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Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems pp 237–244Cite as

Fuel for the Future: Unlocking New Fuel Resources

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Abstract

With worldwide production of light crude oil reserves expected to last ~50 years, a global energy crisis may ensue. In fact, a recent report by the UK Energy Research Centre stated that ‘conventional oil production may peak before 2030 with a significant risk of a peak before 2020’ (October, 2009). Therefore, there is an increasing need to look towards the use of alternative fuel resources like the heavy/ super heavy crude oils and oil sands. In Canada and Venezuela there are vast oil sands (containing 2,100 billion barrels) that are already being exploited (Clemente and Fedorak, 2005). During oil sand refining, bitumen is extracted, which results in large amounts of contaminated waters (known as tailings pond water, TPW) being generated.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Max Frenzel for his technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK

    Richard Johnson & Corinne Whitby

Authors
  1. Richard Johnson
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  2. Corinne Whitby
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Correspondence to Richard Johnson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom

    Corinne Whitby

  2. Danish Technological Institute, Kongsvang Allé 29, Arhus, 8000, Denmark

    Torben Lund Skovhus

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Johnson, R., Whitby, C. (2010). Fuel for the Future: Unlocking New Fuel Resources. In: Whitby, C., Skovhus, T. (eds) Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9252-6_28

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