Coal & Petroleum Notes

• Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum, and natural gas are formed from the buried remains of plants and animals over a period of millions of years. Since fossil fuels are obtained from nature, they are referred as natural resources.

• Natural resources are of two types:

Inexhaustible natural resources:

• There is limitless supply of these types of natural resources. The inexhaustible resources are not exhausted by the use of man. Sunlight and air are examples of inexhaustible natural resources.

Exhaustible natural resources:  

Coal:

• Petroleum and natural gas were formed from the remains of tiny marine organisms that died millions of years ago.

Formation of Petroleum and natural gas:

1. As small organisms called plankton die they sink to the bottom of the sea.
2. Over time, this layer of dead organisms was covered beneath sediments.
3. Enormous heat and pressure transformed these remains to petroleum and natural gas.
4. Rising through porous rocks such as sandstone, petroleum and natural gas reached a layer of impermeable rock and were trapped below it.