Petroleum is an indispensable energy source in our daily lives, and it is used to make various products such as gasoline, plastics, cosmetics, medicines, etc. In this article, I'm going to give you 10 interesting trivia about oil to give you a deeper understanding of this amazing liquid.
The formation of oil is a long process, and it takes millions of years. The raw material of oil is ancient organisms such as plants, plankton, algae, etc., which die in the ocean or lake, and are deposited in the sediment layer and mixed with other inorganic substances. Over time, these organic substances are buried deeper and deeper underground, subjected to high pressure and temperature, gradually decomposing and converting into oil.
Petroleum is a very important energy source and raw material that can be used to make a wide variety of products such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, lubricating oil, asphalt, plastics, synthetic fibers, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, perfumes, chewing gum, and many more. Even the electronic devices you are using are made from petrochemicals in petroleum. It can be said that oil is everywhere and everywhere.
The total reserves of oil refer to the amount of all the oil that exists in the ground, also known as petroleum resources. The recoverable reserves of oil refer to the amount of oil that can be extracted with the existing technical and economic conditions, also known as oil reserves. According to 2020 data, the world's largest oil reserve is Venezuela, with 304 billion barrels of oil reserves, accounting for 178%。China ranks 13th with 26.2 billion barrels of oil reserves, accounting for 15%。
Oil is extracted by drilling wells, which are drilled deep holes in the surface and then piped out of the ground. In the process of drilling, the drill bit needs to be cooled and cleaned with air, and the drilling well needs to be stabilized and sealed with mud. When drilling into the oil layer, the oil gushes out due to the pressure from the ground, and sometimes an oil injection well is formed, which is a phenomenon in which oil is spewed high from the wellhead. Oil injection wells are a sign of oil extraction, but also a waste, because oil will oxidize and volatilize with air contact, so now oil mining will use valves to control the flow of oil to avoid the appearance of oil injection wells.
Oil is transported in a variety of ways, mainly by pipelines, ships, trains, and trucks. Pipelines are an efficient and safe mode of transportation that transports oil directly from the place of production to the place of consumption or storage. The United States has 190,000 miles of oil pipelines, accounting for 40% of the world's oil pipelines. Steamships are a large-scale and low-cost mode of transportation that transports oil from one country or region to another. Trains and trucks are a flexible and convenient mode of transportation to transport oil from one location to another, especially where there are no pipelines.
The world's most expensive oil is Brent**, which is mined in the North Sea in the United Kingdom, and is a light and low-sulphur oil suitable for making high-quality oils such as gasoline and diesel. Brent is published by the International Petroleum Exchange (ICE) in London and is an important reference standard for the global oil market. Brent reached an all-time high of 147 per barrel in 200802 dollars, which is due to the growth of global oil demand, the depreciation of the dollar, tensions in the Middle East, etc. However, Brent's also fell to an all-time low of -37 per barrel in 2020$63, which is due to factors such as the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the decline in global oil demand, and the ** war between Saudi Arabia and Russia. This means that not only does the seller have no income, but also has to pay the buyer in order to unload the oil because there is not enough storage space.
Around 4000 BC, the Chinese began using oil as fuel, lubricants and medicines. Oil exploitation in China was also the earliest, around 1000 B.C., when people in China began drilling wells in bamboo tubes to pump oil out of the ground. Oil transportation in China was also the earliest, around 500 B.C., when people in China began to transport oil through bamboo pipes from the place of production to the place of consumption.
The world's largest oil field is the Ghawar oil field in Saudi Arabia, covering an area of about 2,600 square kilometers, equivalent to the size of 360,000 football fields. The oil reserves of the Ghawar field are about 70 billion barrels, equivalent to 5% of the world's oil reserves. The Ghawar field produces about 5 million barrels of oil per day, equivalent to 6% of global oil production.
The consumption of oil leads to a large amount of carbon dioxide emissions, exacerbating the problems of global warming and climate change. The extraction and transportation of oil can also cause oil spills and pollution, endangering the balance of the environment and ecology. The supply and demand of oil are also affected by many uncertain factors, such as geopolitics, wars, sanctions, terrorism, natural disasters, etc., which bring instability and risks to the human economy and society.
Oil is a non-renewable resource, which means that its reserves are finite and will become less and less as it is extracted and consumed. Therefore, human beings need to find some energy sources and raw materials that can replace oil to meet the growing demand while reducing dependence on oil and environmental impact. Some of the energy sources and feedstocks that can replace oil are:
Natural gas: Natural gas is a gas composed of light hydrocarbons such as methane, mainly in underground oil and coal seams, and can also be manufactured by anaerobic fermentation of biomass or electrolysis of water.
Coal: Coal is a solid hydrocarbon formed by ancient plants through geological processes, mainly in underground coal seams.
Nuclear energy: Nuclear energy is a kind of energy released by the fission or fusion of atomic nuclei, mainly in the underground uranium, thorium and other radioactive elements, can also be artificially made.
Renewable energy: Renewable energy is a kind of energy that is constantly replenished by nature, mainly in the sun, wind, water, geothermal, biomass, etc.
That's it for 10 interesting trivia I shared with you about oil, what do you think? Do you guys have any questions or stories about oil that you would like to know? Feel free to leave a message in the comment area, and I will try my best to answer you. If you like this article, please also give me a like and follow, so that more people can see it. Thank you for your ** and see you next time!