Oil Industry.pdf

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THE OIL INDUSTRY AUDIOSCRIPT

Listen to a radio news report about the future demand for energy.

Optional exercise: P ut the items in the order they are mentioned. (Answers below)

A. The good news about the increase in demand

B. The name of a new report on energy

C. The negative impact on the environment

D. The reasons for the increase in demand for energy

E. The risks associated with importing energy supplies

F. What governments need to do

Presenter 1 Next on today’s news, a report just published today by the International Energy Agency predicts a sharp

increase in demand for oil and gas over the next 30 years. Our reporter Shahina Jamal has more details.

Shahina World Energy Outlook is the name of the annual report published by the Parisbased International Energy

Agency. It contains some interesting predictions and looks at the implications for the world’s energy supply. According to the

Outlook, "Fossil fuels will continue to dominate global energy use.” And the world’s reliance on oil and gas is expected to

increase sharply.

With me today to talk about the report is Professor David Jones from the Energy Research Institute in London. Professor

Jones, where will this surge in demand come from?

David The IEA predicts that global energy demand will soar by nearly 60% over the next 30 years. And the forecast suggests

that more than two thirds of the increase will come from developing countries, principally India and China, as a consequence of

their fast economic growth. This growth will include a massive rise in the levels of car ownership.

Shahina What are the implications of this huge increase in demand?

David Well, on the positive side, there is still more than enough oil and gas in the ground to meet this growing demand until

2030 and beyond. But there is also an obvious downside: The rise in carbon dioxide emissions and the impact this will have on

the world’s climate.

Shahina In fact, the report predicts a 55% rise in emissions over the next 30 years.

David Yes, that’s right. Most of this rise will come from cars, lorries and power stations.

Shahina What are the other issues raised by the IEA’s report?

David One important point is the issue of energy security. It’s likely that the world will become more vulnerable to disruptions

in supply. You see all the countries that are big consumers of energy this now includes China and India can’t produce

enough energy domestically. And so they are becoming more and more dependent on oil and gas imports. And these imports

come from a very small group of distant producer countries, some of which are politically unstable. The Outlook predicts more

risks because wells and pipelines could be closed or tankers could be blocked by piracy, terrorist attacks or accidents.

Shahina The report concludes that governments have an important role to play.

David Yes, that’s right. Changes could be achieved by firstly improving efficiency of energy use and secondly by increasing

the use of nuclear and renewable power sources. The bottom line is that technological advances are needed to radically

change how we produce and use energy, and governments need to be the driving force behind the search for new energy

supplies.

Shahina Thank you Professor Jones. Now back to the studio.

ANSWERS: 1B, 2 D, 3 A, 4 C, 5 E, 6 F

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