Chapter 24. Chapter 24: Petroleum
How are fossil fuels like petroleum formed...?
Guiding Question 24.1
How are fossil fuels like petroleum formed, and why are they considered nonrenewable resources?
Why You Should Care
Petroleum forms when marine organisms are buried under sediments that stop decomposition. These layers are compressed by heat and pressure, and after tens of millions of years, petroleum and natural gas are trapped in rock layers. Geological shifts cause some of these layers to move closer to the surface—these are the petroleum reserves that are easiest to find and extract.
Today, petroleum is relied upon as an energy source for transportation and as raw material for plastics and medicines. Our current rate of extraction is far greater than the rate of new petroleum creation, and sustainable use levels are less than 1% of what we use today. As our most important nonrenewable resource, we must find new sources of petroleum and new technologies and options to replace a rapidly depleting resource.
Test Your Vocabulary
Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| A nonrenewable natural resource formed millions of years ago from dead plant (coal) or animal (petroleum and natural gas) remains. | |
| A resource that is formed more slowly than it is used, or is present in a finite supply. | |
| A raw material for many industrial products such as plastic and pesticides. |
1.
Why does decomposition have to be so slow for petroleum to form?
| A. |
| B. |
| C. |
| D. |
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