Fossil Fuels

Definition of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are energy resources

derived from the altered remains
of living organisms that were
buried by sediments and exposed
to elevated pressures and
temperatures for millions of years.
Fossil fuels can be: solids, as in the
case of coal which is derived
primarily from land plants; liquids,
such as oil or tar sands; or gas, such
as methane. Oil and gas There are three basic forms of fossil fuels: coal, natural gas, and petroleum (crude oil). Because of
hydrocarbons are derived primarily the long time it takes to create these materials, they are non-renewable, meaning that more will
from the remains of marine plants. not be made during anyone's lifetime, or even during modern civilization of humanity on the Earth.

How are fossil fuels obtained? What are fossil fuels used for?

To obtain the raw materials that we make into fossil fuels, we need to find them and then Fossil fuels are used for just about
extract them from the ground. Coal is preserved by the earth in a rock layer called a coal seam; everything. They take the form of
mining is the only way to remove it whether it’s near the surface or deep underground. Oil and many different types of fuels—for
natural gas are preserved inside rocks which contain and trap these fluids in the earth. We heating, cooking, and
locate these fluids using seismic reflections in which vibrations reflect off layers within the earth, transportation. Also, they are used
and show where there are light fluids such as oil and gas. We gain access to them through to make many everyday products
drilling and then set up wells to draw them up to the surface. Once all these raw materials are and used as raw materials too!
gathered, they are sent to processing plants to become fossil fuels that are usable by
consumers.

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Petroleum (Crude Oil): An Introduction
Petroleum, otherwise known as crude oil (and often referred to as oil), is the altered remains
of marine micro-organisms, or plankton. Buried under millions of years of sediment, petroleum
(crude oil) needs to be extracted from the earth through drilling.

Millions of years ago, micro-organisms

died, settled to the sea floor, and were
buried by sediment. As time passed, the
thick piles of sediments buried the
remains so deeply that they were
subjected to high pressures and
temperatures. The heat and pressure
drove off oxygen and left behind
petroleum (crude oil) consisting mostly of
hydrogen and carbon, or hydrocarbon.

Petroleum (crude oil) forms in broad

areas called source rock. In order for
petroleum—once formed—to be useful, it
must be accessible for drilling from oil
wells. So, the petroleum (crude oil) has to
migrate and become concentrated in a
much smaller space called a reservoir. Oil
companies drill into these areas to pump
out the petroleum (crude oil).
Because petroleum (crude oil) is less dense than water and the ground is saturated with
water, the petroleum (crude oil) and gas move up the slopes of deformed sedimentary
layers to get caught under structural domes, adjacent to faults, or against impermeable
rock layers in stratigraphic traps.

DID YOU KNOW? Petroleum (crude oil) does not come from dead dinosaurs,
despite some perceptions, cartoons, and commercial ads.
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Petroleum (Crude Oil): Production and Consumption

In order to use the petroleum (crude oil), it must be refined. Once refined,
it can be used in a variety of items including gasoline and diesel fuel.

Changing petroleum (crude oil) into

gasoline is done in large refineries
such as the one pictured here. In a
refinery, the petroleum (crude oil) is
chemically altered so the gasoline
will burn in predictable ways.
Basically, the chains of carbon
atoms with attached hydrogen
atoms are forced to change shape
into specific forms.
Oil Exports
Today, petroleum (crude oil) is found on most of the world's
Fuels are the most common use of continents, but is unevenly distributed. The processes that form
petroleum (crude oil). However, petroleum (crude oil) are very specific and lots of conditions
petroleum is also used in plastics, must be satisfied. Ideally, there needs to be good proximity of a
wax, asphalt, and many other source rock to a reservoir rock and a good stratigraphic or
products. structural trap. Most of the world's oil is found in the Middle
East where conditions for petroleum (crude oil) formation are
the most ideal.

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Petroleum (Crude Oil) and the Environment

Currently, in the United States, we rely on petroleum (crude oil) as our primary energy source.
Unfortunately, obtaining, transporting and using petroleum (crude oil) all have costly consequences
on the environment.

Drilling Spills Pollution

Extracting petroleum (crude oil) from the Since petroleum (crude oil) is toxic and not Refineries emit toxins into the air and
ground is not only a costly process but can be biodegradable, any type of spill has a water as they process petroleum (crude oil)
environmentally damaging. Drilling on land harmful effect on the environment. Oil into usable oil. Then, as they are used, the
requires a lot of land use which can disturb spills are responsible for destroying burning of petroleum products emits toxic
local habitats. Two major concerns are that numerous ecosystems around the world. substances into the air. The carbon dioxide
drilling mud is stored in ponds and industrial When an oil tanker spills at sea, oil slicks that is released is contributing to global
roads are built in natural areas. Off shore spread easily over the water killing lots of warming. Other byproducts have been
drilling impacts the surrounding marine plant and animal species. The only way to connected to heart disease and respiratory
ecosystem. Specifically, artificial islands are repair the problem is months—or illnesses in humans. The polluted air also
often built in shallow offshore areas. sometimes years—of human intervention. affects our plants and animals.

