Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

2015
Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1

EP1 How Oil Made Us Feb 10, 2015

From the moment we first drilled for oil, we opened a Pandora's box that changed the world forever. It transformed the way we lived our lives, spawned foreign wars and turned a simple natural resource into the most powerful political weapon the world has ever known. But when exactly did geology turn into such a high-stakes game? In this series, Professor Iain Stewart visits the places that gave birth to the earth's oil riches, discovers the people who fought over its control and supply, and explores how our insatiable thirst for oil is changing the very planet on which we depend. It's a journey that will help us answer a fundamental question - how did we become so addicted to oil in little more than one human lifetime?

EP2 The Carbon Wars Feb 17, 2015

By the early 1950s, a holy trinity of oil, plastics and fertilisers had transformed the planet. But as Professor Iain Stewart reveals, when the oil producing countries demanded a greater share in profits from the Western energy companies, the oil and gas fields of the Middle East became a focus for coup d'états and military conflict. In the North Sea, Prof Stewart recalls the race against time to find alternative supplies in the shallow, but turbulent waters both here and in America's Gulf coast. The offshore discoveries in the 1970 proved to be a game changer. It marked an engineering revolution; the moment when 'difficult' oil and gas (previously unviable sources) could be commercially produced from the ocean depths. It was the moment when Western Europe and the US finally unshackled themselves from their 20th-century energy security nightmare.

EP3 Climate Wars Feb 24, 2015

As we entered the 21st century, the world was guzzling oil, coal and gas like never before. Despite fears of 'peak oil', Professor Iain Stewart discovers that while huge technological advances are helping extend the life of existing oilfields, new unconventional oil and gas supplies like shale gas and tar sands are extending the hydrocarbon age well into the 21st century. Given there's plenty of fossil fuels still in the ground, the spectre of climate change has forced many to ask can we really afford to burn what's left? In this concluding episode, Iain Stewart argues we face a stark choice. Do we continue feed our addiction - suck Planet Oil dry - and risk catastrophic climate change, or do we go hell for leather for alternative energy sources; nuclear, renewables, to make the transition from our fossil fuel past to a low carbon future. In which case, how do we make that shift?
8.1| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 10 February 2015 Ended
Producted By: BBC
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02gzf5l
Synopsis

An excellent narration of oil industry since early days to 20th century and up to today. How oil changed the world and shaped our modern world today.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

BBC

Trailers & Images

Reviews

jeffinbath This was a good informative documentary with an intriguing perspective presented with Ian Stewart's inimitable enthusiasm. The criticism that a bit more could have been said about the process of transforming sea life to oil over geological time was not unreasonable. Nor was it unreasonable to point out that the great London smog of 1952 had little to do with the lack of oil use. However it certainly was to do with the ubiquitous burning of coal in Victorian style home coal fires. It led to the banning of ordinary coal burning and the adoption of smokeless fuel zones using coke or coal "brickettes" and encouraged central heating using oil or gas. I remember well the massive coke mounds outside the Battersea Power station with all 4 chimneys belching away. That coke was of course the product from extracting coal gas from massive amounts of coal to fill hundreds of those large "gasometers" all over the country. However as I understand it most of the sulphur containing compounds that cause smog had been removed from that gas. Our electricity grid was not a major smog creator.
gmb0553 I find myself loving everything this guy makes, but this is my best to date. It's not a science documentary - you'll need to watch an Open University program if you want details on the chemistry and engineering involved! This program gives you a thorough insight into oils massive role in our exponential rise to power and problems on this little planet. Follow this up with Adam Curtis's 'Bitter Lake' documentary (BBC) to get a more detailed understanding of the post WW2 phase leading to the current Jihadi situation. You'll have all the info you need to cut through confusing mess of politics and 'spin' so far offered to us. Knowledge is power :-)
aarone2884 The show starts off on the proposition of showing the history of oil including the geological and scientific history behind it too. And with the host Professor Iain Stewart, being a geologist i expected this. Unfortunately it felt like a children's education programme. There was not much in this show that i did not already know from children's encyclopaedias, or expect most people who have some basic history and science knowledge. First he shows us Shale, which is a rock that is an indicator of oil as it is a precursor to the product, so where you find shale, oil ought be close by. Unfortunately that was about it, no explanation of where all the living matter came from, and how it came to be concentrated, or how long it takes to form and the theory's.Then he discussed oil, broke it down to Oil, and Skunk oil. That was it, no explanation of Light crude and heavy crude. Just pointed to how things are from oil, like Nylon, polyesters, etc.. but not real explanation about them, for me this Then shows an Oil, well, shows how they stopped it from collapsing in the early days, yet.. no explanation on how it works and some of geological underpinnings of it, not even a graphic. The political side was a bit ho-hum really. Look at major events, but that was it, did not look at Venezuela, Brazil or Russia who is now the biggest producer of Oil. Also the conclusion that high oil prices made the UK have a smog alert in 1952 is not true. Coal is for electricity production , hence the smog. UK later changed to Nuclear electricity which would have have a much greater effect than oil, oil does not stop Smog, Catalytic converters do. The ending was weak, left us hanging with a talk on Global warming. Oil has had probably less impact on global warming than Brown Coal, OK it is still a Fossil fuel, but the show was about OIL. And finally, no future speculation. No question was put about "and as for the future of Oil?" Electric cars, Solar panels. Hydrogen fuel cells... all these possibly could impact on it. I can only make one suggestion, skip this doco, unless you know absolutely nothing about oil.