The scoop on oil

Science World, Sept 1, 2008

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If you've pulled into a gas station lately, then you know drivers are forking over more cash than ever to fill their tanks. What's fueling the recordhigh gasoline prices?

The world's ever-increasing demand for oil. This black, gooey liquid is used to make the fuels that power our vehicles and thousands of products, from lipstick to sneakers. But the world's supply of oil won't last forever. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this nonrenewable resource.

What is oil?

Like coal and natural gas, oil is a fossil fuel. These energy sources were created long ago from once-living plants and animals. Oil formed when, over time, countless dead microscopic ocean creatures collected on the seafloor. Layers of mud and silt covered the organisms' decaying remains, burying them deep underground. After millions of years, the heat from Earth's interior and the pressure from the weight of the accumulated sediment hardened the dirt and debris into rock and transformed the organic material into oil.

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OIL SOURCE: The corpses of tiny marine organims called plankton eventually become oil.

How is oil found?

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Oil is lighter than water, so it seeps up through porous rocks in the ground until it reaches an impermeable layer of rock. Blocked from reaching the surface, the oil collects to form a reservoir. Geologists fend these deposits of "black gold" by studying rock samples and conducting seismic surveys. By bouncing energy waves off underground rock layers, they can locate geological formations that might house pockets of oil. After locating a potential site, engineers erect a rig equipped with a diamond-tipped drill that is able to bore through solid rock. If the well successfully strikes oil, the oil will then be pumped out of the ground into tanks or pipelines.

DEEP-SEA DRILLING: Offshore oil rigs drill for oil beneath the ocean's floor.

How do we use oil?

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About two thirds of the world's oil goes toward making fuels to power cars, airplanes, and other vehicles. The rest is used to heat homes and manufacture a surprising number of everyday items (see above). To turn crude oil that has been removed from the ground into more usable products, it first has to be refined.

Once impurities like water and minerals are removed, the crude undergoes a process called distillation. This separates the oil's mixture of hydrocarbons (carbon compounds) into gas oil to make diesel and heating fuel; into kerosene to make jet fuel and candle wax; into naphtha to make plastics and chemicals; and into gasoline.

Where does our oil come from?

The United States has a huge appetite for oil. Even though it is the third-largest oil producer, "The U.S. imports about 60 percent of the oil it uses," says Jon Kolak, associate coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey's Energy Resource Program. Nearby countries like Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela supply most of this foreign oil. The rest comes from areas all over the world, including the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). These 13 countries control nearly 80 percent of the world's oil reserves and more than 40 percent of oil production. Much of that oil is found in the Middle East, but the U.S. receives only a small portion from this region.

WHERE WE GET OUR OIL

The U.S. consumes more oil than any other country--about 21 million barrels a day. This map shows the top 10 U.S. oil suppliers and the number of barrels of oil the country received from each per day in 2007.

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Why are gasoline prices rising?

The primary reason is that the world is using a lot more oil, says Doug MacIntyre, an oil analyst with the Energy Information Administration. Countries like China and India have an increased need for oil to fuel their booming economies. But the supply hasn't kept pace with the growing demand. Part of the problem: OPEC limits its oil production to keep prices up. Now, more and more energy-hungry countries are turning to the limited supply of non-OPEC oil, which is already being produced at maximum capacity. That's caused oil and gasoline prices to skyrocket.

ANNUAL GASOLINE PRICES (REGULAR, ANNUAL AVERAGE)

Last spring, prices at the pump set an all-time high. How do current gas prices in your area compare to the nation's average as of May 2008?

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What can be done to quench our thirst for oil?

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The U.S. has only 5 percent of the world's population but uses 25 percent of the world's oil supply. Will soaring gas prices change Americans' oil-thirsty ways? "We're already seeing people cutting back on their gasoline use by driving less," says MacIntyre. Drivers are also conserving oil by choosing smaller, more fuel-efficient cars or hybrids that run on both gas and electricity. People can reduce their oil dependency further by reusing and recycling plastic items rather than using more oil to make new products.

What are the costs of oil usage on the planet?

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