Oil

Oil is a substance that can refer to several different products of natural processes. It is divided into oil the fossil fuel and the oils produced by living creatures. Fossil fuels were created hundreds of millions of years ago in the Paleozoic Era, which was part of the Carboniferous Era. It was a time of lush flora; forests, swamps, and seas full of algae. When this plant life died, it sank to the bottoms of these bogs and oceans forming a thick spongy layer called peat. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html As the years passed, layers of sediment composed of sand, clay and other minerals settled over the peat and eventually formed into rock. These many layers of rock began to compress the carbon based peat over millions of years until the water was eventually squeezed out of it. This compressed mixture would become oil, as well as coal, petroleum and natural gas.http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html

Oil derived from living sources can be found in either plant life, or in fish and marine mammals. Plant oils can be divided roughly into two categories: Essential Oils and Fixed Oils. Essential oils are sourced from the non-seed parts of plants, such as the leaves, roots or stems, and are referred to as volatile. These oils have been used for thousands of years to make deodorants, perfumes, flavors, antiseptics and pharmaceuticals. Fixed, or "fatty", oils are derived from the seeds, nuts or vegetables of plants. http://www.castoroil.in/reference/plant_oils/plant_oils.html Fixed oils are more recent in their production and usage, but have become an important part of daily life as edible oils, animal feed and used in various industrial processes. http://www.castoroil.in/reference/plant_oils/plant_oils.html

Oil and petroleum have been used for a large variety of purposes over the centuries. Ancient Sumerians, Assyrians, Egyptians and other middle eastern civilizations collected oil from seeps, where the oil has leaked up from the ground below. They used liquid oil to treat wounds, and burned it in lamps to provide heat and light. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html

In North America, natives collected oil by skimming it off the surfaces of water, and then used it in various medicines and to waterproof canoes. George Washington learned from the natives how to use oil to treat frostbite, and put the technique into effect in the Revolutionary War. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html

After the first oil well was discovered in North America, it quickly became one of the most important sources of fuel. Wells were dug all over the continent, and once found the oil was extracted by pumps and placed in wooden barrels. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html This unprocessed material is referred to as crude oil, and it is a good starting point for various other products due to it containing hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are molecules that contain hydrogen and carbon in various structures and sizes, and these chains contain large amounts of energy. These molecules are exceedingly versatile, which is why they can be turned into other products or used for fuel. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/oil-refining1.htm

In modern times, crude oil first has to be refined before it can be used as gasoline or fuel. In the processing it is now made into an enormous amount of products that are bought everyday. Almost all plastic is derived from oil, as well as various fertilizers, clothes and of course fuel. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter08.html