Ah, Petroleum Facts
- Petroleum is extracted through drilling. We use a drilling rig and a derrick to pump the oil up from thousands of feet below ground.
- To receive the energy needed from the petroleum, it must be burned.
- To produce one barrel of oil, it cost approximately $52.5
- Benefits of using petroleum are that it can be extracted easily and at a low cost, it can be easily transported, and can support a constant power use.
- Disadvantages include that there is a limited amount of resources, meaning it's nonrenewable, it pollutes the atmosphere, and transportation can cause oil spills.
- One oil well typically produces 10 barrels of crude oil a day.
- The more drilling that is done at one well, the less oil will be extracted.
- Only 1% of the petroleum consumption is used to produce electricity.
- Petroleum products include gasoline, fertilizers, pesticides, plastics, and medicines.