Where does crude oil come from?

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khamar | 3 years, 4 months ago

Most oil on Earth probably originated as marine microorganisms. Very large masses of them, buried quickly and separated from oxygen over millions of years begin to break down into less complex organic structures. The largest hydrocarbon oils (asphalts) slowly break down into smaller ones at 50°- to 100°C. Greater temperatures result in even smaller (gas) products. If these oils are not trapped during the process, but instead reside within porous rock or geology - we can pump or extract the resultant mixture as crude oil.

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ssharon | 3 years, 4 months ago

There is an estimated 2 trillion barrels of crude oil on earth. It is beneath both land and sea masses in many shapes. So far we have extracted about 1 trillion barrels and have done so primarily from easy to get to wells. As technology has advanced we see more horizontal drilling and more deep sea drilling to get harder to access oil because demand is so high.

The oil itself is the natural result of years and years of extreme pressure and temperature.

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