AQA A-Level Geography Paper 2 Case Studies
Questions with Answers 2025
Egypt's Suez Canal, March 2021 (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Ship the length of 4
football pitches blocking one of world's busiest trading routes
Caused oil price to sky rocket as many important oil shipments stuck
France and Jersey (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-French government warned it could
cut electricity to Jersey after row over post Brexit fishing rights (Jersey receives 95% of electricity from
France)
Ukraine and Gazprom (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-State owned Russian energy
company Gazprom tried to double price of gas supplies to Ukraine because Russia accused Kiev of not
paying bills
Ukraine says Russia trying to seize Ukraine through economic aggression after failing to do it through
military aggression
Somali piracy (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Piracy in the Indian Ocean could disrupt
global oil supplies
Somali pirates using over 20 stolen vessels as mother ships to launch attacks in the region
Situation out of control which may strangle crucial fishing lanes with the potential to severely disrupt oil
flows to world
Somalia has had no functioning central government since 1991
US fuel pipeline hackers (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Cyber criminal gang took
major US pipeline offline which carries 2.5 million barrels a day- 45% of the East Coast's supply
Hackers said they only mean to make money and not problems for society
BP key facts - correct answers-Energy TNC based in the UK
- Operates in almost 80 countries
- Employs 84500
- Economic value= $359.8 billion. Higher than some LIC's so very powerful and influential company
- Produces 3.2 million barrels of oil a day
- Vertically integrated (controls all elements of business)
BP positives - correct answers-- Employs 84500 directly across the world
- Diversifying into solar energy- increased stake in Lightsource BP venture in December 2019 to become
50-50 joint venture
, - In 2020 it is moving further into the green energy sector and stated to be net carbon zero emissions for
upstream operations by 2050
BP negatives - correct answers-- In 2005, one of BP's biggest refineries in Texas exploded causing 15
deaths. Later found that maintenance and safety has been cut at plant to save costs
- In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded causing 11 deaths
and a massive oil spill which threatened the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. BP had
to pay $20 billion in damages
How has the UK's energy consumption changed - correct answers-Increased due to population increase
and economic development
Decreased in recent year as energy efficiency and a change in industry type has reduced energy demand
UK energy use by sector - correct answers--Transport has grown to be biggest due to greater car
ownership and growth in air travel
- Homes stayed relatively still at 2nd largest as growth in population and development but also energy
efficiency
- Industry declined due to deindustrialisation or moving abroad
- Services stayed at the same low rate as service sector grow but energy efficiency increased
UK energy mix - correct answers-Mostly consists of oil (transport) and gas (domestic use) at 75%.
Majority of the rest is made up of renewables and nuclear. Coal decreasing in quantity and is set to be
phased out by 2025
UK electricity mix - correct answers-Use a lot of natural gas (fossil fuel) which has harmful effects but not
as bad as others e.g. coal and oil. Also is only a finite resource so price will increase over time as we
move past resource peak
How does the physical environment affect availability of energy in the UK - correct answers-Climate-
Windiest country in Europe and by 2030 more than 1/3 of energy from wind. Solar growing but still
small proportion. Both seasonal and intermittent
Geology- Import uranium for nuclear. Coal found in deep mines but cheaper from abroad. Oil and gas
found offshore in North Sea but imports still needed
Drainage- Limited potential for HEP but used in times of peak demand
Bakken Formation, North Dakota background - correct answers-Formation of rock which contains oil and
gas occupying about 200000 square miles, located in USA and Canada. US geological survey estimated
recovery of 7.4 billion barrels of oil causing a boom of oil production since
Bakken Formation distrubution - correct answers-Has been distributed by train but led to environmental
and safety concerns. Illustrated by 2013 Lac-Megnatic rail disaster in which a train carrying 77 tank cars
Questions with Answers 2025
Egypt's Suez Canal, March 2021 (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Ship the length of 4
football pitches blocking one of world's busiest trading routes
Caused oil price to sky rocket as many important oil shipments stuck
France and Jersey (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-French government warned it could
cut electricity to Jersey after row over post Brexit fishing rights (Jersey receives 95% of electricity from
France)
Ukraine and Gazprom (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-State owned Russian energy
company Gazprom tried to double price of gas supplies to Ukraine because Russia accused Kiev of not
paying bills
Ukraine says Russia trying to seize Ukraine through economic aggression after failing to do it through
military aggression
Somali piracy (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Piracy in the Indian Ocean could disrupt
global oil supplies
Somali pirates using over 20 stolen vessels as mother ships to launch attacks in the region
Situation out of control which may strangle crucial fishing lanes with the potential to severely disrupt oil
flows to world
Somalia has had no functioning central government since 1991
US fuel pipeline hackers (disruption to energy pathway) - correct answers-Cyber criminal gang took
major US pipeline offline which carries 2.5 million barrels a day- 45% of the East Coast's supply
Hackers said they only mean to make money and not problems for society
BP key facts - correct answers-Energy TNC based in the UK
- Operates in almost 80 countries
- Employs 84500
- Economic value= $359.8 billion. Higher than some LIC's so very powerful and influential company
- Produces 3.2 million barrels of oil a day
- Vertically integrated (controls all elements of business)
BP positives - correct answers-- Employs 84500 directly across the world
- Diversifying into solar energy- increased stake in Lightsource BP venture in December 2019 to become
50-50 joint venture
, - In 2020 it is moving further into the green energy sector and stated to be net carbon zero emissions for
upstream operations by 2050
BP negatives - correct answers-- In 2005, one of BP's biggest refineries in Texas exploded causing 15
deaths. Later found that maintenance and safety has been cut at plant to save costs
- In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded causing 11 deaths
and a massive oil spill which threatened the coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. BP had
to pay $20 billion in damages
How has the UK's energy consumption changed - correct answers-Increased due to population increase
and economic development
Decreased in recent year as energy efficiency and a change in industry type has reduced energy demand
UK energy use by sector - correct answers--Transport has grown to be biggest due to greater car
ownership and growth in air travel
- Homes stayed relatively still at 2nd largest as growth in population and development but also energy
efficiency
- Industry declined due to deindustrialisation or moving abroad
- Services stayed at the same low rate as service sector grow but energy efficiency increased
UK energy mix - correct answers-Mostly consists of oil (transport) and gas (domestic use) at 75%.
Majority of the rest is made up of renewables and nuclear. Coal decreasing in quantity and is set to be
phased out by 2025
UK electricity mix - correct answers-Use a lot of natural gas (fossil fuel) which has harmful effects but not
as bad as others e.g. coal and oil. Also is only a finite resource so price will increase over time as we
move past resource peak
How does the physical environment affect availability of energy in the UK - correct answers-Climate-
Windiest country in Europe and by 2030 more than 1/3 of energy from wind. Solar growing but still
small proportion. Both seasonal and intermittent
Geology- Import uranium for nuclear. Coal found in deep mines but cheaper from abroad. Oil and gas
found offshore in North Sea but imports still needed
Drainage- Limited potential for HEP but used in times of peak demand
Bakken Formation, North Dakota background - correct answers-Formation of rock which contains oil and
gas occupying about 200000 square miles, located in USA and Canada. US geological survey estimated
recovery of 7.4 billion barrels of oil causing a boom of oil production since
Bakken Formation distrubution - correct answers-Has been distributed by train but led to environmental
and safety concerns. Illustrated by 2013 Lac-Megnatic rail disaster in which a train carrying 77 tank cars
