Ukraine struck Russia’s largest oil refinery, located in the city of Omsk, on Monday, marking what its forces say was its furthest-ever drone attack in the war.

The Omsk facility, which processes about 21 million tons of oil a year, is in Western Siberia and about 1,700 miles from Ukrainian territory — roughly the distance between Los Angeles and Houston.

  • merdaverse@lemmy.zip
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    2 months ago

    We need some research into how effective drone strikes against refineries are to stop climate change. Are they a net gain in carbon emissions, considering the cost of manufacture and the prevented emissions?

    • goferking (he/him)@lemmy.sdf.org
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      2 months ago

      Gotta make it worse.

      There’s the emissions from while it’s on fire plus some of the chemicals in it are worse after being burned like that then in regular emissions. Or become other environmental issues on their own once released/burned.

      Then the emissions from building a new one.

      It’s so much better to just shut it down because no one needs it than blow them up

      • Olgratin_Magmatoe@slrpnk.net
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        2 months ago

        Then the emissions from building a new one.

        In Russia’s case, depending on how things go, that many not apply all that much.

        If things go far enough it might lead to Ukraine striking construction sites of oil refineries. Still not great, but much less worse than an actual running refinery.

      • RaoulDook@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Also on the comparison of “on fire” vs used as fuel - IDK about the emissions during the refining process, but when gas or diesel is burnt as fuel in a car, there are typically several emissions control systems reducing the pollution produced

        • nlgranger@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I doubt the majority of engines consuming oil are euro-5 compliant: cargo ships, airplanes, military vehicles, electricity generators, water heaters, tractors, none of these typically use catalytic converters.

    • frongt@lemmy.zip
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      2 months ago

      Well, the oil is going to get burned eventually, so it’s a question of “burn the refinery now” or “continuously burn oil from ongoing production now and in the future”.