Petroleum (from Greek petra – rock and oleum – oil), crude oil, sometimes colloquially called black gold, is a thick, dark brown or greenish liquid. A widely believed myth is that the oil itself is flammable; however, it is actually the gas that evaporates from the oil that is flammable. Petroleum exists in the upper strata of some areas of the Earth's crust. Another name is naphtha, from Persian naft or nafátá (to flow). It consists of a complex mixture of various hydrocarbons, l ...

Including:

• Petroleum - Origin
• Petroleum - Biogenic theory
• Petroleum - Abiogenic theory
• Petroleum - Composition
• Petroleum - Extraction
• Petroleum - Alternate means of producing oil
• Petroleum - History
• Petroleum - Environmental effects
• Petroleum - Future of oil
• Petroleum - Classification
• Petroleum - Pricing
• Petroleum - Top petroleum-producing countries
• Petroleum - Books about the petroleum industry
• Petroleum - Films about petroleum
• Petroleum - Writers covering the petroleum industry

Read more here: » Petroleum: Encyclopedia - Petroleum

Including:

• Petroleum jelly - History
• Petroleum jelly - Appearance
• Petroleum jelly - Production process
• Petroleum jelly - Uses

Read more here: » Petroleum jelly: Encyclopedia - Petroleum jelly

The first oil wells were drilled in China in the 4th century or earlier. They had depth of up to 800 feet and were drilled using bits attached to bamboo poles. The oil was burned to evaporate brine and produce salt. By the 10th century, extensive bamboo pipelines connected oil wells with salt springs. Ancient Persian tablets indicate the medicinal and lighting uses of petroleum in the upper echelons of their society. In the 8th century, the streets of the newly-constructed Baghdad were paved with tar, derived from easily-accessible pe ...

See also:

Petroleum, Petroleum - Origin, Petroleum - Biogenic theory, Petroleum - Abiogenic theory, Petroleum - Extraction, Petroleum - Alternate means of producing oil, Petroleum - History, Petroleum - Environmental effects, Petroleum - Future of oil, Petroleum - Classification, Petroleum - Pricing, Petroleum - Top petroleum-producing countries, Petroleum - Petroleum in Military Strategy, Petroleum - Books about the petroleum industry, Petroleum - Films about petroleum, Petroleum - Writers covering the petroleum industry

Read more here: » Petroleum: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum - History

Liquid geologically-extracted hydrocarbons are referred to as petroleum (literally "rock oil") or mineral oil, while gaseous geologic hydrocarbons are referred to as natural gas. All are significant sources of fuel and raw materials as a feedstock for the production of organic chemicals and are commonly found in the Earth´s subsurface using the tools of petroleum geology. Oil reserves in sedimentary rocks are the principal source of hydrocarbons for the energy, transport and chemicals industries. The production of liquid hydrocarbon fuel from a number of sedimentary basins has be ...

See also:

Hydrocarbon, Hydrocarbon - Examples, Hydrocarbon - Three types of hydrocarbons, Hydrocarbon - The number of hydrogen atoms, Hydrocarbon - Molecular graph, Hydrocarbon - Petroleum, Hydrocarbon - Burning Hydrocarbons

Read more here: » Hydrocarbon: Encyclopedia II - Hydrocarbon - Petroleum

Petroleum - Biogenic theory. Most geologists view crude oil, like coal and natural gas, as the product of compression and heating of ancient vegetation over geological time scales. According to this theory, it is formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric marine animals and terrestrial plants. Over many centuries this organic matter, mixed with mud, is buried under thick sedimentary layers of material. The resulting high levels of heat and pressure cause the remains to metamorphose, first into a waxy material ...

See also:

Petroleum, Petroleum - Origin, Petroleum - Biogenic theory, Petroleum - Abiogenic theory, Petroleum - Extraction, Petroleum - Alternate means of producing oil, Petroleum - History, Petroleum - Environmental effects, Petroleum - Future of oil, Petroleum - Classification, Petroleum - Pricing, Petroleum - Top petroleum-producing countries, Petroleum - Petroleum in Military Strategy, Petroleum - Books about the petroleum industry, Petroleum - Films about petroleum, Petroleum - Writers covering the petroleum industry

Read more here: » Petroleum: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum - Origin

Petroleum - Biogenic theory. Most geologists view crude oil, like coal and natural gas, as the product of compression and heating of ancient vegetation over geological time scales. According to this theory, it is formed from the decayed remains of prehistoric marine animals and terrestrial plants. Over many centuries this organic matter, mixed with mud, is buried under thick sedimentary layers of material. The resulting high levels of heat and pressure cause the remains to metamorphose, first into a waxy material ...

