Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

the product of natural changes in organic materials over millennia

Fossil Fuels

it is a general term for buried combustible geologic deposits of organic materials formed from decayed plants and animals by exposure to heat and pressure in the earth’s crust

Fossil Fuels

ancient marine bodies first turn into kerogen (complex waxy mixture of hydrocarbon compounds that is the primary organic component of oil shale) before becoming a fossil fuel

Fossil Fuels

kerogen + pressure and heat → Fossil fuel (coal, oil or gas)

Fossil Fuels Types

Coal, Natural gas, Oil

Coal

is a solid fossil fuel formed over millions of years by decay of land vegetation

Coal

is quite abundant compared to the other two fossil fuels

Natural Gas

is a gaseous fossil fuel that is versatile, abundant and relatively clean compared to coal and oil

Natural Gas

more evenly distributed than oil supplies

Natural Gas

natural gas mainly consists of methane (CH4)

Natural Gas

is highly compressed in small volumes at large depths in the earth

Energy Components

ethane, propane, butane, isobutene, and pentane

Non-energy Components

carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and water

Wet Natural Gas

if it contains hydrocarbons in addition to methane

Dry Natural Gas

gases other than methane are removed

Oil

is a liquid fossil fuel that is formed from the remains of marine microorganisms deposited on the sea floor

Oil/Crude oil

is the most widely used fossil fuel