Origin of Petroleum

Introduction
• Petroleum is one of the most important substances consumed by
man at present time.
• It is used as a main source of energy for industry, heating, and
transportation and it also provides the raw materials for the
petrochemical plants to produce polymers, plastics, and many
other products.

• petroleum has been known for many centuries, the first oil-
producing well was discovered in 1859 by E.L. Drake in the state
of Pennsylvania and that marked the birth of modern petroleum
technology and refining.
• The word petroleum, derived from the Latin petra and
oleum, means literally rock oil and refers to
hydrocarbons that occur widely in the sedimentary rocks
in the form of gases(natural gas), liquids(crude oil),
semisolids((bitumen), or solids(wax or asphaltite).
• From a chemical standpoint, petroleum is an extremely
complex mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, usually
with minor amounts of nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-
containing compounds as well as trace amounts of
metal-containing compounds
• Tow assumptions are explaining the formation of
petroleum as follows:
A- Inorganic theory :
• This theory assume the oil hydrocarbon compounds
produced from reaction hot water vapor with
carbides which will form the hydrocarbon substances
under high pressure and temperature as follows:
• B- Organic theory :
• This theory assume that the petroleum is formed from
the decomposition of the animals and plants dead
which converted to liquids and gases hydrocarbon by
effect the high temperature, Pressure and catalyst ( as
a small microscopic beings or Vanadiumand nickel-
type catalysts are the most effective catalysts in the
formation of petroleum) by the following formula:
• (CH2O)n xCO2 + yCHz
• in which n, x, y, and z are integer numbers and y CHz is
the closed formula for the produced hydrocarbon
compound.
• Oil is the result of the decay of animal remains and
plant remains (organic debris) that has occurred over
millions of years.
• Over time, the mud and soil that covered the organic
debris changed to rock and trapped the debris
beneath the newly-formed rock sediments.
• Pressure and, heat changed some of the organic
material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and
some into natural gas.
• Whether or not the debris formed coal, petroleum,
or gas depended upon the nature of the debris and
the localized conditions under which the changes
occurred.
• In summary, the following steps are required for the formation
of hydrocarbons:
(1) a source of organic material,
(2) a process to convert organic compounds into petroleum,
(3) a sealed reservoir space to store the hydrocarbons produced.
• The conditions required for the process of conversion of
organic compounds into petroleum :
(1) Geologic time of about 1 million years,
(2) maximum pressure of about 17 MPa (2500 psi), and
(3) temperature not exceeding (100 – 120 C).
• The main difference between various oils from different fields
around the world is the difference in their composition of
hydrocarbon compounds. Two oils with exactly the same
composition have identical physical properties under the same
conditions.