SUSTAINABLE USE AND PRODUCTION OF ENERGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

It is foreseen that oil and gas will continue to be the key energy sources in the 21st century. Therefore, it is important that oil and gas be produced in a sustainable way during the next decades. This requires technology development to ensure that the environmental impact and pollution from these activities are minimal. The following aspects are being highlighted in this paper: • Development of projects with the minimum of impact on the environment and problems for local populations. • Sustainable drilling without the use of oil-based mud, and collection of all drilling waste during offshore drilling operations in the most environmentally sensitive areas. • Treatment of produced water, sand and minerals from the well stream to avoid pollution. • Limitation of flaring to be performed only when required for safety reasons. • Continuous checking of pipelines to ensure that gas pipelines are run within their actual pressure capacity and that oil pipelines are not leaking into rivers and lakes. • Provision of sufficient storage capacity for gas to ensure timely delivery of gas during high demand peaks