EDITOR’S PAGE. NEW TRENDS IN ESTONIAN OIL SHALE INDUSTRY
2012; Estonian Academy Publishers; Volume: 29; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês
10.3176/oil.2012.3.01
ISSN1736-7492
Autores Tópico(s)Reservoir Engineering and Simulation Methods
ResumoEnergy crisis is visible.It is difficult to pay attention to anything else when we do not have the energy we need.It drives economic growth all over the world; it gives us comfort and security.The ever worsening availability of traditional energy sources, as well as the growth of energy prices and world energy consumption have generated global interest in oil shale resources for oil and power production.Oil shale deposits range from the Early Palaeozoic to the Cenozoic in age and its reserves in the world are immense, exceeding the resources of other solid fuels (coal, lignite, brown coal) everything taken together.Total shale oil resources are estimated to be 3.2 billion barrels, more than three times higher than the proven conventional oil reserves.We cannot afford energy at any cost.It means that we have to ensure that we take good care of the environment as well as society together.World oil shale science and technology have a long history, however, with considerable ups and downs.Depletion of oil reserves and emphasis on energy security can be expected to give an impetus to much wider and more complex oil shale research in the near future.The role of oil shale is very important in Estonian economy, particularly in employment and regional development.The oil shale industry accounts for 4% of Estonia's gross domestic product.At the same time, it is responsible for generating the majority of wastes polluting air, water and soil.At present oil shale is chiefly used for production of power, heat and shale oil, and small amounts go also for cement production.Up to 1960, the main oil shale consumers were the Kohtla-Järve and Kiviõli shale oil plants, and the railway.Fine oil shale was used as a fuel at local power stations.Later large power stations using oil shale were launched in Narva -the Baltic Thermal Power Station in 1966 and the Estonian Electric Power Station in 1973.This altered the structure of oil shale consumption: about 80% of the oil shale mined was used for producing energy.Oil shale production reached its peak in 1980 when 31.3 million tons was mined.By now oil shale production has stabilized at a level of some
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