Oil and Pipelines

What is Oil?? Crude oil is a black, brownish or amber liquid that is a complex mix of hydrocarbons. It consists of carbon, hydrogen, sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen and metals. Crude oil is found in sedimentary rocks formed over millions of years by the accumulation in sedimentary basins in sand, silt and the remains of plants and animals. Crude oil is classified as light, medium, heavy or extra heavy. Heavy oil refers to oil with a thick consistency that does not flow easily, often requiring increased technology to extract. Light oil can flow naturally to the Earth's surface and is generally extracted from the ground using pumpjack technology.

What do we use oil for? Crude oil and other liquids produced from fossil fuels are refined into petroleum products that people use for many different purposes. We use petroleum products to propel vehicles, to heat buildings, and to produce electricity. (Gasoline, Diesel, Propane, Natural Gas, Jet Fuel) The petrochemical industry uses petroleum as a raw material (a feedstock) to make products such as plastics, polyurethane, solvents, and hundreds of other intermediate and end-user goods.

Where do we get oil from? Oil sand is a naturally occurring mixture of sand, clay or other minerals, water and bitumen, which is a heavy and extremely viscous oil that must be treated before it can be used by refineries to produce usable fuels such as gasoline and diesel. Bitumen is oil that is too heavy or thick to flow or be pumped without being diluted or heated

How do we get oil out of the ground?? Open Pit Mining

Drilling

How do pipelines transport oil?