Where does oil come from?

 

Oil comes from ancient organic materials, primarily the remains of tiny plants and animals (such as plankton) that lived in oceans millions of years ago. When these organisms died, they sank to the ocean floor and were buried under layers of sediment. Over millions of years, the heat and pressure from these layers transformed the organic material into oil and natural gas.

Here’s a brief overview of the process

Accumulation

Tiny marine organisms die and settle on the ocean floor, mixing with mud and sand.

Burial 

Over time, layers of sediment build up, burying the organic material deeper.

Heat and Pressure

As the organic material is buried deeper, it is subjected to increased heat and pressure. This causes chemical and physical changes, transforming the material into a waxy substance called kerogen.

Formation 

With more heat and pressure, the kerogen is further broken down into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons, forming crude oil and natural gas.

Migration 

The newly formed oil and gas move through porous rocks until they become trapped in reservoirs by non-porous rock layers, forming an oil reserve.

Extraction 

Oil companies drill into these reservoirs to extract the oil and bring it to the surface for refining and use.

This process takes millions of years, which is why oil is considered a non-renewable resource.