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Facts About Fossil Oil

Facts About Fossil Oil thumbnail
Crude oil, processed into gasoline, powers countless vehicles every day.

Fossil oil may remain deep underground for millions of years before finding a second life in modern industrial applications. Once processed, this oil powers vehicles, paves roads, and provides many other materials for our everyday use.

  1. Definition

    • Fossil fuels are defined by BionomicFuel.com as materials left behind by fossilized plants and animals that can serve as fuel sources. Two common types of fossil fuels are coal and fossilized oil, or crude oil.

    Formation

    • Scientists believe that a combination of pressure and heat over millions of years caused fossil oils and coal to form.

    Location

    • While the Middle East holds 63 percent of the world's known crude oil reserves, the American Petroleum Institute (API) states that fossil oil sources exist all over the world.

    Removal

    • Drills break through the rock layer over the oil and pump about 30 percent of the oil to the surface, according to the API. Flooding the well or heating the rock can squeeze out another 20 percent of the oil. The rest of the oil remains in the rock.

    Processing

    • Oil refineries distill the oil into different weights. The lightest hydrocarbons become propane, butane and petrochemicals, followed by gasoline and other liquid fuels. The heaviest-weight hydrocarbons become waxes or asphalt.

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  • Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Nam Nguyen

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