FUNDAMENTALS
OF FOSSIL FUELS
What are they and how are they formed?
TODAY, WE WILL...
Define fossil fuels
Elaborate the timeline of fossil fuels
Enumerate and explain the Major types
of Fossil Fuels
Discuss the advantages and
disadvantages of fossil fuels
WHAT COMES TO
MIND WHEN YOU
HEAR “FOSSIL FUEL”?
THINK OF THE TERMS “FOSSIL” AND “FUEL”
TO GUIDE YOUR THINKING!
DEFINING FOSSIL FUELS
Formed from the ancient
remains of dead plants and Natural, ancient sources of
animals that we use as a non- energy
renewable energy source.
BECAUSE T
OSSILS! HEY ARE FUELS!
JUST LIKE F
TIMELINE OF FOSSIL FUELS
CARBONIFEROUS Organisms would die They are further
and sink at the base of decomposed in a
The planet was covered large oceans and blanket of sand, clay,
with swamps, plants, swamps. and other minerals.
and diverse They form layers of The heat and pressure
microorganisms. decomposed spongy create fossil fuels.
materials
PEAT VS KEROGEN
KEROGEN
PEAT
- An organic substance derived from - A waxy material resulting in the
plant material during the decomposition process of organisms
decomposition process. like plankton.
- If subjected to intense heat and - Usually found in oil shales and if
pressure under the Earth, they time permits that this material is
eventually transform into coal. exposed to heat and pressure, they
become natural gases and oil.
During this process, organic
materials are subjected to
intense heat and pressure.
PEAT VS KEROGEN
PEAT VS KEROGEN
OIL SHALE
VARIABLES IN FOSSIL FUELS
As the origin of fossil fuels vary largely depending on
the components it took them to form, we can formulate
that fossil fuels form different types depending on:
Organic Material Present
Amount of heat it was subjected
Amount of Pressure
Time it took to form
MAJOR TYPES OF FOSSIL FUELS
COAL NATURAL OILS NATURAL GAS
Dark/black Referred to as crude Primarily composed of
sedimentary rock that oil/oil methane
is combustible Converted to petrol / Used for cooking,
Burned to generate diesel heating, and
heat, light, and generating electricity
electricity
ORIGIN OF Coal is typically formed through decomposed
and transformed vegetation known as
COAL coalification. During Earth's primitive era,
swamps and forests were the main landscapes
on the planet.
As time went by, plant organisms died, fell,
and sank at the bottom of these wetlands. Peat
is formed when these masses of organisms are
decomposed by the water.
Peat compressed and covered in sediments as it
ORIGIN OF continues to sink down the Earth and eventually
exposed to more minerals and other substances
COAL form lignite.
Exposure to longer periods of compression,
heat, and pressure gives rise to bituminous and
subbituminous coal.
Under pressure and high temperatures for the
longest period of time, they transform the
previous types of coal into anthracite - the
highest grade/rank of coal.
LIGNITE
TYPES OF 1
Has 25-35% carbon. Contains a lot of moisture,
COAL emits the lowest energy and known as brown coal
2 SUBBITUMINOUS
Has 35-45% carbon. Does not have good luster.
Has a greater heating value than lignite.
3 BITUMINOUS
Has 45-86% carbon. Known as a soft coal and does
not contain any organic memory. It has high
calorific value.
4 ANTHRACITE
Has 80-95% carbon, and the hardest coal. Has
good luster, highest energy and emits blue flame
←
NATURAL OILS
Consist of Are used in
hydrocarbon powering vehicles Natural oils fossil
molecules which and the most used fuels that exist in
makes it less fossil fuel (nearly Petroleum or
harmful to the Crude Oil.
30% of the global
environment.
energy).
u Know?
Yo
id
D Composition
Carbon: 83-87% Oxygen: 0.05-1.5%
Hydrogen: 10-14% Nitrogen: 0.1-2%
Sulfur: 0.05-6% Metals <0.1%
origin of petroleum
DIAGENESIS CATAGENESIS
When organisms like plankton are When kerogen is exposed into high
deposited under water, they are pressure and temperature, its
exposed to aquatic sediments that composition is broken down into
hydrocarbons. Conditions in this stage
are rich in minerals. Through
are crucial, when variables are
compaction and chemical reaction,
moderate, it forms petroleum or oil,
water is forced out and
but if excessive, will create smaller
biomolecules decompose into hydrocarbons, resulting in the
kerogen and bitumen. formation of natural gas.
