FOSSIL FUELS EXPLOITATION IN VIETNAM

Coal

This is one of the most essential resources of Vietnam to develop the economic and serve for our life, however, the coal mining speed increased rapidly leading to some troubles related to the environment, health-care system and electricity production. Firstly, coal mining caused negative impacts on our environment as The Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (TKV) did not invest in suitable production equipment and environmental restoration after mining; hundreds of square kilometers of forest were devastated, causing erosion, accumulating in rivers and streams, especially in Quang Ninh Province. Secondly,in Vietnam many power plants have to stop operating due to lack of coal. According to the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), the condition of providing coal to thermal power plants is still problematic because of lack of coal and low inventories. There are some factories such as Nghi Son 1, Vung Ang 1, Vinh Tan 2 and Duyen Hai 1 currently have only enough coal to run one unit at 60-70 percent capacity while the Hai Phong thermal power plants could have enough coal for one unit, forcing three others to stop operating. It was explained that many workers suffered from Covid-19 and coal import was difficult, leading to the coal mining fall in the first two months of the year. Coal-fired electricity generation will be critical during the peak heat of the dry seasons in 2022 so that Vietnam has made efforts to get over these difficulties by exploiting coal from domestic mines and importing coal for mixing.

Oil

Crude oil has brought many benefits to Vietnam's economic development. Vietnam owns 4.4 billion barrels of oil reserves which ranks 28th among countries with recognized oil reserves in the world. The potential of this resource was found out in 1986 when the first crude oil was exploited at Bach Ho field and was exported in 1987. In terms of oil exports, Vietnam currently ranks fourth in Southeast Asia. In the coming years, Vietnam's production is expected to remain around 340,000 bpd. On the other hand, the amount of crude oil imported by Vietnam far exceeds the amount of crude oil exported. The reason for this situation is according to a petroleum specialist, this is due to the sort of crude oil used. Each kind of crude oil has different properties and a type of crude oil produced by Vietnam is incompatible with the Dung Quat oil refinery, the country is forced to export in order to raise funds and purchase acceptable crude oil for processing. Moreover, in recent decades, crude oil output from the Bach Ho field has decreased, and certain fields have crude oil that is not compatible with the Dung Quat oil processing technology. Therefore, if a refinery produces other type of crude oil, they require more technology and workshops

Natural gas

Our country enjoys a fortunate geographical location, with a concentration of valuable mineral resources. Natural gas fields are being discovered at an increasing rate thanks to improved detectors and new technology. There are currently 24 natural gas fields, including those on land and on the ocean below.Despite the fact that our country has a large natural gas reservoir, it is gradually depleting due to bluffing and illegal exploitation. Gas fields were explored and a substantial amount of gas was taken away during the occupation. Therefore, we must now exploit this natural resource in the most cost-effective and reasonable manner possible.

Natural gas production in Vietnam is estimated to be between 9 and 10 billion m3. The majority of the gas extracted in the country is used to generate electricity (gas power plants). Vietnam is diminishing its gas production due to a decrease in domestic natural gas reserves. As a result, Vietnam will need to import additional LNG to supplement its power plant fuel supplies.

In conclusion, Vietnam is a rich-natural resources country which becomes a crucial factor for trade and economy. However, due to overexploitation, our nation suffered from lack of resources and had to import from other countries with high prices. To avoid natural resources becoming exhausted, we should take action by using renewable energy or the government should implement policies for acceptable exploitation.

By Tu Anh

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