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PetroleumBy: Luis and Axel
What is Petroleum?
Petroleum is a thick and flammable liquid that can be found naturally throughout our planet. It usually consists of hydrocarbons and mixtures of different gases. varying from yellow to black in color, petroleum can be split into many different fractions like gasoline, kerosene, lubricant oils, and paraffin wax. Petroleum is considered a fossil fuel which means its an un renewable source of energy. What this means is that in some point of time petrolium can run out as an energy source for us. To be exact petroleum is what remains of Phytoplankton (microscopic algae) 50 to 150 million years ago. Petroleum has a smaller density than most rock types, because of this it shifts towards the surface where it is trapped by non porous rock.
● Petroleum is one of the most important fossil fuels we have. ● The most important use that we have for it is energy. Petroleum is an
energy source that the world economy can benefit from. Energy is such a big part of our lives, and petroleum is what contributes to it. It is used to generate electricity, gasoline, heating, etc.,which is all used in everyday life.
● Petroleum is not only used for energy but for many other things as well. Petroleum is used to make a variety of everyday products. One important product is plastic, which is used immensely in today’s society. Petroleum is very important in today’s society that in the United States alone, 6.89 billion barrels of petroleum products were consumed in the year 2013.
● Petroleum is a very demanded resource around the world. All sorts of actions identify with it. That of conflict, consumerism, etc.
● Petroleum is also very important because of the massive number of jobs associated with it. Petroleum is a huge market. Millions of people are employed to extract, manufacture, refine, ship, contract, etc petroleum.
● It is also very important because the use of petroleum dictates where a country stands.
Why is Petroleum so Important?
Some Background...● Petroleum has been around for ages. It has contributed to countless
innovations. It has been used in many ways throughout world history. Some notable occasions include:
1. 450 BC - Near Babylon, Herodotus describes oil pits2. 325 BC - Alexander the Great used petroleum in order to light up his
torches to scare his enemies.3. 347 AD - The Chinese say they were able to drill holes in the ground
using bamboo in order to extract oil.4. 1273 - Marco Polo recorded people in the Persian City of Baku, extracting
oil and using it for medicine and lighting.5. 1807 - Streets in London are lit using oil.6. 1816 - The US Gas manufacturing industry starts.7. 1861 - The first recorded shipment of oil. Shipped from Pennsylvania to
London on the “Elizabeth Watts.”● As one can see there were many instances of petroleum being used
throughout the centuries. Petroleum was widely used all over the world. The boom in petroleum/oil consumption and demand came across in the 19th and 20th century. At this time many oil sites and industries rose to prominence.
● One of the first if not the first oil extraction site took place near Titusville, Pennsylvania. George H. Bissell, along with others purchased land near this location after being told by Dr. Benjamin Silliman of Yale University, that the oil there would be great for light.
Background Continued...
● Edwin L. Drake was also a part of the group, and was the one who employed the expert salt driller, William Smith. William Smith was in charge of overseeing the drilling operation.
● On August, 1859 they struck oil at a depth of 69 ft. Of what we currently know, this was the first time oil was tapped using a drill right at it’s source.
● There was a huge boom in oil industries and many more people such as John D. Rockefeller took advantage of this, as well as others.The oil/petroleum and industry just kept growing larger and larger.
● The Ford Model T which was introduced in 1908,was a great factor in this oil boom. As cars such asthis one were produced in large numbers, with the help of the assembly line, demand for gasoline andother petroleum products increased dramatically.
Key PlayersLouis Evans - Discovered petroleum deposits off of the eastern seaboard of the English Middle colonies at this time.John Austin - While traveling to Austria John found a way to upgrade a lamp that uses kerosene, by doing this the American oil industry boomed Samuel Downer Jr. - He became the man to patent kerosene in 1859 as the trade name and licensed it for usage.Pennsylvania rock oil company - The company was the first oil company established to collect oil in a nearby river. however this company would turn out to be one of the main faces of the history of petroleum for becoming the first company to tap oil directly from its source using a drill in 1859.John D. Rockefeller - Rockefeller was in important figure when it comes to thinking of petroleum as a whole because of how he was able to profit from it so amazingly. He became a leading figure in the oil industry in the U.S after creating his own oil company. Edward L. Doheny - Doheny discovered the first well near modern day Los Angeles in 1892. 5 years later there was twenty five hundred wells and nearly 200 wells.States - All the following states had major oil and petroleum wells found in the U.S: Texas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and even our own state Colorado.
How accessible is it?Oil today is quickly turning into a very rare commodity. According to a global estimate there is about 53.3 years of gas left at the current consumption rate. However this estimate is not 100% accurate because it doesn't take into consideration any undiscovered oil reserves or any errors. The declining amount of oil available is without a doubt something to keep in consideration. We can see by the increase demand in oil that it is not a resource that will always be available.
From what we know we see that developing countries have a large amount of resources like petroleum. A lot of controversy surrounds this specific topics in rewards that people believe that developed countries attempt to exploit some of these developing countries in order to get this diminishing resource. One such example of this is the U.S war on iraq.
