Eternal Flames EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(not chosen)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
On a clear night (or day) as you look toward home, you can see
flames off in the distance that are constantly burning, leaving the
horizon aglow throughout your tour. The Greek historian Plutarch
(~100AD) noted such "eternal flames" in present-day Iraq.
Historians believe he was referring to natural gas seeping from the
earth that had been lit by lightening. At the coordinates above,
you can see such Eternal Flames, but they were lit this time by
man.
~ Formation of Oil / Oilfields / Natural Gas Reservoirs
~
The crude oil was generated from an organic mix of biological
organisms that lived millions of years ago. After the organisms
died and settled along the sea floor, their remains decayed and
were covered by sediment such as clay and/or mud. As the decay
becomes compacted, it is heated. Hydrocarbons form and are forced
into a bedrock layer that is more permeable (i.e. sandstone or
limestone). {It should not be a surprise then to find such a vast
amount of oil in southern Iraq, considering the area was covered in
marshes and bogs.} The oil will continue to migrate toward the
earth’s surface because it is not very dense. However, it may
become trapped by a layer that is not permeable (i.e. shale or rock
salt), thus creating a potential oilfield or natural gas
reservoir.
Iraq is estimated to have the world's third largest oil reserves in
the world. Within this area specifically, reports have indicated
that the oil actually seeps from the ground creating a “muddy
brown expanse, spread by spring rains, and peppered in all
directions by giant flames.” In addition to the crude oil
that is being collected in the nearby Zubayr and Rumaila Oilfields,
natural gas is also being released. However instead of harvesting
this natural resource, it is being burnt off instead in a process
known as “flaring”; which results in flames shooting
skyward up to 30 meters.
~ Local Oilfields ~ 
Additional Resources:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/02/24/34870-shutting-off-the-fires-conference-proposes-turning-pollution-into-profit-for-iraq/
http://www.menaflaringforum.org/docs/4-ISG_General_Presentation-CGGR_conference.pdf
To claim this earthcache, please follow the following steps:
1) Post picture to include flaring in the background. [Please
remain mindful of proper OPSEC when posting.]
2) Email answers to the following questions to the cache
owner:
Estimate how high the flames reach?
Utilizing the provided map, which oilfield do you think the flames
are originating from?
Why this particular field?
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)