Come and see where oil comes from, is it really going to be used up? It's actually for the environment!
Take a look at the origins of oil
The year 2020 was a remarkable one, as the whole of humanity suffered a tragic loss due to the invasion of Newcastle Pneumonia. Our country was the first to respond to and contain the outbreak, which gave our people a great sense of pride. Although the epidemic had just started, the response was timely and the outbreak did not expand further.
During the New Year, people travelled less and mostly stayed at home to avoid contact with others. Petrol prices became so cheap at that time that many people lamented that they hadn't seen such low gas prices for a long time. The rising gas prices over the past few years have finally bowed in the face of the epidemic and he dares not be proud.
At first, I thought it was because people across the country were travelling less and using less petrol, so naturally, the price came down. After all, oil, which is the raw material for petrol, is a non-renewable resource. Use less and the price will only go up in the future, not down. So mankind is constantly choosing and developing new energy sources, partly to avoid CO2 emissions and partly because oil is a non-renewable resource that will one day run out.
However, I was shocked by a news story in April. The price of US crude oil futures fell below zero dollars, closing at -$37.63 per barrel. The futures price is not the spot price, but it reflects the depressed state of crude oil. The news drew my attention to oil and I went to find out more.
You may notice that I have just talked about oil and crude oil. So first, let's sort out the relationship between the two.
Typically, oil is a mixture of naturally occurring gaseous, liquid and solid hydrocarbons. It is a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons such as alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons and olefins.
Generally, crude oil is unprocessed oil extracted directly from the ground or the sea floor and is a viscous, oily liquid with a dark brown colour, green fluorescence and a distinctive odour.
But what we are used to talking about is the definition of crude oil, which is a viscous, oily liquid. But the definition of petroleum is a little bigger than crude oil. This is because petroleum contains not only liquid crude oil, but also gaseous and solid hydrocarbon substances.
Petroleum products are all over our lives, not just as fuel. So assuming that one day we run out of oil, then we don't just run out of one of the most commonly used fuels, which affects our travel. But life would be affected.
Let's look at the products of oil. The first is the fuel just mentioned. From small boilers and oil lamps to large aircraft and ships, all need to use fuel to function. Petroleum is processed by various physicochemical methods to obtain different fuels, and a wide range of fuels can be used for a variety of instruments and equipment.
The second is a bitumen. In our cities, the main roads are paved with asphalt. Because there are many advantages of using asphalt paving, the surface is flat, comfortable to drive, low vibration, low noise, wear-resistant, dust-free, easy to clean, short construction period, segmented construction, simple maintenance, and recyclable, these are all advantages.
The third is the lubricant. Our vehicles and various machinery at home can be used more smoothly by applying lubricant to reduce friction and thus reduce wear and tear and prolong life. In addition, it has the function of heat dissipation, insulation and sealing. Even Vaseline, which we use, is a lubricant, but we will make it more suitable for human use.
Fourthly, it is a solvent. In the chemical industry, this is indispensable. In addition to preparing various reagents, they can be cleaned according to their reactivity or solubility. For example, when we get to paint, we can clean it with petrol or paraffin.
Since we need oil so much, let's explore the causes of oil. To be honest, there is no definite conclusion so far. The two most dominant theories are the biogenic theory of oil formation (organic genesis) and the abiogenic theory (inorganic genesis). Let's look at them separately.
Biogenic oil theory (organic genesis theory): This theory suggests that oil was buried in thick sedimentary rocks (sedimentary rocks are organic matter that is constantly decomposing and mixed with sediment or carbonate deposits in a large number of plants and animals) after the death of ancient organic matter (animals and algae), and then mixed with sediment over a long geological period.
Under high temperatures and pressures underground, they were gradually transformed, first into waxy oil shales and then degraded into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. Because these hydrocarbons are lighter than the nearby rocks, they permeate upwards into the nearby rock formations until they penetrate the tightly impermeable empty rock layers above. The oil that slowly gathers together forms the oil field.
This theory is arguably the most mainstream and is used in our textbooks to tell us how oil is formed. So we all know from a young age that oil is a non-renewable energy source and will one day run out. We need to conserve energy and reduce our energy consumption. So how would you feel if one day you were told that oil is inexhaustible, or that it will not run out in a short time? See another theory.
