Energy and Mines 10, 20, 30: Curriculum Guidelines

Energy and Mines 10, 20, 30 Curriculum Guide Main Menu

Module 7: Oil and Gas - Refinement, Use and Economic Effects (Optional)

Suggested time: 5-15 hours

Level: Introductory

Prerequisite: None

Module Overview
Students will learn about handling, storing and distributing oil and gas and about refining processes for crude oil. This module is assigned no prerequisites to facilitate its use in survey courses. However, it should be preceded by Modules 5 and 6 in a pure course.

Foundational Objectives

To become familiar with the nature and components of Saskatchewan's major underground resources and how they are extracted and purified through refining and processing.
To become familiar with the nature, location and operation of the distribution systems through which Saskatchewan energy and mineral resources are transported.
To become familiar with the local and global market for Saskatchewan energy and mineral resources and the immediate and ultimate uses of those resources.
To demonstrate knowledge of the diversity and the economic, social and environmental significance, of Saskatchewan energy and mining industries.

Common Essential Learnings Foundational Objectives

To practise flowcharting and related process modeling. (COM, CCT)
To construct and analyze operating pipeline models. (TL, CCT)

Learning Objectives	Notes
7.1 To identify and describe the various chemical components of Canadian crude oil.	Students could prepare charts with names, chemical formulas and identifying physical and chemical characteristics of the major components of crude petroleum, including both hydrocarbons and other components (impurities, contaminants). Students should be aware, as well, that raw oil and gas is not all the same and that significant differences exist in the proportions of hydrocarbons and other substances produced from different wells and fields.
7.2 To describe the stages of processing necessary to create marketable natural gas from natural gas in its raw form as it comes from the wellhead, as well as the usual methods of handling, storing, or disposing of processing by-products.	Flaring of H2S, de-watering, removal of sulfur and CO2 are processes usually carried out at a gas plant in the production field. Students could investigate the major gas fields in Saskatchewan to discover which contaminants are prevalent in the gas from each. They could also compare raw gas from Saskatchewan with that from other localities.
7.3 To identify the two Canadian pipeline systems (crude oil and natural gas), their sources, tributaries and destinations.	Students could chart the pipelines on a map, including sources and destinations. They could also identify the companies that own the pipelines. Following up on activities from Module 1, students could investigate Saskatchewan companies such as SaskEnergy, TranGas and others and their roles in natural gas production and distribution.
7.4 To explain the mechanics of the movement of oil and gas through pipelines.	Students could examine how pipelines are sited and constructed (including in mountains and underwater), the diameter and thickness of the pipes themselves, the pressures and flow rates they must withstand, the methods of testing and the nature of pumping and pressure systems. They should be familiar with procedures for inspection and maintenance, including the use of Pipeline Internal Gauges (PIG). Students could try to construct working pipelines from soda straws and tape or glue, showing how they have tried to meet the sometimes conflicting requirements of efficiency, cost-effectiveness and safety. To get a feel for the dynamics of pipeline construction, students could try building model pipelines with plastic pipe and valves.
7.5 To explain the crude oil refining process and the methods by which specific end products, both fuels and petrochemicals, are created.	Consideration should be given both to heavy oil upgrading and to fractional distillation and its products. Flowcharting the path from crude oil to finished product is worthwhile. Students could do more detailed flowcharts of individual processes as part of a class project. As a followup, a comparison could be made of the values of various end-product commodities. From these, estimates could be made of the value added to crude oil or natural gas in the refinement process. If the class is not already familiar from science classes with the process of fractional distillation, a supervised team of students might be allowed to demonstrate the process in the chemistry lab.
7.6 To demonstrate familiarity with the companies that produce, refine and market petroleum products in Saskatchewan and Canada.	A class project could investigate oil, gas and petrochemical companies and their ownership. Students could begin with the local gas station and work back through refining and production. Company size and value can often be found on the Internet, as most companies are publicly traded.