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Natural Gas: An Introduction

Natural gas occurs underground when petroleum (crude oil) matures further under high pressure and intense heat. Just like petroleum (crude
oil), which is buried under millions of years of sediment, natural gas needs to be extracted from the earth through drilling.

When petroleum (crude oil) matures further

under high pressure and temperature deep
underground, the carbon atoms no longer bond
to each other. Each carbon atom is surrounded
only by hydrogen atoms. This makes natural gas,
or methane. The gas rises to the top of
reservoirs, gets trapped by the cap rock, and
often sits on top of the liquid petroleum (crude
oil) beneath it.

Drilling is used to find trapped gas From the well, the natural gas is A processing plant may be connected to over
underground. Then, a well is built. The transferred into pipelines which a 100 wells in the area through a complex
gas naturally flows up to surface level. transport the gas to a processing plant. system of interconnecting pipelines.

DID YOU KNOW? Natural gas is difficult to transport across oceans and does not sell at as high a price as petroleum
(crude oil). For this reason, for many years, it was simply burned off from the tops of petroleum (crude
oil) reservoirs so that oil companies could get to the more valuable petroleum (crude oil) beneath.

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Natural Gas: Production and Consumption

In order to use natural gas as fuel, it must undergo some type of processing.
Once refined, it can be used for a variety of things including
electricity generation, heating, and cooking.

Changing raw gas into sales gas is

done in processing plants such as the
one pictured here. In a plant, the raw
gas is purified into almost pure
methane, which is then used by
customers as consumer-grade gas.
During purification, some of the by-
products that are derived are also
commercially usable, such as ethane,
butane and propane.

Many homes use natural gas for

heating and cooking. Natural gas also Natural Gas Production
supplies our economy with a variety
of commonly used fuels. Russia has the world’s largest gas reserves. Qatar and Iran are
Additionally, natural gas is used in home to the world’s two largest gas fields. The USA, a large
the manufacture of many common producer of natural gas, was able to produce enough for the
products including fabric, glass and country’s consumption needs until 1986. Since then, gas
paper. It’s also used as a raw imports have been necessary to meet demand. 90% of those
material in paints, plastics, and imports arrive via pipeline, mainly from Canada. The remaining
fertilizer. 10% arrive via tanker from overseas.

DID YOU KNOW? Gas is odorless and colorless so—during processing—they add
a chemical to the gas which smells like rotten eggs.

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Natural Gas and the Environment

In its raw form, natural gas is a greenhouse gas. After it’s been processed,
natural gas burns cleaner than other fossil fuels. It’s currently considered
an important fuel source, but it’s still a substantial contributor to global warming.

Drilling Leaks “Cleanest” Fossil Fuel

Looking for natural gas deposits and If released into the atmosphere in its raw Natural gas is the most evolved fossil fuel
drilling for them is harmful to habitats on form, natural gas can be much more because it contains only carbon and hydrogen.
both land and sea. New horizontal and potent and dangerous than carbon Compared to coal and oil, it has fewer emissions.
directional drilling procedures are trying dioxide. Unfortunately, small leaks can In fact, it burns the most cleanly forming only
to maximize the amount of gas obtained sometimes occur in the storage and water and carbon dioxide in the process. Almost
from a single source and minimize the transportation infrastructure such as no ash particles are left behind. Lastly, because
impact on the surrounding environment. wells, tanks or pipelines. A leak can lead to of its chemistry, natural gas provides the most
an explosion. energy per carbon dioxide molecule emitted.

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Coal: An Introduction
Coal is not derived from marine micro-organisms, but is the compressed and baked remains of land plants. Unlike petroleum (crude oil) and
natural gas, coal is often located near the surface and can be extracted from the earth through mining.

Usually when plants die, they rot and oxidize.

Ultimately, they turn into carbon dioxide and
water. However, if the plants are quickly buried by
other plants, sediments from a flood, or in a
swamp that has no oxygen dissolved in the water,
they do not oxidize and are preserved. Over
millions of years, high pressure and temperature
drives off both the hydrogen and oxygen from the
dead plant material, leaving only the carbon
behind. This leftover carbon becomes a coal seam.

The only way to extract the coal from the earth is to establish a coal mine. The design of a coal mine is based on a number of environmental
factors as well as the depth and quality of the coal seam. There are two main types of coal mine designs: surface mines and underground
mines. In the United States, surface mining is more frequently used since it is less expensive.

