The Origin and Formation of Oil Explained Simply and Clearly!
1. What is oil made from?
Oil is made from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago.
In particular, tiny sea creatures, like plant plankton and animal plankton, are the main materials.
For example, more than 100 million years ago, during the age of the dinosaurs, Earth was home to plenty of plankton and small creatures living in the oceans and lakes.
When these creatures died, they sank to the bottom of the sea or lake, and that’s what would eventually become oil.
2. How is oil formed?
1. Plankton remains accumulate on the seabed
The dead plankton mix with sand and mud and build up layer by layer on the bottom of the sea or lake.
This process continues for thousands, tens of thousands, even millions of years.
2. Pressure and heat cause changes
As time passes, more sand and mud pile on top, and the weight from above applies pressure to the dead plankton below.
At the same time, heat from inside the Earth reaches these remains, triggering chemical changes.
This chemical process is the most crucial step in oil formation!
The organic matter gradually transforms into a substance called “kerogen.” Kerogen isn’t oil just yet, but as it undergoes further changes, it eventually turns into oil or natural gas.
3. Differences in temperature create oil or gas
Interestingly, the type of fuel that forms depends on the temperature.
In lower temperatures, kerogen mainly turns into oil.
However, in higher temperatures, kerogen changes into natural gas.
So, in areas underground with lower temperatures, more oil forms, and in deeper, hotter areas, more natural gas is created.
3. Where oil accumulates
The oil that’s formed doesn’t just scatter around underground; it gathers in specific places.
These places are called “oil reservoirs,” and oil collects in sponge-like structures of rock found underground.
But oil doesn’t just come to the surface by itself because it’s trapped under layers of “impermeable rock,” which acts as a barrier to keep the oil contained.
4. How oil is extracted
Once oil forms underground, the next step is extracting it. This is called “oil drilling.”
1. Finding where the oil is
First, geological surveys are conducted to find where oil is located.
Techniques like seismic wave exploration or gravity surveys are used to explore the ground beneath us.
These methods help identify where oil reservoirs are.
2. Drilling oil wells
Once the oil’s location is determined, oil wells are drilled.
This process involves digging hundreds, sometimes thousands, of meters deep into the ground.
Using drills, the goal is to reach the spot where the oil is stored.
3. Oil can gush out naturally
When the oil well reaches the oil, the pressure underground can cause the oil to gush out naturally.
This is known as a “gusher,” and you might have seen it in videos or movies before.
The scene where oil bursts out dramatically is exactly this moment.
However, if the oil doesn’t come out easily, pumps are needed to bring the oil up.
These large machines suck the oil from the reservoir.
Oil is used in all aspects of our lives, but it’s also a limited resource on Earth.
That’s why it’s essential to use it wisely, considering the impact on the environment!
(Note)
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