Oil

Oil is a primary energy resource in developed countries. It is a non-renewable resource, that is, one of limited quantity Used Oil is a Valuable Resource Oil never wears out. It only gets dirty. Used oil can be refined into a high quality motor oil. Used oil can be burned as fuel oil. Non-Renewable

Oil and natural gas are found under ground between folds of rock and in areas of rock that are porous and contain the oils within the rock itself. The folds of rock were formed as the earth shifts and moves. It's similar to how a small, throw carpet will bunch up in places on the floor.

Oil is a fossil fuel. It was formed more than 300 million years ago. In the graphic, the diatoms died and fell to the sea floor (1). Here they were buried under sediment and other rock (2). The rock squeezed the diatoms and the energy in their bodies could not escape. The carbon eventually turned into oil under great pressure and heat. As the earth changed and moved and folded, pockets where oil and natural gas can be found

Modern-day oil prospecters use sound waves to locate oil. In one technique, (1) a signal is sent into the rock by a vibrator turck, (2) the reflected waves are received by geophones, and (3) the data is transmitted to a laboratory truck. Animation courtesy of Elf Aquitaine The word "petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."

Source: American Petroleum Institute ( Figures are based on 1995 average yields for U.S. refineries. One barrel contains 42 gallons of crude oil. The total volume of products made is 44.2 GALLONS gallons greater than the original 42 gallons of crude oil. This is called "processing gain," where other chemicals are added to the refining process to create the products. Things found in a barrel of oil.

At a refinery chemicals are separated by molecular weight into different compounds. Lighter compounds are turned into solvents and fuel. Heavy compounds are turned into greases and asphalt.

Reclaiming and Recycling Recycling is environmentally and, in the long term, economically sound. It cannot change the fact that oil supplies are non-renewable, but it can extend the life of our limited supply.

Oil is found in 18 of the 58 counties in California. Kern County, the County where Bakersfield is found, is one of the largest oil production places in the country. But we only get one-half of our oil from California wells. The rest comes from Alaska, and an increasing amount comes from other countries. In the entire U.S., more than 50 percent of all the oil we use comes from outside the country...most of it from the Middle East.

As our country grew, the demand for oil continued to increase as a fuel for lamps. Petroleum oil began to replace whale oil in lamps because the price for whale oil was very high. During this time, most petroleum oil came from distilling coal into a liquid or by skimming it off of lakes - just as the Native Americans did

Health Hazards Used oil contains toxins: heavy metals such as lead, chromium, and cadmium; naphthalene; chlorinated hydrocarbons; and other materials. Large amounts of lead and other heavy metals accumulate in the oil during the combustion process inside the engine. Lead is especially dangerous to children. It can cause permanent learning disabilities, poor motor coordination, stunted growth, and reduce intelligence. Some chemicals found in oil can cause cancer. NEGATIVE THINGS ABOUT OIL

Used oil can contaminate surface water, ground water, and soils. Just 1 gallon of used oil can contaminate 1 million gallons of fresh water, a year's supply for 50 people. It can kill plants and animals. Environmental Hazard

74 percent of our oil is used for transportation

Oil is used in many everyday products. Oil as fuel-gasoline for our cars, Diesel fuel for trucks Jet fuel for airplanes And heating oil for our homes. Oil is also used manufacturing plastic toys Food packaging Synthetic fabrics and Rubber Skin balms Detergents Fertilzers Medicines glue

Oil spills can harm wildlife. Pollution is caused by burning fossil fuels like oil. The chemicals in polluted air can cause cancer, brain and nerve damage, birth defects, lung injury, and breathing problems. Air pollution harms the environment, and the people, animals, forests, streams and lakes that reside within it.

Hydropower is the most efficient way to generate electricity. Modern hydro turbines can convert as much as 90% of the available energy into electricity. The best fossil fuel plants are only about 50% efficient.

1.Fossil fuels were formed during the time of the dinosaurs when plants and animals died. Their decomposed remains gradually changed over the years to make coal, oil and natural gas. 2.Fossil fuels are usually found below ground and must be either dug out or pumped from the ground. 3.California produces about ½ of the oil it uses. The rest comes from Alaska and other countries.

4. Oil is transported in huge pipelines and tanker shops to places where it is made into other products. 5. Many products, like plastic and fertilizer come from oil. 6.Natural gas is found near oil. 7. Natural gas is sent through a series of pipes until it comes to our homes, schools and businesses. 8.Fossil fuels are not energy. They can’t be remade.