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Glossary of Terms:
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Aquifer: An underground sheet of permeable rock that groundwater runs through;
often a source of water for wells and springs.
Basin: A large, natural indentation in the land’s surface, usually
with a lake at its base.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS): The practice of taking carbon dioxide
emissions before they enter the atmosphere and storing them underground in perpetuity. Also
known as carbon sequestration.
Carbon dioxide (CO2): A colourless, odourless, non-poisonous
gas formed during respiration, combustion and organic decomposition.
Carbon tax: A compulsory measure where monetary value is imposed by governments
on burning fossil fuels. The measure is intended to force industries and consumers to adopt
more environmentally friendly practices.
Caprock: A solid rock, usually dome-shaped, which encases more dense layers
of rock.
Coal seam: An underground layer of coal.
Coal gasification: The process of transforming coal into fuel through the
reaction of coal, water and heat.
Combustion: The process of creating light or heat by reacting certain
chemicals with oxygen.
Ecological footprint: A measure of one’s personal emissions, such
as carbon and water use, and their impact on the environment.
Enhanced coalbed methane rrecovery (ECBM): Injecting CO2 and
nitrogen into coalbeds to release methane.
Enhanced gas recovery (EGR): injecting CO2into coalbed pores where trapped methane is released.
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR): Using different techniques, such as flooding
or carbon dioxide injection, to extract otherwise inaccessible oil from underground deposits.
Flooding: Injecting substances such as CO2, steam or water to push oil
towards the wells.
Flue: A duct where gases, fluids or air pass.
Flue gas: An assortment of gases passing through a flue.
Greenhouse gasses: Gas in the atmosphere, such as water vapour, carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that create a greenhouse effect, trapping heat near the
Earth’s surface.
Immiscible CO2: CO2 injections make oil swell and
become more viscous, improving oil flow.
Injection: A method of forcing gases or liquids into wells using pressure.
Marly: A geological layer made of near-impermeable dolostones.
Miscible CO2: CO2 injections combine with the crude
oil to become one mixture.
Natural gas reservoirs: Large underground pockets where natural gas collects.
Oxyfuel combustion: A type of CO2 capture system that uses oxygen, or
a combination of oxygen, water and CO2.
Postcombustion: A system that captures CO2 after combustion.
Precombustion: A system that captures CO2 before combustion.
Saline aquifers: A layer of porous rock that holds an abundance of salt
water.
Sandstone: A sedimentary rock formed mostly of sand grains.
Sink: Reservoirs that process carbon naturally, such as forests and oceans.
Solvent: A chemical agent that can dissolve or weaken other substances.
Sour gas: A foul-smelling, toxic and flammable natural gas that contains
hydrogen sulphide.
Vuggy: A geological layer made of permeable limestone.
Water alternating gas (WAG): A method of flooding that switches between
water and gas injections to maximize oil recovery.
Wellbores: A long hole drilled into the ground for oil production; also
called a borehole.
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