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Since the industrial revolution, coal and petroleum have been used as the most significant source of energy production. Coal and petroleum are examples of fossil fuels formed a million years ago. Coal is primarily used in the mineral industry as it fulfils the need for energy.
The word ‘petroleum’ is formed from two Latin words – Petra, which means rock and Oleum, which means oil. Thus, petroleum is the oil obtained from rocks, primarily sedimentary rocks. As a result, it’s also known as mineral oil.
Occurrence
Coal
Coal is a widely used energy source. After the Carboniferous period, terrestrial plants required for coal formation became abundant around 358.9 million to 298.9 million years ago. On every continent, including Antarctica, massive sedimentary basins containing Carboniferous and newer rocks are almost unknown.
In Alaska and Siberia, ample coal resources are found as climatic fluctuations are observed. Most of northern Canada and Greenland are devoid of coal because the rocks found in these places predate the Carboniferous era.
Petroleum
Petroleum is found in sedimentary basins and the seas and has an organic origin. Most of India’s oil deposits are linked to anticlines and fault traps in tertiary sedimentary rock formations dating back roughly 3 million years. There is also evidence of incipient oil in some current sediment.
The natural gas and oil are derived from vegetable and animal debris present in marine sediments like sands formed during periods when land and aquatic life, particularly microscopic forms of flora and fauna, were numerous in various forms.
Oil formation conditions were favourable, particularly in the lower and middle Tertiary periods. During this time, dense forests and sea critters thrived in the gulfs, estuaries, deltas, and adjacent land. The creation of oil is due to the breakdown of organic materials in sedimentary rocks.
Coal and Petroleum Conservation
Coal
Since its inception in India, domestic consumption requirements have governed commercial coal mining. India has the world’s fifth-largest coal reserves. There was an increase of 1.23% on well-known coal reserves with the finding of approximately 3.88 billion metric tonnes.
Eastern and south-central India have the most coal reserves. 98.26% of the coal reserves are found in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Odisha, and West Bengal. Till March 2018, Jharkhand acquired 26.06%, and Odisha acquired 24.86% of coal deposits. In India, coal-derived energy is around twice that of oil-derived energy, while it costs 30% less than oil-derived energy worldwide.
Petroleum
Even though India’s sedimentary rocks span broad swaths, structures holding oil are uncommon and were only discovered in a few places. According to the Indian Mineral Year Book of 1982, a total reserve of 468 million tonnes was estimated, with 328 million tonnes available in Mumbai High. The reserves were estimated to be 500 million tonnes in 1984.
Only a quarter or 7.2 billion tonnes of in-place hydrocarbon reserves had been identified as of April 1, 2002. Oil makes up around 70% of known hydrocarbon reserves, while gas makes up the balance. There are 2.6 billion tonnes of recoverable hydrocarbon reserves.
Coal has various uses. It is used as an energy source in the formation of coke and as a chemical source. Coal is a key source of energy for steam generation, which is used to generate electricity. The global coal use peaked in 2012, following significant growth in the early 2000s, spurred primarily by China’s economic expansion. After that, the usage of coal has progressively decreased, which was compensated by the use of natural gas in other parts of the country.
Fuel, oil, and gasoline are the most common petroleum products utilised as energy carriers. Gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil, and diesel fuel can all be made from the fuel. The less volatile fractions of heavier fuel oils can be used to produce asphalt, heavy oils, wax, etc. According to estimates, the world consumes 90 million barrels of oil every day.
Conclusion
Coal and petroleum are examples of fossil fuels. Coal is a black or brown compound rich in carbon found in sedimentary layers. It is one of the most important primary fossil fuels on the planet. Coal is defined as a material that contains more than 50% carbonaceous matter by weight and is created by the compaction and hardening of altered plant remnants, such as peat deposits.
Petroleum is India’s second-largest energy source, often referred to as mineral oil. For a range of manufacturing businesses, it provides heat sources, lighting sources, raw materials, and lubricants. Most of India’s petroleum discoveries are related to anticlines and fault traps in tertiary-age rock formations; where oil is trapped in the unfold crest, it occurs in folding zones, anticlines, or domes.