Hobet mine in West Virginia

1984 2009
Surface mining is used when the coal Underground mining is used when the Mountaintop mining is a type of surface mining
seam is close to the surface. A surface coal seam is deep underground. About where entire coal seams are removed from the
mine can be used if the coal seam is 60% of the world’s coal is extracted summit of a mountain. The impacts can be severe
less than 200 feet underground. through underground mining. to be human health and the environment.

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Coal: Production and Consumption

Once coal is mined, it goes through a cleaning process to increase its heating value.
Then, it is transported and ultimately burned to release its energy.

Once the coal is extracted from the

ground, it usually goes to a
preparation plant located near the
mine similar to the one pictured
here. The plant washes the coal to
clean away unwanted materials—like
rocks, dirt, and ash—which increases
the coal’s heating value.

Coal is most commonly burned in

electric power plants to provide Global Distribution of Coal Output
electricity to the grid. Most of the US
coal is used for electricity. A small 50 countries around the world mine coal. It’s found almost
amount is exported. The remaining everywhere in the world, and remarkably, is almost absent
coal is used in a variety of from the Middle East. The purest, hardest form of coal—
industries—such as steel, paper, and anthracite—is found in Pennsylvania. So much has been
cement. These industries use not extracted over the years that there is very little left. However,
only the coal’s heat but also some of there are large amounts of lesser types of coal throughout
its byproducts. America and all over the world.

DID YOU KNOW? Because coal is so plentiful, it is relatively cheap…

if you do not account for the environmental damage it creates.

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Coal and the Environment

Industry has found ways to reduce the pollutants emitted by burning coal. The media refers to this
as clean coal technology. However, the fact remains that, of all fossil fuels, coal produces the least
energy per carbon dioxide molecule emitted to the atmosphere, thus enhancing the greenhouse effect
and leading to global climate change.

Impact on Land Impact on Water Impact on Air

Surface mining severely changes the Coal mines produce an outflow of acidic water The nitrogen and sulfur oxides emitted from
natural landscape. Existing vegetation called acid mine drainage. Throughout the burning impure coal react with water in the air
is eliminated. The soil profile is country, streams and rivers that flow past coal producing acid rain. Acid rain can negatively
drastically altered. Animal habitats are mines become contaminated with acids that impact the surface waters, aquatic animals,
destroyed which means local wildlife make them uninhabitable for fish and other soils, forests, and other vegetation. Coal
either die or get displaced. Further, the wildlife as well as impossible for people to burning releases carbon dioxide into the air
general topography of the landscape drink. Acid mine drainage is exacerbated which is a main contributor to global warming
changes and loses aesthetic appeal. when a mine is abandoned because the mine and climate change. Even worse, coal mining
The mining of coal has led to will flood creating more acidic outflow. Even produces methane which is even more potent
denudation of large areas of the liquid that drains from coal during storage and than carbon dioxide. For these reasons, using
countryside in places like West Virginia transport is also highly acidic and impacts coal for energy is troubling for human health
and Pennsylvania. water resources. and the sustainability of our planet.

DID YOU KNOW? Coal is considered the "dirtiest" of all fossil fuels because there are usually large
amounts of sulfur and nitrogen in it. When those elements are burned they make
sulfuric acid and nitric acid which cause acid rain and other forms of pollution.
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Transportation of Fossil Fuels

Despite their negative environmental impacts, fossil fuels are still in high demand.
This means they need to be transported around the country--and sometimes—around the world.

Petroleum (Crude Oil) Natural Gas Coal

Petroleum (crude oil) is relatively easy Natural gas is easy to transport over land in Transporting coal can be costly but there
to transport, but can cause catastrophic pipelines, but difficult to transport over oceans are many ways to do it. Most of the coal in
damage if spilled. The safest and due to its low density and thus large volume. the USA travels by train, at least for part of
cheapest way to transport large Increasingly, countries are importing and its journey from mine to market. Near the
amounts of petroleum (crude oil) over exporting natural gas in a liquefied form. If mine, coal can be moved around by trucks
land is via pipelines. Construction, natural gas is chilled to about -260°F, it and conveyors. River barges and ships are
placement of the pipeline and control of changes to liquid form and can be easily often a cheaper means of transport than
the pipeline often figure heavily in transported and stored. It takes up much less trains but are obviously limited in where
politics between states and countries. space and can be loaded into domed tanks, like they can go. Finally, if the coal is crushed
When petroleum (crude oil) needs to the ones pictured on the tanker above. The and mixed with water, it can even travel
travel overseas, oil tankers are used. tanks hold the gas in liquefied form until it’s through a pipeline!
needed, then it is converted back into gas and
sent through pipelines to consumers.

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