Is oil renewable?
How is oil made? Planktons which are the remains of dead plants and animals are buried deeper under the earth as time goes by and eventually turns into oil and gas due to heat and pressure. From there it reaches the sea beds and starts to form with the layers of sedimentary rocks. As the layers form through the years, organic material forms and turns into petroleum that contains rock. Petroleum becomes oil only if there are enough amounts of heat and pressure. This is the reason why oil is also called “mature” petroleum because this is where source rocks that are heated with enough amount before it turns to oil.
Where is oil found? The source rock where petroleum possibly exists is called a play. This is a group of earthly grounds that may contain a large probability of oil or gas underneath. These are the places where oil can be found. There are specific tools and gadgets used in finding oil underneath a play. Some people use seismic surveys and geographical analysis to make sure that oil is produced in a certain area or ground.
How does oil work? The oil’s main purpose is for lubrication. It is used mostly in machines that are made for different purposes like car engines and production instruments used in factories. Without oil, the parts that need lubrication will easily wear out due to friction. For the oil to lubricate an engine part for example, it should be applied enough, not too much and yet not too little, but just right. The oil’s contents can help in the proper functioning of an engine and prolong its durability, plus improving its operation by reducing noise and energy consumption. Other functions of oil is protection of the engine part from corrosion and rusting by preventing harmful chemicals and elements from getting on the part that may cause unnecessary chemical reaction.
Based on the theories as to how oil was formed, it can actually be rejuvenated temporarily but not renewable, in a sense that if a play has dried out and there are still huge pockets that exists, a deeper drilling is only required to be able to create another production of oil and therefore producing another set of oil from the same ground, which is different from the oil that was first produced from the same play.
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