Adequate Power Without Pollution
Authors: Mayo Alfred M. , Convers Charles C. , Barth Paul O. 
Published: December 2007

This paper was prepared for the Second Biennial Symposium on Environmental Conservation presented by the Evangeline Section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, to be held in Lafayette, La., Nov. 13–14, 1972. Permission to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. Illustrations may not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL paper is presented. Publication elsewhere after publication in the JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY or the SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS JOURNAL is usually granted upon request to the Editor of the appropriate journal provided agreement to give proper credit is made. provided agreement to give proper credit is made. Discussion of this paper is invited. Three copies of any discussion should be sent to the Society of Petroleum Engineers office. Such discussion may be presented at the above meeting and, with the paper, may be considered for publication in one of the two SPE magazines.

Petroleum products are rapidly becoming more valuable as chemicals than as fuels. Critical energy shortages are becoming a reality. Hydrogen generated economically from water can be used as a pollution-free energy source for pollution-free energy source for transportation and mobile applications as well as for domestic and industrial purposes. oxygen and ozone, by-products of hydrogen generation, can be used to purify sewage and polluted water. Nuclear fueled power plants can provide the necessary prime plants can provide the necessary prime energy. Available distribution systems can be converted to handle the new fuels. Technology from petroleum and aerospace research and development can provide a base for gradual and orderly conversion to a pollution-free closed cycle power economy. pollution-free closed cycle power economy

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to describe an opportunity for the petroleum industries to participate in the "adequate power evolution". Such an evolution is power evolution". Such an evolution is needed by the nation if our energy needs are to be fulfilled. The plan presented provides a way of moving from our present provides a way of moving from our present fossil fueled, ecologically imbalanced, supply-limited, energy conversion system to an ecologically balanced, closed-loop, energy conversion system that is also economically feasible.

The petroleum industry has the skilled people and the basic facilities to assume people and the basic facilities to assume the major role in this evolution. Many avenues for corporate growth are available to alert entrepreneurs.

One need only read the newspapers to see that the "energy industries" are under fire from many quarters. The growth in the national energy appetite is outrunning available supplies; various political postures inhibit access to foreign supplies; postures inhibit access to foreign supplies; dedicated environmentalists prevent tapping many known reserves and locating new sources; and available hydrocarbons are beginning to command a higher price for their chemical content than for their raw energy content. Also, one of the major users of petroleum products, the automobile, is the major contributor to the rate at which we are polluting the atmosphere.

In this paper, we have attempted to make a positive and practical contribution toward dealing with a number of these problems. problems.