What happens as a result of space created deep underground by pumping out oil and gas.Will earth collapse?

Answer 1

Good question.
It depends on the structure. Horrible thing happened in the past when prospecting companies pressurized deposits causing faults in nearby crusts. Pumping out is a bit less problematic however should not be taken lightly.

Answer 2

There is no need to panic. The Earth is so large that no matter how much space is created by extracting oil and gas, it will have very little (and I mean very very little) effect on the stability of the Earth. Besides, we all know that fossil feul will run out before the turn of the next century. So we haven't really even spent all that much time drilling or digging holes underground.

Another thought worth noting is that fossil fuel like gas, oil and coal are created from dead animals and plants like the dinosaurs. These fossil fuels only reside in the upper crust of the Earth (since that where all the dead dinosaurs are), so there's very little chance that a few holes in the Earth's upper crust will affect the Earth's stability as a whole.

Answer 3

No, not really. There is water everywhere. You know, 2/3 of the earth is covered by water. It seeps down to fill the void.
So, don't worry - the ground you are standing on is not going anywhere. Water finds its own level and fills the areas to keep balance. Nature is beautiful, isn't it? It is so forgiving even though we abuse it a lot.

Also -

Do you know the earth's crust is barely a few miles deep? It is still molten lava beneath that crust. Oil comes from the crust portion of Mother Earth. She will keep on giving. But there is a limit of course, and we should start worrying about it now and find alternate sources and renewable energy. We, as human race, are burning oil way too fast.

Therefore, the oil we take out will not affect earth in anyway.

Answer 4

One of two things happens - the pore space re-fills (either with groundwater or with oil from surrounding rocks) or the pore space collapses. This does not usually happen catastrophically - more like slow subsidence and compaction over time. This same question was asked a couple of days ago... this is a copy of my answer (cut-and-paste) Oil in underground reservoirs fills the voids in sedimentary rocks. The oil is usually in equilibrium with the surrounding rocks as far as pressure is concerned - which means that well pressures in deep wells can be 4000-5000 psi. (The rock at depth supports the weight of all the rock over it, so pressures are high. When you remove the pressure by producing the oil or gas, the pores that used to contain the hydrocarbon are often crushed by the weight of the overlying rock. The entire ground subsides - but since these pores are usually in the size range of hundredths of an inch to an inch or so, you do not usually see big craters forming with buildings disappearing. Rather, whole basins tens or hundreds of miles across just slowly sink as the rocks at depth start to compress. Believe it or not, this is thought by many to be the cause of New Orleans sinking. The Gulf has been such a prolific producing area for so long, the ground is subsiding at a rate of about three eighths of an inch per year - which over a century adds up. The oil companies disagree with the cause of the subsidence. The basins containing oil are naturally subsidence areas (which is why all that organic matter got buried so deep in the first place) so it is hard to figure out how much subsidence is related to the production itself, and how much due to the underlying natural tectonics of the area. One clue to the answer might be Las Vegas - subsiding in this case due to the pumping of huge amounts of groundwater. This is not a naturally subsiding area; rather, the overproduction of groundwater resources is emptying the natural aquifers, depressing the water table, and allowing the pore spaces to compact. The magnitude is up to about an inch per year, meaning that it is not unreasonable to speculate that the New Orleans subsidence is largely production related.

Answer 5

I,ve wondered the same thing for a long time but with different thoughts in mine...the boiling temp of water is 212 degrees and the temp of oil is way up there check at http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/onlcourse/chm110/outlines/distill.html as far as putting water back seams to me that it would cause the expansion of the earth with possible blowing up and out (like a boiler gone critical) and the cooling effects of the oil is lost, causing not only from above sun global warming but now with true globe scale warming, and the EPA bitches when you pour oil ( as in from an oil change in your car) back in the ground, where the heck did it come from in the first place? I say that they should use it and put it back letting it reform and be re used and they should quit contaminating it with water which will seap and contaminate other ground waters making this plant UN livable now these are my own thoughts and what do i really know? I know I'm not taking their word when there in it for profit today and screw tomorrow cause they wont be here The links don't have the answers to you question but they are interesting information hope you find the answer and let us know before its to late

Answer 6

Mining a serious cause for small earthquakes.If the mining cavity is not filled by oil or gas from other underground sources ,earth will cave in.There are many cases men trapped in coal mines.It may apply to oil and gas fields also.

Answer 7

no. the earth will not collapse. The oil is found in the outer crust of the earth. Lava from volcano's come from much deeper depths than gas and oil, and it has been doing that for decades and the earth is still there.

Answer 8

Oil is the lube between the crust and mantle. Removeing the oil makes the earth hotter from increased friction.

Answer 9

After decades of pumping water from aquifers in Arizona for farming numerous fissures formed as the ground settled. If you search for "aquifer collapse" you'll find articles and studies to refer to. Most aquifers are in porous rock and if they do settle after being pumped out it's rare that any deep sink hole forms.

Answer 10

Thats a great question,probably,better yet why is it there,is it a mechanism that cools the friction of the earth,is it part of the warming effect of the earth when it's removed .Good ? don't know!