What is the origin of oil? Spoiler: this has nothing to do with dinosaurs.

In recent years, thanks to many awareness campaigns, we have realized the importance of finding alternatives fossil fuel to obtain energy. One such fossil fuel is oil, the black gold that can fuel wars, destroy ecosystems, and ruin economies. It may seem to us that this is an unlimited resource, but it is not. Its main problem is how polluting it is, and that while new wells can be opened, it is generally a limited resource. To understand this, it is best to first understand what it is origin of oil. And there are still many myths surrounding this topic, such as the one that claims that it originated from dinosaurs.

Oil, generally speaking, is a substance that boils for millions of years. Literally. It is formed from organic matter, mainly zooplankton and phytoplankton. Or in other words, tiny animals and plants, in some cases microscopic, that are deposited in pools of aquatic environments to decompose.

So, the decomposition underlying the origin of oil is not the ordinary decomposition of organic matter. This is due to very specific conditions pressure, oxygen and temperature, which contribute to the appearance of hydrocarbons. But what are these conditions?

Parameters required for the origin of oil

A basin is a low area of ​​the earth’s crust in which sediment accumulates.

In the aquatic environment, in addition to sediments, remains of plankton organic matter can be deposited. After, precipitation continues to accumulateso an oxygen-free environment is created in which many of the bacteria that are normally responsible for the decomposition of these bacteria cannot reproduce.

However, this decomposition occurs in another way. On the other hand, there are anaerobic microorganisms, capable of decomposing organic substances without the presence of oxygen. Additionally, when sufficient precipitation has accumulated, pressure and temperature conditions arise that also promote the decomposition and conversion of this organic matter into hydrocarbons, which are chemical compounds formed primarily of hydrogen and carbon. The temperature must be within a very specific window that Temperature range from 50°C to 150°C. If it is lower, then oil is not formed, and if it is higher, then it turns into gas and is lost.

If everything went well, it will be formed black viscous liquidwhich gets stuck in the rock and must be removed by drilling holes.

Why do they say that it came from dinosaurs?

The entire process leading to the formation of oil takes millions of years. It is said that most of what is mined today began to form in Mesozoic. It’s a geological era that started back 251 million years and ended back 66 million years. Dinosaurs really lived at that time.

Therefore, since oil is often said to come from dead, decaying animals, a myth has arisen that it comes from dinosaurs. However, we have already seen that it is these animals that form zooplankton. Small crustaceans, fish larvae and some microscopic marine animals, such as rotifers. This has nothing to do with dinosaurs.

Yes, the dinosaur could die, fall into the lake and decompose at the bottom of the water, but the conditions are no longer the same. Tiny organic matter is needed to fill marine basins and mix with sediments. This is how oil is formed. The rest is myths, and it is important to know, although not as important as looking for ways to stop using it.