The abiotic oil theory (inorganic genesis theory): This theory is a developing theory. Because scientists believe that the bio-oil theory is still flawed, they have been studying the origin of oil. Dr Cui Yongqiang of the Daqing Oilfield Exploration and Development Research Institute in China has pointed out that in astronomy, geology, scientific experiments and exploration and development practice, we have found that the large-scale existence of hydrocarbons is not based on the presence of biogenic material. For example, large amounts of methane have been found on Titan.
And there is one more thing that proves the bio-oil-forming theory wrong: entropy, which is the second law of thermodynamics. Thermodynamic calculations show that the chemical potential of all biomolecules is less than that of methane and decreases as their degree of polymerisation increases. In contrast, the chemical potential of hydrocarbon molecules above ethane is greater than that of methane and increases with their degree of polymerisation. The evolution of life molecules to hydrocarbon molecules is a process from low chemical potential to high chemical potential, which violates the second law of thermodynamics spontaneous process must evolve towards entropy increase.
Dr Cui Yongqiang also published a paper "Modern Petroleum Geology - Mantle Source Oil and Gas Theory" to explain the formation of oil, in which he pointed out that oil and magma are different products of mantle fluids, both originated from hydrocarbon-alkaline fluids. The hydrocarbon component of alkaline fluids is the source of mantle source hydrocarbons. Mantle-derived hydrocarbons are at the heart of modern petroleum geology.
In the simplest terms (if you want to see the exact principle, please search for your paper), it is the high temperature and pressure conditions in the mantle that allow oil to form. Then, as the crust moves, hydrocarbons and alkaline fluids are enriched in the vacant sites.
All in all, according to current scientific knowledge, the bio-oil theory as we originally knew it has been disproved. And based on current oil extraction, oil production is only increasing. We have never heard of an oil field running out of oil.
However, this does not mean that we can squander oil energy as much as we like, because the increase in CO2 does have a significant impact on our environment. From an environmental point of view, let's reduce the burning of oil energy. We can already see an improvement in the environment by reducing car trips due to this year's epidemic. So no matter how high the price of oil is, please start with me!
I think it's a summary of the main points :
1. Oil is usually a mixture of naturally occurring gaseous, liquid and solid hydrocarbons. It is a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons such as alkanes, cycloalkanes, aromatic hydrocarbons and olefins.
2. Crude oil is generally unprocessed oil extracted directly from the ground or the seabed. It is a viscous, oily liquid, dark brown, with a green fluorescent colour and a peculiar odour.
3. But what we are used to saying about oil is the definition of crude oil, which is a viscous, oily liquid. But the definition of oil is a little larger than crude oil. This is because oil contains not only liquid crude oil but also gaseous and solid hydrocarbon substances.
4. Petroleum products are all over our lives. The first is fuel oil, the second is bitumen, the third is lubricants and the fourth is solvents.
The two most dominant theories of the genesis of petroleum are the biogenic theory (organic genesis) and the abiogenic theory (inorganic genesis).
6. The biological oil theory (organic genesis theory) refers to the gradual conversion of ancient organic matter (animals and algae) into oil after death due to high temperatures and pressures underground.
7. The abiogenic theory (inorganic genesis theory) refers to the formation of oil due to high temperature and pressure conditions in the earth's mantle. Then, due to the movement of the crust, hydrocarbons and alkaline fluids are enriched to the vacant position.
8. According to current scientific knowledge, the bio-oil theory, as we originally knew it, has been disproved. However, this does not mean that we can squander oil energy as much as we like, as the increase in CO2 does have a significant impact on our environment. Let's reduce the burning of petroleum energy from an environmental point of view.
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Britain in Talks With NATO to Boost Arctic Security
The Arctic Is No Longer a Frozen Backwater For decades, the Arctic sat quietly on the margins of global politics—remote, frozen, and largely ignored. That era is over. Britain is now in talks with NATO to strengthen Arctic security, acknowledging growing risks posed by Russia and China. In a notable shift, London’s assessment aligns closely with warnings long emphasized by Donald Trump, particularly as he continues to express strategic interest in Greenland. What once sounded like an eccentric fixation has evolved into a serious geopolitical conversation. The Arctic is rapidly becoming one of the world’s most contested regions, and Britain is positioning itself to play a larger role. Why Britain Is Paying Attention Now Although the UK is not an Arctic nation, it is an Arctic-adjacent power with significant strategic interests. British officials increasingly view the High North as critical to national and allied security. 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