Mr. Alan W. WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what percentage of the crude oil is converted into soot when an oil well burns out of control;
(2) when crude oil burns out of control in an oil well fire, what proportion of the oil is converted into soot; and how effective the atomic carbon so released is at absorbing sunlight.
§ Mr. MoynihanI refer the hon. Member to the note produced by the Meteorological Office on the possible environmental impacts of burning oil wells in Kuwait, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The worst case scenario considered in the Meteorological Office's note is based on the assumption that 6 per cent. of the oil would be converted to black smoke. The note, however, records that the amount of smoke could be significantly less. The effectiveness of a smoke plume in absorbing sunlight depends on the details of combustion and dispersal.