By Julian Salazar Velásquez
Editor. Note: Julián Salazar Velásquez, geologist and petroleum engineer with a decades-long career in the oil industries of Mexico and Venezuela, is a leading educator and free-market energy advocate. He is the author of many articles and Gerencia Integrada de Campos de Hidrocarburos” (2020), an overview of the oil industry value chain. His four-part worldview began yesterday and continues in Part III and Part IV.
Part II: Hydrocarbons: Curse or Blessing?
The campaign against fossil fuels by environmental groups has attracted funding from Russia (Figure 3) to reduce competition from oil and gas in the regions of Europe, Canada and the United States, according to a 2017 report in the National Journal of Austin Yack. His investigation revealed that in 2012 an attempt was made to grant Chevron a license in Bulgaria to explore and produce shale gas. However, due to objections from environmentalists who allege pollution of aquifers, the Bulgarian government agreed and banned fracking. Russia then awarded Bulgaria a contract for the supply of natural gas at a 20% discount.
A similar experience happened in Romania in 2013 when fracking had to be banned due to environmental protests. These actions have reinforced the European Union’s energy dependence on imported Russian gas, which is transported through the gas pipeline network that fuels the entire European continent.
In the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and the united support of the European Union in the face of this aggression, there has been a Russian threat to cut off gas supplies, which will make serious supply and energy problems arise. shortage to face the winter of this year 2022.
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With the rise of protests against the use of fossil fuels, a new trend in Europe, especially in the United Kingdom, is vandalism and public nuisance by Just Stop Oil aimed at drew attention to the widespread use of petroleum and its derivatives as fuel. . At least this propaganda has had mixed results. (Figure 4)
Based on the above aspects, as an expert related to the oil industry, I reflect on this situation and ask myself: Is this a fad, or is it the start of an increasingly escalating dispute with fossil fuels as a curse for humanity instead of a blessing?
I deeply regret the well-organized, well-funded effort to turn mineral energy into a curse on humanity. In Venezuela, a group calls oil “devil’s excrement,” makes industry insiders like us look like some strange creature.
This reflection is based on empathy for the slogans promoted by the Left world and its partners around the fashion themes of “global warming” or “climate change” as it is now called, with very beautiful dreams of saving the planet or “Mother Earth” by protecting the environment and making us greener, such as: “energy conversion”, “green and renewable energy”, “decarbonization”, “net zero”, “non-fossil”, “CO2 isolation,” and many others have led to authoritarian state policies in industrialized countries, and even in less industrialized countries that have nothing to do with these issues. All of which I see as a threatening future for the industry, and more importantly, for the reversal of humanity’s progress, the first signs are already being felt.
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Based on the above, I wonder:
Are the proponents, advocates and activists of this “anti-oil” strategy and action aware of the benefits that fossil fuels have and continue to bring to the world?
Many people, including experts involved in the oil industry, sympathize with the idea, which is constantly being spread on the media and social networks, that countries should stop using fossil fuels as soon as possibleto save the planet from global warming by CO2 emissions.
Is this possible? Or will it pull us to the same stats that humanity had in pre-industrial times?
I concluded that this would be a real disaster, similar to situations where promoters stick with an unworkable project, which is then implemented and changed without addressing the negative consequences. pole. The case I experienced in Venezuela was pathetic.
I get the impression that these advocates, advocates and activists are unaware of the drag on prosperity; Therefore, I am inspired to write and educate about the great benefits of oil, gas and coal for the development and progress of mankind as well as the happiness of modern life. The real enemies of freedom and prosperity are simple slogans:just stop oil”, “no new oil”, “net-zero”, “power switch,” et cetera.
Consider the benefits of more than 6,600 petroleum-based products that bring comfort and quality to modern living.
1. Plastic industrywith packaging products, bottles, bags, cups, disposable products, plus the machinery and fuel that move it.
2. Food industry, starting with the fuel that powers the operation of agricultural machinery, transportation, production, distribution and storage of food; as well as fertilizers and other products derived from hydrocarbons that we use as containers, in the preservation and refrigeration of our food.
3. Hygienic industryfrom the very beginning with the machines and fuels that move it and the products for our daily consumption like: soaps, lotions, toothpaste, shaving, dermatology, hair care, shampoos detergents, deodorants, kerosene, paraffin products and extremely household cleaning products.
4. Pharmaceutical industrystarting with equipment and manufacturing machines that create drugs, vitamins, cosmetics and medical supplies, which are not readily available that endanger our lives.
5. Textile industryin the early stages with fuel put into operation to create petroleum-based products for synthetic clothing, dyes, raincoats and synthetic footwear.
6. Construction industryprovides the infrastructure and housing to house our families, from the machinery and fuels that help them move and products used such as asphalt, insulation, plastic pipes, cement synthetic cement, glue, paint, waterproofing, heating and cooling equipment, furniture, kitchenware such as refrigerator components, gas stove, non-stick coating, plastic box, ..
7. Road, sea and air transportation industry Fuel is needed to move and parts and accessories are mostly made of petroleum products in the form of: plastic parts, bodywork, pipes, cables, tires, fluids and interiors.
(Continued Part 3)
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