Petroleum facts for kids
Petroleum, (from Greek πέτρα - rock and έλαιο - oil) also called crude oil, is a thick and black liquid. It is a natural material mainly made of hydrocarbons. Most petroleum is found by drilling down through rocks on land or off-shore on the continental shelf. Major producers are in the Middle East, the Americas, and Russia. It is the most important world fuel source. It supplies 38% of the world's energy and is also used to make petrochemicals.
Crude oil is a mixture of many different chemicals, mostly hydrocarbons, most of which burn well. It is separated into simpler, more useful mixtures by fractional distillation in oil refineries to give separate chemicals such as gasoline (or petrol) for cars, kerosene for airplanes and bitumen for roads. The bitumen gives crude oil its dark black colour; most of the other chemicals in crude are slightly yellow or colourless.
Petroleum can be easily transported by pipeline. Treated petroleum can be used as fuels; mainly gasoline (petrol) for cars, diesel fuel for diesel engines used in trucks, trains and ships, kerosene fuel for jets and as lubricants.
Contents
How did it form?
Millions of years ago tiny plants and animals lived in the oceans. Phytoplankton (microscopic plants) and zooplankton (microscopic animals) were particularly important. Think of the ocean teeming with these tiny lifeforms. These organisms died and their remains sank to the seabed. Layers of mud and sand built up on top, creating immense pressure. This pressure compacted the layers, like squeezing a sponge. Crucially, these layers buried the organic matter in an environment with little or no oxygen (anaerobic). This prevented the complete decomposition of the organisms. Imagine it as a kind of natural preservation process.
Over millions of years, the increasing pressure and heat deep within the Earth changed the organic matter. The immense pressure squeezed the water and gases out, leaving behind a thick, oily substance – petroleum.
Petroleum, being less dense than water, often migrates upwards through porous rocks (rocks with tiny holes) until it gets trapped beneath an impermeable layer of rock (a layer that doesn't allow liquid to pass through). This is similar to water accumulating in a sponge, but the sponge is underground and the water is petroleum.
Today, humans use advanced techniques to locate and extract petroleum from these underground reservoirs. We drill wells deep into the Earth to reach these reservoirs and bring the oil to the surface.
What's petroleum used for?
Petroleum is incredibly versatile. It's not just the gasoline in your car. It's used to make thousands of products we use every day!
- Gasoline and diesel fuel: This is perhaps the most well-known use. Petroleum is refined (processed) to separate the different components. Gasoline powers cars and airplanes, while diesel fuel powers trucks, buses and ships.
- Plastics: Many plastics are made from petroleum. Think of your toys, bottles, and even your phone case!
- Asphalt: This is used to make roads and pavements. Every time you drive on a road, you're driving on a product made from petroleum.
- Lubricants: Petroleum is used to make oils and greases that lubricate machines, making them run smoothly.
- Medications: Some medications and medical equipment are made using petroleum-based products.
- Fertilizers: Petroleum is used in the creation of fertilizers that help our crops grow.
- Cosmetics: Some cosmetics contain components derived from petroleum.
History
Petroleum, in one form or another, has been used since ancient times. More than 4300 years ago, bitumen was mentioned when the Sumerians used it to make boats. More than 4000 years ago, according to Herodotus and Diodorus Siculus, asphalt was used in the construction of the walls and towers of Babylon; there were oil pits near Ardericca and Babylon, and a pitch spring on Zakynthos.
The use of petroleum in ancient China dates back to more than 2000 years ago. By 347 CE, oil was produced from bamboo-drilled wells in China.
In the 7th century, petroleum was among the essential ingredients for Greek fire, an incendiary projectile weapon that was used by Byzantine Greeks against Arab ships, which were then attacking Constantinople. Crude oil was also distilled by Persian chemists, with clear descriptions given in Arabic handbooks. The streets of Baghdad were paved with tar, derived from petroleum that became accessible from natural fields in the region.
The world's first oil refinery was built in 1856 by Ignacy Łukasiewicz in Austria.
The demand for petroleum as a fuel for lighting in North America and around the world quickly grew.
