demand of the oil was forecasted to be increased (sjvgeology.org, 2013, A-1). As a result more and more land is getting affected by its impact. Environmental pollution is not bound by any sort of political and geographical range. Land can get affected as a result of the exploration activities. The immediate vicinity of a surveying or monitoring site or an exploratory well can get affected as a result of these activities and could create a temporary disturbance. In the making of hay, the wire pin flags that are used for surveying could be shredded. The metal bits that are leftover can kill the livestock that may eat the feed. After eating the ribbons attached to the flags livestock and wildlife can also die and get affected (TEEIC, 2013, A-1). Hence, the impact of wars and terrorism attacks on oil was frequent for sabotage. 108 terrorism attacks on Oil and gas pipeline in southern Iraq from Jun 2004 to August 2006, the smallest number of terrorism attacks only one attacks that were in the months January and February of the year 2005, it reached to 21 attacks in August of the same year. The following chart shows terrorism attacks on oil and gas pipelines in Iraq in southern Iraq.

Figure 4.1 Terrorist attacks on Oil and Gas Pipelines in southern Iraq

Wells of oils and oil pipelines produced serious consequences as a whole since 1991 Gulf war and is continued till today. War and terrorism are notable impacts of oil but there are other affects also that came into limelight as a result of oil exploration (Pamela, 2010, 28). One of the impacts is on environment. Oil drilling and oil spill has damaged environment in more than one ways. The following part presents analysis and results related to the environmental impacts ...