Petroleum

Petroleum

Beneath the earth’s surface petroleum occurs as a natural dark oil liquid. Both Petrol and Diesel are products obtained from petroleum. Petroleum is mined between the rocks under Earth as shown below:

Formation of Petroleum

• Formation of Petroleum occurs in the sea with the help of living organisms residing in the sea
•  These organisms die, get settled on the bottom surface of the sea and get covered with a layer of sand and clay
• It takes over millions of years, in the absence of air, high temperature and high pressure that  changed the dead living beings into oil and normal gas
• The world’s first oil well was in Pennsylvania, USA, in 1859.  In 1867, oil was struck at Makum in Assam (India).

Refining of Petroleum

Refining of petroleum yields a combination of different constituents, for example, petrol gas, petroleum, diesel, greasing up oil, paraffin wax, and so on is referred to as petroleum. The process of separation of the several constituents/parts of petrol is known as refining. It is completed in an oil processing plant. Different constituents of petrol and their uses are displayed beneath.

Natural Gas

Natural gas is an important fossil fuel. 

Benefits of Natural Gas

• Easy to transport through pipes
• It is a cleaner fuel as it leaves no ashes
• Used directly for burning in homes and factories
• Used as a starting material in the production of various synthetic substances and manures
• It is stored under high pressure as CNG (compressed natural gas) used for power generation

India has large reserves of natural gas. A network of gas supply pipelines exists in Vadodara (Gujarat), some parts of Delhi and other places.

Petrochemicals

Any of a vast category of chemicals (as opposed to fuels) generated from petroleum and natural gas and utilized for a variety of commercial uses is referred to as petrochemical. However, the term has been expanded to encompass all aliphatic and naphthenic organic substances, as well as carbon black and inorganic elements such as sulphur and ammonia. Olefins (ethylene, propylene, and butadiene), aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylenes), and methanol are all primary petrochemicals. Petrochemicals, like crude oil and natural gas, are classified as hydrocarbons as they are largely made up of carbon and hydrogen.

Oilfields in India

North-eastern region

The principal oilfields in north-eastern India include those of the Brahmaputra valley and its bordering territories, which include Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya.

Western Onshore field

Gujarat: The oil fields are located near the Gulf of Khambhat. The primary oil belt stretches from Surat to Amreli. The primary producing districts include Kachchh, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Mehsana, and others. These areas’ key oilfields include Ankleshwar, Lunej, Kalol, Nawgam, Kosamba, Kathana, Barkol, Mehsana, and Sanand.

Western Coast Off-Shore

• Mumbai: Mumbai High was the ONGC’s best achievement in terms of offshore oil surveys, having been completed in 1974
• Bassein: Located to the south of Mumbai High, this is a relatively new find with reserves that may prove to be greater than those of Mumbai High
• Aliabet: Aliabet Island is located in the Gulf of Khambhat, about 45 kilometres from Bhavnagar. Large reserves have been discovered in this field.

East Coast

• The basin and delta regions of the Godawari, Krishna, and Cauvery rivers have enormous potential for onshore and offshore oil and gas extraction
• The Narimanam and Kovilkalappal oil fields in the Cauvery on-shore basin in Tamil Nadu are estimated to generate around 4 lakh tonnes of crude oil per year
• Andhra Pradesh generates less than 1% of India’s total crude oil production. The Krishna-Godavari basin has lately seen the discovery of oil fields

Conclusion

The primary source of motive power is petroleum and petroleum products. It’s a little, lightweight liquid fuel that’s changed the way people travel on land, in the air, and on the sea. Tankers can transfer it readily from the producing areas to the consuming areas, but pipelines are more convenient, efficient, and cost-effective. It produces extremely little smoke and no ash, and it may be used until the very last drop. It is a major raw ingredient for different petrochemical products and supplies the most essential lubricating agents.