Finding Oil Lab
Goal: The goal of this lab is to practice being a geologist.
Your group is a team of geologists from the consulting firm KGS (Kearny Geological Solutions) hired by BP to find likely oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. You will use simulated seismological data from that region, and your knowledge of how oil forms, to recommend a location for you client to drill.
Part 1
You will be given a set of data taken by the KGS field team. They have conducted a seismic survey and processed the data to calculate the speed of sound in various layers of rock.
Your Job: Calculate the density of the rock at each grid point.
To do this, you need to know how to convert the speed of sound at that grid point to the density at that grid point. Luckily, you know the following.
Goal: The goal of this lab is to practice being a geologist.
Your group is a team of geologists from the consulting firm KGS (Kearny Geological Solutions) hired by BP to find likely oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico. You will use simulated seismological data from that region, and your knowledge of how oil forms, to recommend a location for you client to drill.
Part 1
You will be given a set of data taken by the KGS field team. They have conducted a seismic survey and processed the data to calculate the speed of sound in various layers of rock.
Your Job: Calculate the density of the rock at each grid point.
To do this, you need to know how to convert the speed of sound at that grid point to the density at that grid point. Luckily, you know the following.
1. What are some conditions required for there to be oil o natural gas production in the earth?
High levels of heat and pressure.
2. Approximately how long does it take oil to form?
200 million years.
Materials:
1. Lettuce
2. Measuring cup
3. Bags
4. Refrigerator
5. Markers
6. Thermometer
Procedure:
1. Measure two cups of lightly crushed iceberg lettuce
2. Place one cup of lettuce in a zip lock bag and label the "warm". Do the same for the other cup of lettuce and label it "cold".
3. Distribute the lettuce along the bottom of each bag and roll them to remove as much air as possible. Seal each bag.
4. Unroll and observe each bag now and each day for the next two weeks. See the observations lab sheet.
5. Place the bag labeled "cold" in the fridge.
6. Note the temperature of the temperature of the fridge and the room.
Lab Questions:
1. What conditions are required for oil or natural gas to form are being reproduced in this lab? Which conditions are not?
Conditions that were needed were temperature and the ones that weren't needed was the time period in which oil was really created.
2. What changes did you observe?
The cold bag was preserved longer where as the warm bag basically turned into a liquid.
3. What do you except caused these changes?
The temperature was the biggest influence.
4. Was there any difference between the "warm" and "cold" bag? How do you think this relates to oil and natural gas formation?
The warm bag was really just a glimpse into the future of the cold bag because it had rotted more. It relates to oil formation because in both cases heat speeds up the process.
High levels of heat and pressure.
2. Approximately how long does it take oil to form?
200 million years.
Materials:
1. Lettuce
2. Measuring cup
3. Bags
4. Refrigerator
5. Markers
6. Thermometer
Procedure:
1. Measure two cups of lightly crushed iceberg lettuce
2. Place one cup of lettuce in a zip lock bag and label the "warm". Do the same for the other cup of lettuce and label it "cold".
3. Distribute the lettuce along the bottom of each bag and roll them to remove as much air as possible. Seal each bag.
4. Unroll and observe each bag now and each day for the next two weeks. See the observations lab sheet.
5. Place the bag labeled "cold" in the fridge.
6. Note the temperature of the temperature of the fridge and the room.
Lab Questions:
1. What conditions are required for oil or natural gas to form are being reproduced in this lab? Which conditions are not?
Conditions that were needed were temperature and the ones that weren't needed was the time period in which oil was really created.
2. What changes did you observe?
The cold bag was preserved longer where as the warm bag basically turned into a liquid.
3. What do you except caused these changes?
The temperature was the biggest influence.
4. Was there any difference between the "warm" and "cold" bag? How do you think this relates to oil and natural gas formation?
The warm bag was really just a glimpse into the future of the cold bag because it had rotted more. It relates to oil formation because in both cases heat speeds up the process.