Baghdad – IA
The Secretary-General of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Haitham Al-Ghais, warned of the repercussions of the disappearance of oil in the future.
Al-Ghais said in an article seen by the (INA), “If oil disappears tomorrow, there will be no jet fuel, gasoline, or diesel, and cars with internal combustion engines, buses, and trucks will be stranded, airplanes will stop, and freight and passenger railways that carry them will stop.” Diesel-powered, people will not be able to go to work, children will not be able to go to school and the shipping industry, which transports goods and passengers, will be devastated. There will be no point in calling emergency services, and the majority of ambulances, fire engines, police cars, rescue helicopters and vehicles will be Other emergencies are down.”
He added: “Most phones and computers will also disappear because their plastic components are derived from oil, so it will be difficult to find a way to communicate with emergency services,” noting: “The construction sector will also stop, as diesel-powered vehicles will break down, and excavators, bulldozers, dump trucks, and cranes will remain.” Cement mixers, vibrating rollers and compact cranes are out of service, and it will not be possible to build new homes or buildings or carry out vital maintenance work.”
He continued: “If oil disappears tomorrow, petroleum products will disappear with it, and this would affect the production of electric cars, and with supply chains disrupted, the structure of lithium batteries will also be affected, as the lithium battery consists of four parts, and the separators are microporous membranes, made Usually from petroleum-based polyethylene or polypropylene products, the petroleum-derived synthetic rubber used in car and bicycle tires will cease to exist,” he said, noting that “if oil disappeared tomorrow, food production would be affected. Many vehicles necessary in agriculture – tractors, mowers Lawns, harvesters, balers, sprayers, and seeders will stop working, and the food containers needed for storage and preservation will not be available. Petroleum coal, a by-product of oil refining, is used as a feedstock in the manufacture of synthetic fertilizers, which are important in increasing crop productivity. This will likely result in food shortages.
He went on to say: “If oil disappears tomorrow, it will be catastrophic for health services everywhere, employees will lack the ability to move, and basic supplies will be stranded,” pointing out that “oil is an essential raw material for medicines, plastics, medical supplies, latex gloves, and pipes.” Medical, medical syringes, adhesives, some bandages, antiseptics, hand sanitizers, cleaning supplies, prosthetics, artificial heart valves, resuscitation masks, stethoscopes, MRI scanners, insulin pens, injection bags, drug packaging, face masks, equipment Personal protection is largely derived from petroleum-based materials.”
He stated, “The equipment used in medical research, such as microscopes, test tubes, and protective glasses, usually contains components derived from petroleum. The chemical structure that produces aspirin begins with benzene derived from petroleum. The benzene is converted into phenol, which in turn is converted into salicylic acid, then… It is converted into acetylsalicylic acid, which the world knows as aspirin, and it is difficult to imagine a modern hospital without this group of essential petroleum products.”
He continued: “If oil disappeared tomorrow, the renewable energy industry would be affected. The fiberglass and plastic needed to build most wind turbines would disappear, the ethylene used in the production of solar panels would disappear, and most mining vehicles – the large trucks, rotary drilling rigs and rock drilling rigs needed to extract minerals – would disappear. The mission on which the production of solar PV plants, wind farms and electric vehicles depends is disrupted. If oil disappeared tomorrow, homes would be affected beyond recognition, there is a possibility that some roofs would collapse if bitumen was a major product, and other materials used in Insulating homes. If homes rely on heating oil for heating, there will be no heating and linoleum and tile floors and wall paint in particular will be affected. The production of furniture, pillows, carpets, curtains, dishes and cups made from petroleum-derived products will likely be affected. Keeping homes clean will be a challenge.”
He continued: “If oil disappears tomorrow, the production of laundry detergents and dish detergents will be affected. They are usually derived from petroleum products. Soap, toothpaste, hand wash, deodorant, shampoo, shaving cream, glasses, contact lenses, combs, and brushes all usually contain… On products derived from petroleum, and getting to anywhere will be difficult, as the asphalt that paves the roads and pedestrian walkways will disappear. If oil disappears tomorrow, we will lose millions of jobs, tax revenues for some countries will be depleted, industrial production will shrink, and global economic growth will shrink. The plight of those suffering from energy poverty will worsen, and this is not the complete list of everything that could be affected in the world, in such a scenario that is as yet unimaginable.”
He explained, “Despite all these facts, there are still those who demand stopping oil and gas production and not investing in the oil and gas industry. Everyone bears responsibility for dealing with the issue of climate change, and everyone wants to succeed in reducing emissions,” stressing that “OPEC and its member states believe With technological solutions that can certainly contribute to reducing harmful emissions, the oil industry is serious about this issue and is capable of making a difference in it.”
He concluded by saying: “In the end, care must be taken not to destroy the present in order to preserve the future, while the future will still depend on this industry and damage to it poses a threat to the future.”