Crude oil

Crude oil is a naturally occurring mixture of liquid hydrocarbons found in underground reservoirs. Its composition varies by source, and refining separates it into fuels and other products.

Hydrocarbon: A compound made only of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Crude oil consists predominantly of hydrocarbons, whose structures determine many of its properties.
Petroleum formation: The geological transformation of buried organic matter into oil and natural gas. It describes how crude oil originates within sedimentary basins.
Petroleum refining: The industrial processing of crude oil into fuels, lubricants, and chemical feedstocks. Refining turns crude oil’s complex mixture into products with specific uses.
Oil spill: An unintended release of petroleum into the environment. Crude-oil spills can cause persistent harm to marine and coastal ecosystems.
Natural gas: A naturally occurring gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons, chiefly methane, found underground. It often occurs alongside crude oil but is gaseous under ordinary surface conditions.
Petroleum: A naturally occurring mixture of hydrocarbons that includes crude oil and natural gas. Crude oil is the liquid portion of the broader petroleum resource.
Oil well: A drilled borehole used to produce petroleum from underground formations. Wells provide the pathway from a reservoir to the surface.
Gasoline: A volatile liquid fuel used mainly in spark-ignition engines. Gasoline is one of the major transportation fuels made from crude oil.
Greenhouse gas: A gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation, contributing to atmospheric warming. Burning crude-oil products releases carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.
Coal: A solid fossil fuel formed from ancient plant matter. Coal is another fossil fuel, but it is solid and has a different geological origin.

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