INCREASE IN RISK AND COST FOR POLLUTION CONTROL IN PETROLEUM INDUSTRIES IN 21st CENTURY AND NEED FOR TECHNOLOGY UPGRADATION

摘要

Inherently petroleum industries are involved with a high risk and environmental threat. Protection of earth's vital environment by turning petroleum industries eco-friendly is a call of the present time which will decide our fate in the 21st century. If we do not do so, the risk is great and the cost of environmental pollution control will be mammoth. Ramifying effects would be difficult to control afterwards. Moreover, progressively stringent emission standards have led to an exhorbitant increase in the cost of pollution control.The technology should be upgraded by continuous research for cheaper and eco-friendly processing and applications. We must achieve the twin goals of zero pollution and negligible cost of pollution control by different methods viz. converting nitrogen oxides to nitrogen and carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide using zeolite catalyst, by stabilising carbon dioxide into biomass, by sulphur recovery from sour petroleum etc. The approach also has the following additional points to ponder:1. Population explosion and poverty are limitations on pollution control.2. Silting of rivers, flood situations, arms race are also threats.3. Increasing gap between rich and poor causes stress on socio-environmental balance.4. To transfer and hive energy from space to the earth for minimising the use of petroleum.5. To find the sinks for balancing global warming.