See also:

Petroleum, Petroleum - Origin, Petroleum - Biogenic theory, Petroleum - Abiogenic theory, Petroleum - Composition, Petroleum - Extraction, Petroleum - Alternate means of producing oil, Petroleum - History, Petroleum - Environmental effects, Petroleum - Future of oil, Petroleum - Classification, Petroleum - Pricing, Petroleum - Top petroleum-producing countries, Petroleum - Books about the petroleum industry, Petroleum - Films about petroleum, Petroleum - Writers covering the petroleum industry

Read more here: » Petroleum: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum - Origin

The hypothesis of abiogenic petroleum origin (synonyms: abiotic, abyssal, endogenous, inorganic, juvenile, mineral, primordial) holds that petroleum is formed by non-biological processes deep in the earth's crust and mantle. It contradicts the more widely-held view that petroleum is a fossil fuel produced from the remains of ancient living organisms. The constituent precursors of petroleum (mainly methane) are commonplace and it is possible that appropriate conditions exist for hydrocarbons to be formed deep within the earth ...

Including:

• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Events before conversion
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Conversion to petroleum and methane
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Formation of coal
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Extraterrestrial methane
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Existence of hydrocarbon deposits
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Cold planetary formation
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep microbes
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Helium
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Trace metals
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Diamondoids
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Hydrogen
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Thermodynamics
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biology
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Serpentinization and chemical synthesis of oil
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep structures and petroleum association
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Why is oil frequently found in sedimentary basins?
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Ambiguous results
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers or Chemofossils
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep hot carbon sources
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting biogenic theory
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics
• Abiogenic petroleum origin - The future of the abiogenic theory

Read more here: » Abiogenic petroleum origin: Encyclopedia - Abiogenic petroleum origin

Diesel or Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (mostly petroleum) that is used as fuel in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel. The term typically refers to fuel that has been processed from petroleum, but increasingly, alternatives such as biodiesel or biomass to liquid (BTL) or gas to liquid (GTL) diesel that are not derived from petroleum are being developed. Diesel - Petroleum diesel. Diesel is produced from petroleum, and is sometimes called petrodi ...

Including:

• Diesel - Petroleum diesel
• Diesel - Chemical composition
• Diesel - Synthetic diesel
• Diesel - Biodiesel
• Diesel - Uses
• Diesel - Other uses
• Diesel - Notes

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Crowley Maritime Corporation, based in Oakland, California, and founded in 1892, is primarily a family and employee-owned company that provides transportation and logistics services in US and international markets by means of four operating lines of business: Liner Services; Logistics Services; Petroleum Services and Marine Services. As of November, 2005, the company employs approximately 4,300 people and provides its services using a fleet of more than 300 vessels, consisting of RO-RO vessels, LO-LO vessels, Tankers, tugs and barges. Crowley's land-based facilities and equipment i ...

Including:

• Crowley Maritime Corporation - History
• Crowley Maritime Corporation - Business segments
• Crowley Maritime Corporation - Liner Services
• Crowley Maritime Corporation - Logistics
• Crowley Maritime Corporation - Petroleum Services
• Crowley Maritime Corporation - Marine Services

Read more here: » Crowley Maritime Corporation: Encyclopedia - Crowley Maritime Corporation

The Chalk Formations of Europe are thick deposits of chalk, a soft porous white limestone, deposited in a marine environment during the upper Cretaceous Period. They appear most prominently in England. The formations are divided into three parts: The Upper Chalk, the Middle Chalk, and the Lower Chalk. The famous White cliffs of Dover, England are a good example of a Chalk Formation deposit. Another good example displaying the sequence of the Chalk Formation are the southern cliffs on the Isle of Wight, England and the quarries and motorway cutting at Blue Bell Hill, Kent, England (which has been ...

