HYDROCARBONS
A hydrocarbon fuel (such as natural gas) is burned, the energy released is used to convert water into steam, and the steam is used to drive turbines that generate electricity. Hydrocarbons are also raw materials that serve as feedstock for the production of a wide range of organic chemicals, which in turn are used for such products as plastics, pigments, solvents, pharmaceuticals, and explosives.
Oil companies pump liquid oil out of the ground by using riling rig and wells that access the pockets of oil resources. Oil drilling rigs set on platforms in the ocean to access oil reserves below the seafloor must employ a series of more complex drill rigs built to access oil reserves in deeper water.
Oil is a cleaner fuel than coal, but it still has many disadvantages, such as the following:
Refining petroleum creates air pollution. Transforming crude oil into petrochemicals releases toxins into the atmosphere that are dangerous for human and ecosystem health.
Burning gasoline releases CO2. Although oil doesn’t produce the same amount of CO2 that coal burning does, it still contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and increases global warming.
Oil spills cause great environmental damage. Large oil spills sometimes occur during drilling, transport,
oil spills sometimes occur during drilling, transport, and use, which of course affect the surrounding environment. But these spills aren’t the only risk.
Although large oil spills with catastrophic environmental effects — such as the 1989 E x x o n V ald e z in Alaska or the 2010 BP D e e p w a t e r H o riz o n in the Gulf of Mexico — get the most media coverage, most of the oil spilled into ecosystems is actually from oil that leaks from cars, airplanes, and boats, as well as illegal dumping.
The most common n a t u r al g a s is methane. Methane usually occurs in small amounts with petroleum deposits and is often extracted at the same time as the petroleum. Natural gas can be found in certain rock layers, trapped in the tiny spaces in sedimentary rocks.