HOW DO OIL WELLS
FORM?
Knowing that natural oils and gases happen
beneath the ground, it cannot exist in a self
contained lake, rather it migrates upwards in
porous water bearing rocks.
This is because hydrocarbon constituents of
petroleum are lighter and less dense than water.
This migration takes thousands of years and
typically, it stops if it finds itself on an
impermeable layer of rock or if it reaches the
ocean floor. By this, most oils are extracted by
drilling or excavation.
←
NATURAL GAS
Naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons
consisting primarily of methane in addition to various
smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Traces of
carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and helium
are also usually present. Methane is colorless and
odorless, and is relatively clean energy source
compared to coal and petroleum.
NATURAL GAS BASED ON
LOCATION
Thermogenic Biogenic Methane
Methane
Biogenic methane is produced by
Natural gases found underground. microorganisms called
While some may dissipate through methanogen, in the intestines of
permeable rocks, most are enclossed animals. They break down organic
in an impermeable geolegical material to methane in a process
formation called sedimentary basin. called methanogenesis.
NATURAL GAS BASED ON
COMPOSITION
DRY WET
Natural gases Natural gases
that consist that consist of
primarily of primarily of
Methane. other Alkanes.
HOW ARE NATURAL GAS AND NATURAL OIL
FORMED?
Like how coal is formed, natural oil and gas also come from organic matter, buried
deep underground. Depending on the intensity of the temperature and pressure, it
can turn into gas or oil. While both are commonly found together, deeper depths
and thus higher temperatures and pressure lead to concentrated natural gas
deposits.
FOSSIL FUELS AS ENERGY SOURCE
COAL NATURAL OIL NATURAL GAS
The production of heat Reliable when it comes to Most efficient ( efficiency rate
converts water into high powering machines like is 92%).
pressure steam, which drives vehicles. Most environmentally friendly
a turbine, and forms Efficient but difficult to (has lower emissions among the
electricity. find three).
Typically economic but Risky to use Versatile, can be converted into
produces loads of greenhouse Natural Gas Liquids. However, it
gases. also releases greenhouse gases.
2019 ENERGY RESOURCE CONSUMPTION
79% OF THE GLOBAL ENERGY COMES FROM
FOSSIL FUELS.
23% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS COAL.
31% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS OIL.
25% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS GAS.
2023 ENERGY RESOURCE CONSUMPTION
81% OF THE GLOBAL ENERGY COMES FROM
FOSSIL FUELS.
26% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS COAL.
32% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS OIL.
23% OF THE FOSSIL FUEL ENERGY IS GAS.
TOP 5 FOSSIL FUEL COUNTRIES
1. CHINA (170.74 EXAJOULES)
2. US (94.28 EXAJOULES)
3. INDIA (39.02 EXAJOULES)
4. RUSSIA (31.3 EXAJOULES)
5. JAPAN (17.74 EXAJOULES)
WHAT ARE THE PROS
AND CONS OF FOSSIL
FUELS?
THINK AND DISCUSS WITH YOUR SEATMATE
FOR 5 MINUTES.
WHAT ARE THE PROS
AND CONS OF FOSSIL
FUELS?
POWERFUL - CONTAINS MORE ENERGY AND
POWER THAN RENEWABLE SOURCES.
RELIABLE - DOES NOT RELY ON EXTERNAL
FACTORS, CAN BE PRODUCED ANYWHERE WITH
TOOLS.
HARMFUL - PRODUCES POLLUTION AND
GREENHOUSE GASES.
DIFFICULT - NON-RENEWABLE TAKES A LOT OF
LABOR.
SOURCES
https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/fossil_fuel
https://www.ucsusa.org/energy/fossil-fuels
Latest Update, Oct 2023:
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/coal/
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/natura
l-gas/
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/petroleu
m/
https://ourworldindata.org/energy-mix
https://www.statista.com/statistics/263455/primary-
energy-consumption-of-selected-countries/
THANKS FOR
LISTENING!
GROUP 1: DI-SASS-TER
