Petroleum – commonly called oil – is a fossil fuel. It is created in a process spanning millions of years, through the application of pressure and heat to the decaying remains of ancient organisms. The origins of petroleum have two important implications for the modern world. First, oil is a nonrenewable resource. Once people extract all the petroleum in a particular area, they have exhausted its supply permanently. However, given the vast reserves of petroleum in the world, this issue is not pressing at the moment. The second, more immediate concern is that, millions of years ago not every region of the earth had the conditions necessary for the creation of oil. Consequently, today some states possess great quantities of petroleum beneath their land, while others have little or no oil within their boundaries.
While oil is composed of various organic chemicals, its principal ingredient is hydrocarbons. When exposed to high enough temperatures, these molecular chains break down to release energy. Today, people distill petroleum into its component parts, including kerosene, gasoline, and other substances. These chemicals play a crucial role in the modern military and economy, primarily as a source of power but also in other regards. [Continued (with Exercises) in PDF File Listed Below]