Oil and Gas

Oil Formation

The beginning of crude oil formation happened millions of years ago. Oil is a fossil fuel that has been formed from many tiny plants and animals such as algae and zooplankton. These organisms fall to the bottom of the sea once they die and over time, get trapped under multiple layers of sand and mud. As time goes by, heat and pressure began to rise as the organisms get buried deeper and deeper below the surface. Depending on the amount of pressure, heat and the type of organisms determines if the organisms will become natural gas or oil. The more heat, the lighter the oil. If there is even more heat and the organisms were made up of mostly plants, then natural gas is formed. Once the oil and natural gas are formed, it migrates through pores in the rock until it gets trapped under cap rock and clay where the oil can no longer get through. This is where we find oil today!