Petroleum Products● Petroleum is everywhere. It is used
make all sorts of things, and used in a variety of ways. It is very commonly used for materials such as plastic and rubber. Some other examples include:
1. Ink2. Toys3. Dolls4. Balloons5. Milk Jugs6. Curtains7. Insecticides8. Yarn9. Lipstick10. Carpeting11. Shaving cream12. Nail Polish13. Safety Glass14. Hair Coloring 15. Fishing Rods
● Aside from these many products, there are obviously some major ones. Gasoline for example. It is a widely used resource thats get us around. It is a very important resource that in the modern day is used tremendously. We use it in cars, ships, planes, motorcycles, etc.
● We also use petroleum for electricity to power of world.
16. Fertilizer17. Heating18. Solvents
Effects of Petroleum
● When dealing with petroleum there are many consequences both economically and environmentally. ● When gasoline is burned it releases high amounts of Carbon Dioxide, along with other toxic gases.
Because Carbon help to regulate Earth’s atmosphere, it can greatly affect the climate.● Petroleum also contains sulfur and nitrogen compounds. If this reacts with the environment it can cause
poisonous substances that all organisms surrounding it.● Mistakes always occur. One of the most impactful consequences of petroleum are oil spills. These oils
spills affect marine life, which in turn affects human as well.● Ways to prevent these problems are by regulating how petroleum is transported. We need to make
regulations to assure atrocities such as oil spills do not happen. We must also regulate how much of this fossil fuel we use. If we use them in high quantities it can
degrade earth tremendously.● Petroleum also creates social conflict. Wars are fought in order to
secure petroleum. Financial issues come into play with oil. We must learn how to distribute oil properly, make fair and just trading agreements, and basically just learn how to solve these problems without using violence as an excuse to do this.
Recent Events/ DisastersThe Gulf of Mexico oil spill is considered the worst oil spill in U.S history and one of the worst in the history of the world. On April 20, 2010 the DeepWater Horizon exploded, killing 11 people in the process. The explosion however also had a catastrophic effect on the environment. About 3.19 Million barrels of oil were leaked into the Gulf. The oil well was located at the bottom part of the ocean which is the coldest, most pressurized, and darkest which made it hard to reach and plug. Some of the oil floated to the top while some of it remained deep under ground. This made the cleanup effort extremely difficult because they had to focus on two different fronts. Oil is hydrophobic which means it doesn't dissolve good with water. This means that it clumps together and deals massive damage to ecosystems and animals in it. 5 years later we are still dealing with the after affects of the oil spill.
Fun Facts● ⅔ of the oil we use in the United States is used on transportation● We get 65% of our (United States) oil from foreigners● Oil is measured in barrels which is equal to 42 U.S Gallons● Venezuela has the largest oil reserves with 298.35 billion barrels● The U.S has the 10th largest oil reserve with 33 billion barrels● In the U.S we use about 1.85 billion barrels of oil a day● Gasoline makes up 45% of crude oil● Petrochemicals are found in oil and help make electronic devices● Oil has several nicknames like “Texas Tea” and “Black Gold”● In the past 25 years there has been over 25 different oil spills in the U.S● Texas has the largest oil reserve in the U.S its responsible for about 20% of our
crude oil.
Trivia
Atwater, Gordon I. "Petroleum." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.History. "Model T." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.History. "Oil Industry." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 13 Feb. 2015.Kopaska-Merkel, David C., Brian J. O'Neill, and Sheila Kopaska-Merkel. "Why Do We Need Petroleum?" Why Do We Need
Petroleum? Beloit, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015."Petroleum." - National Geographic Education. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015."Pollution Issues." Petroleum. Advameg Inc, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015."What Is Oil Used For? - Eccos." Eccos. Eccos, 02 Feb. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2015."World History of Oil and Gas." World History of Oil and Gas. GeoHelp Inc, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.Video - Where Does Petroleum Come From and How Do We Extract It? (1/3). Screenplay by Jonathan Bergmann. Perf.
Jonathan Bergmann. Where Does Petroleum Come From and How Do We Extract It? (1/3). YouTube, 6 Feb. 2011. Web. 18 Feb. 2015.
Websites- "Oil Industry." History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/oil-industry>."An Introduction to Petroleum." Petroleum. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.petroleum.co.uk/>."What Is Petroleum?" What Is Petroleum? Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.aapg.org/about/petroleum-geology/petroleum-through-time/what-is-petroleum>.
Bibliography
Bibliography ContinuedFool, Matt. "The World Has 53.3 Years of Oil Left." USA Today. Gannett, 28 June 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/06/28/the-world-was-533-years-of-oil-left/11528999/>."11 Facts About Oil." 11 Facts About Oil. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-oil>."Gulf Oil Spill." Smithsonian Ocean Portal. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. <http://ocean.si.edu/gulf-oil-spill>.
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