Fact of the Day: 12/01/2022

Oil is used in many things, like cars and scooters. Where does the crude oil (oil from the earth) come from? It turns out that it’s actually formed from the remains of organisms that lived many years ago. According to eia.gov, “crude oil and petroleum . . . are mixtures of hydrocarbons that formed from the remains of animals and plants . . . that lived millions of years ago in a marine environment. . . . Over millions of years, the remains of these animals and plants were covered by layers of sand, silt, and rock. Heat and pressure from these layers turned the remains into what we now call crude oil or petroleum” (“Oil and petroleum products explained” par. 1).

Crude oil is considered a nonrenewable resource because it cannot be replenished easily. For this reason, and the fact that its extraction and use damage the environment, people are looking for other sources of energy. 

What examples or types of crude oil do you know?

Reference(s): https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/

Fact Author: Durga I.

Fact Editor: Ace

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