Fossil FuelsFossil FuelsResource Use CycleResource Use Cycle

I. Resource Use CycleI. Resource Use Cycle

Formation and Concentration

Location and Identification

Mining and Refining

Production

Use

Disposal or Recycle

1. Why is oil more useable than other fossil fuels?

• Fairly easily stored, transported and consumed.

2. Describe the relationship between petroleum, crude oil and natural gas.

• Petroleum exists in the earth in two forms - crude oil (liquid) and natural gas (vapor).

3. Why is natural gas such a desirable fuel?

• It has excellent fuel qualities, burns cleaner and produces practically no harmful by-products.

4. What determines the quality and usefulness of coal as a fuel?

• The energy content. The higher the proportion of carbon to moisture, the higher the energy content.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels General Questions

Formation and Concentration

5. How is oil formed?

• Crude oil is a product of the decay of organic plant and animal matter. Most scientists believe the material settled to the bottom of ancient seas.

6. Describe how petroleum collects in traps.

• After formation, petroleum migrates into porous rock, until it became trapped between impermeable layers. This is a result of folding, faulting or deformation of the earth’s crust.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels Formation and Concentration

Formation and Concentration• Petroleum (crude oil [liquid] and natural gas

[vapor]) formed by the compression, decay and heating of organic matter.

• Found in source beds where oil’s migration through permeable rocks is stopped by impermeable rocks.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

7. How is natural gas formed?

• Natural gas is a by-product of the formation of oil.

8. How is coal formed?

• Plant matter becomes fossilized over time, compressed between layers of sedimentary rock. Coal accumulates in ancients swamps and marshes where little oxygen is present.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels Formation and Concentration

9. What do geologists look for when exploring locations to mine for new oil deposits?

• Source beds of shales or limestones that originally contained organic remains

• porous and permeable sandstones or limestones that later became reservoir beds

• traps that sealed off reservoir beds and held oil and gas in place.

10. Where are coal deposits found in the United States?

• Coal has been found in most of the U.S. 1/8th of the country lies over coal beds. Eastern coals occur more in continuous seams, whereas western deposits are more isolated and less predictable.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels Location and Identification

Location and Identification

Location and Identification• Petroleum located by finding source beds,

permeable rocks, and/or traps.

• Traps hold oil (see red areas below) due to:- trapping within impermeable rocks- thinning permeable rock within impermeable rocks

Mining and Refining

11. Explain how crude oil is refined using the process of distillation.

• Crude oil is separated on the basis of different boiling points for different substances. This is done by processes of heating, evaporating, cooling and condensing.

12. List some types and amounts of products yielded from the refining of crude oil.

• Crude oil can be distilled into gasolines, alcohols, waxes, kerosine, lubricants, asphalt, additives, oils etc.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels Mining and Refining

Mining and Refining• Petroleum extracted

(mined) using pumps, offshore drills, “Christmas trees” (for natural gas), etc.

• Refining crude oil involves distillation (often in a fractionating tower) to separate out a host of products, including: waxes, keosine, lubricants, asphalt, gasoline, etc.

13. Equation for the burning of oil to obtain energy.

• Oil + oxygen (O2) CO2 + H2O + heat energy + waste

• Wastes consist of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur gases.

14. Equation for the burning of natural gas to obtain energy.

• Natural gas + oxygen (O2) CO2 + H2O + heat energy

• Almost no wastes are formed.

• Equation for the burning of coal to obtain energy.

• Coal (C) + oxygen (O2) CO2 + heat energy + waste

• Wastes consist of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, soot and ash.

II. Cycle of Fossil FuelsII. Cycle of Fossil Fuels Production and Use

Production

• Production of refined petroleum energy products often requires no more than distribution (via truck, boat, train, or other means) and storage.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Production and Use

Use

• The chemical energy in petroleum products is released through burning.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.