Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a mixture of liquid hydrocarbons which occurs naturally in rock formations in the earth.
Crude oil varies considerably in viscosity and color depending on its makeup. with the lighter varieties being the easiest to refine and commanding the highest prices.
Oil is typically found in large underground pools in conjunction with salt water and natural gas.
It can also be found mixed in with sand but in this form, it is heavy and hard to extract.
Most crude oil is refined into heating oil and transportation fuel.
Its other uses include as a feedstock for production of other materials, principally plastics.
Petroleum products have the advantage of being energy dense, readily available, easy to transport and easy to store.
Because of this it has become our most widely used source of energy, especially for transportation fuel.
Oil has the disadvantage that burning it produces large amounts greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide.
Also, oil is too important as a raw material for other industries to be burning it.
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