Difference between revisions of "Petroleum"

Revision as of 22:05, February 18, 2009

Petroleum, named for "rock oil", is a fossil fuel usually found deep within the earth, although some deposits are very close to the surface.

It is a heavy dark liquid, consisting of many different hydrocarbon compounds. Crude oil is extracted from the ground and fractionated into its components by volatility in an oil refinery. Some of the main products distilled from crude oil are:

The following table^[1] compares the qualities of various types of petroleum:

Fraction	API gravity	Viscosity (mp)
Gasoline	60	6
Kerosene	50	20
Diesel	45	100
Lubricating oil	30	500
Residuum	10	>10⁵

Oil deposits are often found in concurrence with natural gas in a variety of geological structural or stratigraphic traps.

Geologists have deduced that petroleum is the remains of huge amounts of algal material that was laid down millions of years ago, and altered in form under high temperatures and pressures. Layers of buried plant material tend to produce coal or lignite.

A minority belief is that petroleum is synthesized naturally by unspecified underground processes, slowly rising towards the surface for our use.

↑ Stainforth, J., Nourse, R. & Nosiara, M., 2007, Basin Oriented Geology - Petroleum Systems Module Course Manual.

[1] Stainforth, J., Nourse, R. & Nosiara, M., 2007, Basin Oriented Geology - Petroleum Systems Module Course Manual.

[1]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 The following table<ref>Stainforth, J., Nourse, R. & Nosiara, M., 2007, ''Basin Oriented Geology - Petroleum Systems Module Course Manual''.</ref> compares the qualities of various types of petroleum:
-{| class="wikitable"
+{| {{prettytable}}
 | align=left bgcolor=lightgrey | '''''[[Fraction]]'''''
 | align=center bgcolor=lightgrey | '''''[[API]] gravity'''''
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 | align=center | >10<sup>5</sup>
 |}
-== Origins ==
 Oil deposits are often found in concurrence with [[natural gas]] in a variety of geological structural or [[stratigraphy|stratigraphic]] traps.
-Petroleum has an organic origin, being generally believed to be formed from the remains of vegetable material.
+[[Geologists]] have deduced that petroleum is the remains of huge amounts of algal material that was laid down millions of years ago, and altered in form under high temperatures and pressures. Layers of buried plant material tend to produce [[coal]] or lignite.
-Secular [[geologists]] have contended that petroleum is the remains of huge amounts of [[alga]]l material that was laid down millions of years ago, and altered in form under high temperatures and pressures. Layers of buried plant material tend to produce [[coal]] or [[lignite]].
-Creationary geologists believe that petroleum was formed from organic material buried during the [[Great flood|Noachian flood]].
-Recently, researchers have shown that natural gas can form rapidly<ref>O’Donnell, E. 2005. “Rocks into Gas.” Harvard Magazine 107, no. 4.</ref>, and that some is still being formed.
-This gives support to the creationary view.  If this research is supported it would refute the idea that fossil fuels are diminishing.{{fact}}
-==References==
+A minority belief is that petroleum is synthesized naturally by unspecified underground processes, slowly rising towards the surface for our use.
-{{reflist}}
 [[category:geology]]

Difference between revisions of "Petroleum"

Revision as of 22:05, February 18, 2009

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