The first oil well in the Americas was drilled in 1859 by Edwin Drake at what is now called the Drake Well in Cherrytree Township, Pennsylvania. There also was a company associated with it, and it sparked a major oil drilling boom.
Oil exploration in North America during the early 20th century later led to the U.S. becoming the leading producer by mid-century. As petroleum production in the U.S. peaked during the 1960s, the United States was surpassed by Saudi Arabia and the Soviet Union in total output.
The top three oil-producing countries as of 2018 are the United States, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. In 2018, due in part to developments in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, the United States became the world's largest producer.
About 80 percent of the world's readily accessible reserves are located in the Middle East, with 62.5 percent coming from the Arab five: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Qatar, and Kuwait.
The numbers behind petroleum
The numbers associated with petroleum are staggering. Millions of barrels of petroleum are produced and consumed worldwide every single day.
- Global production: The amount of petroleum produced globally varies year to year, fluctuating with market demands and technological advancements in extraction. In recent years, global production has been in the range of 80-100 million barrels per day (a barrel is approximately 159 liters).
- Global consumption: Similarly, global consumption mirrors production, with fluctuations depending on economic activity and energy demands. Millions of people rely on petroleum-derived products daily.
- Reserves: Geologists continually survey and estimate the amount of petroleum remaining in the earth. The numbers are constantly updated and vary based on exploration, but trillions of barrels of petroleum are believed to still be in reserves.
- Price fluctuations: The price of petroleum is influenced by many factors, including global supply and demand, geopolitical events, and the strength of various national economies. You’ll often hear about the price of oil in the news. It's a really important element in our global economy.
Environmental effects
As of 2018[update], about a quarter of annual global greenhouse gas emissions is the carbon dioxide from burning petroleum (plus methane leaks from the industry). Along with the burning of coal, petroleum combustion is the largest contributor to the increase in atmospheric CO2.
Ocean acidification is the increase in the acidity of the Earth's oceans caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. This increase in acidity inhibits all marine life—having a greater effect on smaller organisms as well as shelled organisms.
Crude oil and refined fuel spills from tanker ship accidents have damaged natural ecosystems and human livelihoods in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, the Galápagos Islands, France and many other places. Oil spills at sea are generally much more damaging than those on land, since they can spread for hundreds of nautical miles in a thin oil slick which can cover beaches with a thin coating of oil. This can kill sea birds, mammals, shellfish, and other organisms it coats. Oil spills on land are more readily containable if a makeshift earth dam can be rapidly bulldozed around the spill site before most of the oil escapes, and land animals can avoid the oil more easily.
Alternatives
In 2018 road transport used 49% of petroleum, aviation 8%, and uses other than energy 17%. Electric vehicles are the main alternative for road transport and biojet for aviation. Single-use plastics have a high carbon footprint and may pollute the sea, but as of 2022 the best alternatives are unclear.
Images for kids
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Octane, a hydrocarbon found in petroleum. Lines represent single bonds; black spheres represent carbon; white spheres represent hydrogen.
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Structure of a vanadium porphyrin compound (left) extracted from petroleum by Alfred E. Treibs, father of organic geochemistry. Treibs noted the close structural similarity of this molecule and chlorophyll a (right).
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Some marker crudes with their sulfur content (horizontal) and API gravity (vertical) and relative production quantity.
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World map with countries by oil production (information from 2006–2012). -
Petroleum Exports by Country (2014) from Harvard Atlas of Economic Complexity. -
Oil exports by country (barrels per day, 2006). -
Oil imports by country (barrels per day, 2006). -
Shale bings near Broxburn, 3 of a total of 19 in West Lothian.
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This wartime propaganda poster promoted carpooling as a way to ration vital gasoline during World War II.
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Brazilian fuel station with four alternative fuels for sale: diesel (B3), gasohol (E25), neat ethanol (E100), and compressed natural gas (CNG)
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Unconventional resources are much larger than conventional ones.
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A hydrocarbon trap consists of a reservoir rock (yellow) where oil (red) can accumulate, and a caprock (green) that prevents it from egressing.
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See also
In Spanish: Petróleo para niños
