Oil and gas conservation : Scenario & simple measures

T Dharmavir Singh *

Oil And Gas Conservation Fortnight at Hotel Imphal on Januray 15 2013 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Today the human civilization is sustained by the availability of fuel. In third world countries like India where use of unconventional energy sources is still at primary stage, there is a heavy dependence on the conventional sources of energy like coal, oil & gas.

It is estimated that by 2030 India will be the 3rd largest energy consumer in the world after China and United States. With 17 % of the world population and less than 1% of the global oil reserves India faces a critical situation with regards to the supply of oil and gas.

With a projection of 7-8% economic growth, the demands for commercial energy is much more than indigenous supply. The urban population which was only 15% in 1970 grew to 33 % percent in 2008 and is likely to reach 50% by 2030. Urban areas have higher density of population and higher utilization of energy sources thus putting more pressure for their sustenance. Also due to lack of scientific approach to energy and infrastructure, electricity and water are heavily wasted which is an avoidable loss.

Let us take a look at the various sectors which are consuming the various fuels. The industrial sector accounts for 40 % of the commercial energy demand. The energy demands in Iron and steel, chemical and petrochemicals, food, paper and textiles, remains the main drivers of investor energy demand. Coal which is the main fuel for industries has sustained industries and is expected to grow from 30 % in 2005 to 41 % in 2030. The share of electricity is also expected to rise from 18-31% due to large scale penetration.

Transport sector in India is growing at the rate of 16 % per annum which is next only to China. Increasing vehicular population contributes to high consumption of petroleum products. It is established through research that by adopting suitable techniques and attitude, 20-25 % energy can be saved.

Vehicular population grows the 83 Million mark in 2007 and expected to cross 300 million by 2030. This sector consumes about 40 % of the petroleum products. Internationally countries with high vehicle population have their own fuel economy standards but in India there is a wide variation in the fuel consumption models, resulting in higher emissions.

The residential sectors is growing at the rate of 1.5 % per annum where 56% of the cooking needs are met through LPG, where again there is a huge loss.

The coal availability in India is only 10.5 % but is of poor quality .Indian coal has a heating value of 4500 Kcal per KGs compared to 6000 Kcal per Kg internationally. It also has 30-50 % ash content which makes it unsuitable for Iron and steel making.

The oil reserve in India is only 0.4% of the world oil reserves and it needs to import about 120 Million Tonnes of crude oil mostly from middle east and west Africa. The need for India to import the oil has a heavy cost – USD 233 Billion.

The Govt. of India, considering the above issues set up the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) in 1978.

It proposes policies and strategies on Petroleum Conservation through mass media campaigns, printed literature, seminars and training programs. It observes the Oil & Gas Conservation forth night every year from the 15th to the 31st of January under the aegis of MOPNG to spread the message of conservation through a vast no. of activities.

Today, we stand here to create awareness among the younger generation regarding oil and gas conservation as it is there future that will face the crisis due to unavailability of oil and gas. We here suggest some simple steps that if imbibed in our daily life will contribute a lot in this endeavor of conservation.

CONSERVATION ON ROADS

1) Keep your vehicle properly tuned, and it can get from 6 to 20 percent better mileage.

2) Keep your tires aligned and inflated properly. You should check your tire pressure once a month. Having tire pressures that are too low can increase your use of fuel by 3%

3) Replace your air filter.

4) If you are not using your roof-racks, take them off! They add to drag. Unnecessary weight in your car can also take away from good mileage.

5) Another way to start good fuel conservation is to plan ahead. Combine your errands into one trip.

6) Think about riding your bike, walking, riding the bus, or carpooling when possible and reasonable.

7) Drive smoothly at an optimum speed. Your fuel usage will greatly decrease when you are driving at speeds above 45-55 kmph. Besides, you will have a safer drive.

8) Avoid rapid accelerating. In fact, you ought to let up on the accelerator (by driving slower), and when you use the accelerator, use it gently. There is a reason why it is called “stepping on the fuel.”

9) Relax your driving style. Do not drive aggressively. Accelerate slowly. Driving less aggressively can lessen your fuel conservation by 30-40 percent.

10) Do not tailgate because it will lead to unnecessary braking and then acceleration.

11) Do not idle. Modern cars no longer need to warm up to run.

12) Turn off your car when you are waiting for someone.

13) Your use of the air conditioner lessens your fuel economy, as well, especially if you use it at 40 kmph or more. Why not just open the window to cool off?

14) Using overdrive will lessen your fuel consumption while on the highway.

15) Drive at the highest appropriate gear.

16) Fill up your car with petrol early in the morning and on cooler days. The colder the petrol is, the more compact it is… you will therefore end up getting more mileage for your money.

17) Use public transport instead of using personal transport, if possible and convenient.

CONSERVATION AT HOME/ OFFICE/ INDUSTRY

1) While cooking use wide bottom vessels with covers

2) Share a common kitchen in a joint family and eat together to avoid repeated warming of food.

3) Light the flame when ready for cooking.

4) Use vessels with proper size and shape which should be made of good conductor metal.

5) Pour sufficient water in the vessel for cooking.

6) Pressure cookers should be used with separators to cook items simultaneously.

7) Adjust the flame as per the requirement.

8) To reduce the cooking time and fuel, the cereals and dals, first soak cereals and dals.

9) Frozen or cold items should not be put directly on the stove. The same should be kept out of refrigerators to settle at the normal temperature.

10) Use solar appliances like cooker, solar water heater. For illumination, use electric lamps or solar lanterns in place of kerosene.

11) The machinery such as generators and boilers etc being used at offices or in industry should be fuel efficient. The equipment should be as per the load requirement so that optimum use of the fuel is derived there from. These should be regularly serviced and overhauled.

12) Similarly, the furnaces and kilns wherein oil or gas is fired should have an approved design or structure for the better performance and optimum use.

According to various estimates, if we continue to consume the energy sources at the present rate, the world fuel reserves will last till 2050 AD only. If that happens, our next generation will face the biggest problem of fuel crisis. Let us save fuel not only for our sake, but for the same of our future generation.