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Article: Petroleum from the Ocean
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- Water:Science and Issues
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Petroleum from the Ocean
Petroleum (literally, "rock oil") is a substance that has formed beneath the surface of the Earth over eons. The remains of ancient plants and animals have been buried and compressed beneath thousands of feet of sand, mud, and rock. The organic materials, under certain geological conditions, have been transformed by overburden pressure and subsurface heat into hydrocarbon compounds, such as
crude oil
and
natural gas
.
Discovery and Use
Petroleum substances have been discovered and used as fuels for many centuries, originally at the sites of natural seeps and leaks from fissures in the Earth's surface. In the modern era, petroleum resources are sought and ...