Including:

• Chalk formation - Stratigraphy and paleontology
• Chalk formation - Chalk petroleum reservoirs
• Chalk formation - Reservoir stratigraphy
• Chalk formation - Reservoir geology
• Chalk formation - References and further reading

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West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is a type of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing and the underlying commodity of New York Mercantile Exchange's oil futures contracts. This is usually the type referenced in Western news reports about oil prices, alongside North Sea Brent Blend crude. WTI is a light crude, lighter than Brent crude. It contains about 0.24% sulfur, rating it a sweet crude, again sweeter than Brent. Its properties and production site make it ideal for being refined in the United States, mostly in the Midwest and Gulf Coast regions. Typical price difference per bar ...

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Methane is typically found on Earth, when not in natural gas deposits, in methane hydrate deposits under high pressure under the deep abyssal plains of oceans, produced from the decay of sinking biotic materials at shallow levels. Methane's effect as a greenhouse gas is twenty times greater than carbon dioxide. It is possible that major extinction in the history of the earth is due to methane. During the breakup of supercontinent Pangaea in the Triassic Period, an enormous volume of methane was released to the atmosphere. Methane reacts with ...

See also:

Abiogenic petroleum origin, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Events before conversion, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Conversion to petroleum and methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Formation of coal, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Extraterrestrial methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Existence of hydrocarbon deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Cold planetary formation, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep microbes, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Helium, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Trace metals, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Diamondoids, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Hydrogen, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Thermodynamics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biology, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Serpentinization and chemical synthesis of oil, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep structures and petroleum association, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Why is oil frequently found in sedimentary basins?, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Ambiguous results, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers or Chemofossils, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep hot carbon sources, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting biogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - The future of the abiogenic theory

Read more here: » Abiogenic petroleum origin: Encyclopedia II - Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth

Many aspects of the abiogenic theory were developed in the former Soviet Union by Russian and Ukrainian scientists during the Cold War. Some proponents see a pro-Western bias in the promotion of the biogenic theory. Thus, in addition to the scientific merits of competing hypothoses, political and economic considerations often influence discussions of petroleum origins. The topic of the origin of petroleum is also linked to discussions of projected declines in petroleum production, variously referred to as "peak oil" or "Hubbert's peak ...

See also:

Abiogenic petroleum origin, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Events before conversion, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Conversion to petroleum and methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Formation of coal, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Extraterrestrial methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Existence of hydrocarbon deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Cold planetary formation, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep microbes, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Helium, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Trace metals, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Diamondoids, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Hydrogen, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Thermodynamics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biology, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Serpentinization and chemical synthesis of oil, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep structures and petroleum association, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Why is oil frequently found in sedimentary basins?, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Ambiguous results, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers or Chemofossils, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep hot carbon sources, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting biogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - The future of the abiogenic theory

Read more here: » Abiogenic petroleum origin: Encyclopedia II - Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics

Oil in general has been used since early human history to keep fires ablaze, and also for warfare. Its importance in the world economy evolved slowly. Wood and coal were used to heat and cook with, while whale oil was used for lighting. Whale oil however, produced a black, smelly, thick liquid known as tar or rock oil and was seen as a substance to avoid. When the whaling industry hunted the sperm whale almost to extinction and the Industrial Revolution needed a fuel to run generators and engines, a new source of energy was needed. In ...

See also:

Petroleum industry, Petroleum industry - History, Petroleum industry - Infrastructure, Petroleum industry - Impact

Read more here: » Petroleum industry: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum industry - History

Several major subdisciplines exist in petroleum geology specifically to study the seven key elements discussed above. Petroleum geology - Analysis of source rocks. In terms of source rock analysis, several facts need to be established. Firstly, the question of whether there actually is any source rock in the area must be answered. Delineation and identification of potential source rocks depends on studies of the local stratigraphy, palaeogeography and sedimentology to determ ...

See also:

Petroleum geology, Petroleum geology - Sedimentary basin analysis, Petroleum geology - Major subdisciplines in petroleum geology, Petroleum geology - Analysis of source rocks, Petroleum geology - Analysis of reservoir

Read more here: » Petroleum geology: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum geology - Major subdisciplines in petroleum geology

Petroleum jelly was discovered by Robert Chesebrough in 1859 in Brooklyn, New York. Chesebrough was intrigued by the paraffin-like substance that stuck to the drilling rigs. The riggers hated the material because it caused the rigs to seize up, but they used it on cuts and burns because it hastened healing. Chesebrough bottled the petroleum jelly and took it back to his office where he tested it on himself. He gave out free samples across New York and within six months he had twelve wagons distributing the product, under the trade nam ...

