One of the most important mineralsis oil. This is an oily liquid of black color, which belongs to the category of combustible substances. The color of oil may vary slightly depending on the area in which it is mined. There is a yellow, brown, green, cherry and even a transparent view of this fossil. The smell of oil can also differ depending on the chemical composition, which includes hydrocarbons and impurities of other compounds. These are some common characteristics. And now a little about what the origin of oil is.
In the process of studying it, it became clear thatthe formation of this substance can last up to 350 million years. This is a very long process. Many scientists adhere to the version of the organic origin of oil. This is a biogenic theory.
Its meaning is that the basis of thisprocess are the remains of microorganisms that lived many millions of years ago. Their habitat is water, mostly shallow water. As a result of the death of microorganisms, the accumulation of layers with a high content of organic substances occurred. Since the origin of oil is a long process, in time these layers plunged deep into the earth. There they were affected by the upper layers, which caused an increase in temperature. Biochemical processes taking place in this case, in the absence of oxygen, transformed organic substances into hydrocarbons.
These hydrocarbons were in different physicalcondition. Some were motionless and firm. The other part was in a liquid or gaseous state. As a result of pressure, it moved up through the rocks that could be overcome.
Once the hydrocarbons collided withimpenetrable layers, the movement ended. Thus, their mass accumulation appeared. This place became a deposit. This is the organic origin of oil.
Oil has been known to people since antiquity. But initially it was collected exclusively from the surface. If the streams of oil did not meet special underground obstacles, then they made their way upward. In those days it was used less actively. Oil was added to the mortar in the building mix for better sealing. It was also used as a medicine for fighting skin diseases. To a lesser extent, the use of oil was carried out as fuel.
After the invention of the kerosene lamp, the demand forfuel has grown significantly. The extraction of kerosene from this fossil was the cheapest way. People are interested in the origin of oil. So began to develop the oil industry.
The first oil rig was drilled in Baku in 1847. Over time, it became a city where there were already several wells.
Methods of oil extraction in those times were tame. But in the autumn of 1864 there was a transition to a mechanical shock-rod method. At the same time, a steam engine was used to bring the drilling station into operation.
Drilling of oil wells initiated the mining of this mineral in a cheaper way.
Water, which is contained in oil, has a largedensity. Therefore, oil is located above water. And gas is lighter than oil, so it is located above oil. In the development of wells, sometimes gas first appears.
Oil can be from several tens of meters to 5 kilometers deep into the earth's surface. In this interval, oil and gas are found in different proportions. The lower the production level, the more gas.
Those places where oil lies are called collectors.
Oil is one of the most important minerals. Its value can not be overestimated. The presence of oil in the natural-resource complex of the state also determines its economic stability.
