We explain what oil is, how it originated, the types that exist and their properties. In addition, we explain what its characteristics and various uses are.
What is oil?
It is called petroleum (from the Latin petra“stone”, and oleum“oil”) to a bituminous substance, dark in color and viscous in textureIt is composed of a mixture of organic hydrocarbons that is insoluble in water. It is a non-renewable natural resource of enormous economic value.
Although the oil has been known since ancient times, it was only with the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century that the scope of its capabilities was understood. It began to be valued as a raw material and source of energy and it began to be calledblack gold either raw.
Nowadays it is used as source of obtaining complex materials (derivatives) or fossil fuels such as gasoline. Many countries subsist on the exploitation of this resource and international oil prices are a source of stability or conflict in many regions of the planet.
On the other hand, oil and its derivatives They have a very high environmental impact. The extraction, burning of fossil fuels, the mass production of plastics and oil spills are the dark side of this material.
This “collateral damage” have a negative impact on life on the planet and on climate stability. They can cause the destruction of ecosystems and the increase of greenhouse gases. It has been proven that this causes the acceleration of global warming, that is, climate change.
See also: Mining
Origin of oil
The exact origin of this substance is unknown, but There are two theories about this.
One theory considers it a hydrocarbon of fossil origin, that is, the product of the millennia-long accumulation of large quantities of organic matter. That matter may come from zooplankton and algaebelonging to ancient dried-up lake regions. Over the centuries, the anoxic (oxygen-free) bottoms of these dried-up lakes and rivers were covered by layers of sediment.
Thus, the pressure and heat conditions were generated that in theory unleashed the chemical and physical transformation processes. Because of this natural cracking of organic matter It was converted into new substances: bitumen, natural gases and oil.
The other theory about its origin considered to come from abiogenetic sources, that is, not coming from organic matter. This position has the support of only the minority of scholars on the subject, since it does not explain many of the contents of oil, which are clearly organic in nature.
Composition of oil
Oil, as we have said, is a highly varied mixture of hydrocarbons, which includes the following:
- Paraffins (saturated hydrocarbons).
- Olefins (ethylene hydrocarbons).
- Acetylenic hydrocarbons.
- Cyclic or cyclanic hydrocarbons.
- Benzene or aromatic hydrocarbons.
- Oxygenated compounds (by oxidation and polymerization).
- Sulphurous compounds.
- Cyclic nitrogenous compounds.
- Dissolved content of nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, cholesterol, porphyrins and traces of nickel, vanadium, cobalt and molybdenum.
Types of oil
The following types of oil are distinguished, based on their API gravity (scale created by the American Petroleum Institute), that is, their density:
- Light or light crude oil. It has gravities above 31.1 °API.
- Medium or medium raw. It ranges between 22.3 and 31.1 °API.
- Heavy oil. It has gravities between 10 and 22.3 °API.
- Extra heavy crude oil. It has gravities less than 10 °API.
Note that the lower the gravity, the denser the oil and the more difficult it is to extract. This is because lighter oils float on water, being less dense than it.
Properties of oil
Oil is a dense, viscous liquid, with colors tending to black or yellow (depending on its hydrocarbon concentration). Its unpleasant odor is due to its sulfate and nitrogen content.
Its enormous calorific value reaches 11,000 kilocalories per kilogram.. These properties will vary according to the type of oil.
What is oil used for?
Is a powerful source of industrial materials. It is essential in the manufacture of solvents, fuels, fuels, alcohols and plastics. Entire industries rely on oil and its chemical properties.
To achieve these products, The crude oil is subjected to various refining and distillation processessuch as fractional distillation. Thanks to these processes it is possible to separate and extract its different ingredients.
The petrochemical and refining industry deals with this, and provides raw materials to various secondary industries: pharmaceutical, automotive, manufacturing, gas, detergents, lubricants, etc.
In addition, it is the main ingredient of fuelwhich support various types of human transportation on land, air and sea. Petroleum is one of the most useful substances discovered by humans.
Petroleum derivatives
Gradually heated from 20°C to 400°C, the oil separates into phases, useful for obtaining various derived substances:
- Natural gas (20 °C). Combustible hydrocarbon gases such as ethane, propane, and butane (the so-called “liquefied petroleum gases”), which are used for cooking or heating.
- Naphtha or ligroin (150 °C). Also called benzine or petroleum ether, it is a mixture of very flammable and volatile compounds, used as a non-polar solvent and as a base to make other organic compounds.
- Gasoline (200 °C). The most popular fuel for internal combustion engines, such as those in motor vehicles, which varies in range according to its octane rating or purity.
- Kerosene (300 °C). Kerosene is a fuel of low purity and low efficiency, but much cheaper and easier to obtain than gasoline, since it does not require so many subsequent interventions. It is used as a solvent, a base for pesticides and for lighting (lamps) or cooking (rural kitchens).
- Diesel (370 °C). Also called diesel, it is a fuel made almost entirely of paraffins. It is ideal for heaters and outboard motors (or diesel engines), which are more economical but have much lower performance.
- Fuel oil (400 °C). The heaviest fuel that can be derived at atmospheric pressure from petroleum. It is used to fuel boilers, furnaces and also as distillation material, to obtain asphalt, lubricating oils, etc.
How is oil extracted?
The oil It is massively extracted from its formation sites in the subsoilFor this purpose, installations known as wells are used, which are located on oil fields. In general, these fields are located in places close to natural gas fields.
oil deposits They are found in the lower layers of the Earth’s crustFrom there, the liquid can be extracted using various techniques, depending on the nature of the soil and the geographical location, which may be on dry land or on the seabed or in rivers, lakes, etc.
The form of extraction also It depends on the type of crude oilsince some are heavier than others (see point 3).
Main exporters in the world
The extraction and marketing of oil is an economic activity of great importance in several countries:
- In Africa. Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Nigeria.
- In the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar.
- In Europe. Nordic countries such as Norway, Denmark and the United Kingdom, as well as in Russia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, Croatia and Georgia.
- In Oceania. Australia and New Zealand.
- In America. United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, and especially Ecuador and Venezuela, the latter with the largest proven world reserves.
Oil spills
crude oil spills They are a true ecological tragedy. They are known as “black tide” and they affect the entire ecosystem where they occur. They catastrophically harm the fauna and flora, as well as the economic activities that depend on them (fishing, tourism, etc.).
Its effects can be quite long-lasting and Its compounds can pass into the body same of animals, entering the food chain. In addition, they can obstruct plant photosynthesis, deteriorating animal life through contact or preventing species from behaving in an ordinary way.
OPEC/OPEC
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) It was founded in 1960 and is currently headquartered in Vienna, Austria.It is an international organization that ensures understanding between countries that depend heavily on the oil market.
Its objective is to achieve Joint action to promote the stability of oil prices. The danger of a fluctuating market is that it causes inequalities, poverty and economic crisis not only in the countries that make it up, but in the rest of the planet.
At the moment Fourteen countries are members of OPEC: Angola, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Qatar, Ecuador, United Arab Emirates, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria and Venezuela.