See also:

Petroleum jelly, Petroleum jelly - History, Petroleum jelly - Appearance, Petroleum jelly - Production process, Petroleum jelly - Uses

Read more here: » Petroleum jelly: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum jelly - History

There are two theories about the origin of carbon fuels: the biogenic theory and the abiogenic theory. These theories have been intensely debated since the 1860s, shortly after the discovery of widespread petroleum deposits. The following sections highlight the main differences between the two theories. Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material. Biogenic: remnants of buried plant and animal life. Abiogenic: deep carb ...

See also:

Abiogenic petroleum origin, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Events before conversion, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Conversion to petroleum and methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Formation of coal, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Extraterrestrial methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Existence of hydrocarbon deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Cold planetary formation, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep microbes, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Helium, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Trace metals, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Diamondoids, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Hydrogen, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Thermodynamics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biology, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Serpentinization and chemical synthesis of oil, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep structures and petroleum association, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Why is oil frequently found in sedimentary basins?, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Ambiguous results, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers or Chemofossils, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep hot carbon sources, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting biogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - The future of the abiogenic theory

Read more here: » Abiogenic petroleum origin: Encyclopedia II - Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories

Petroleum geology is principally concerned with the evaluation of seven key elements in sedimentary basins: Source Reservoir Seal Trap Timing Maturation Migration In general, all these elements must be assessed via a limited 'window' into the subsurface world, provided by one (or possibly more) exploration wells. These wells present only a 1-dimensional segment through the Earth and the skill of inferring 3-dimensional characteristics from them is one of the mos ...

See also:

Petroleum geology, Petroleum geology - Sedimentary basin analysis, Petroleum geology - Major subdisciplines in petroleum geology, Petroleum geology - Analysis of source rocks, Petroleum geology - Analysis of reservoir

Read more here: » Petroleum geology: Encyclopedia II - Petroleum geology - Sedimentary basin analysis

Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields. Russian geologist Nikolai Kudryavtsev was also a prominent and forceful advocate of the abiogenic theory. He argued that no petroleum resembling the chemical composition of natural crudes has ever been made from plant material in the laboratory under conditions resembling those in nature. He gave many examples of substantial and sometimes commercial quantities of petroleum being found in crystalline or metamorphic basements, or in sediments directly overl ...

See also:

Abiogenic petroleum origin, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Comparison of theories, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Raw material, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Events before conversion, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Conversion to petroleum and methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Formation of coal, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Supergiant oil fields, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Extraterrestrial methane, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Existence of hydrocarbon deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Methane on Earth, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Cold planetary formation, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep microbes, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Helium, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Trace metals, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Diamondoids, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Hydrogen, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Thermodynamics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biology, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Serpentinization and chemical synthesis of oil, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep structures and petroleum association, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Why is oil frequently found in sedimentary basins?, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Ambiguous results, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers or Chemofossils, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Deep hot carbon sources, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting biogenic theory, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Unusual deposits, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Biomarkers, Abiogenic petroleum origin - Petroleum origin peak oil and politics, Abiogenic petroleum origin - The future of the abiogenic theory

Read more here: » Abiogenic petroleum origin: Encyclopedia II - Abiogenic petroleum origin - Evidence supporting abiogenic theory

Gold achieved fame for his 1992 paper "The Deep Hot Biosphere" in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which presented a controversial view of the origin of coal, oil, and gas deposits, a theory of an abiogenic petroleum origin. The theory suggests coal and crude oil deposits have their origins in natural gas flows which feed bacteria living at extreme depths under the surface of the Earth; in other words, oil and coal are produced through tectonic forces, rather than from the decomposition of fossils. Gold also publis ...

See also:

Thomas Gold, Thomas Gold - Life, Thomas Gold - Astrophysics, Thomas Gold - Origins of petroleum

Read more here: » Thomas Gold: Encyclopedia II - Thomas Gold - Origins of petroleum