第3课-石油与天然气.docVIP

Section A OIL AND NATURAL GAS Petroleum is not a single chemical compound. Liquid petroleum, or oil, comprises a variety of liquid hydrocarbon compounds (compounds made up of different proportions of the elements carbon and hydrogen). There are also gaseous hydrocarbons (natural gas), of which the compound methane (CH4) is the most common. How organic matter is transformed into liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons is not fully understood, but the main features of the process are outlined in the following section. Formation of oil and gas deposits The production of a large deposit of any fossil fuel requires a large initial accumulation of organic matter, which is rich in carbon and hydrogen. Another requirement is that the organic debris be buried quickly to protect it from the air so that decay by biological means or reaction with oxygen will not destroy it. Microscopic life is abundant over much of the oceans. When these organisms die, their remains can settle to the sea floor. There are also underwater areas near shore, such as on many continental shelves, where sediments derived from continental erosion accumulate rapidly. In such a setting, the starring requirements for the formation of oil are satisfied: There is an abundance of organic matter rapidly buried by sediment. Oil and much natural gas are believed to form from such accumulated marine microorganisms. Continental oil fields often reflect the presence of marine sedimentary rocks below the surface. Additional natural gas deposits not associated with oil may form from deposits of plant material in sediment on land. As burial continues, the organic matter begins to change. Pressures increase with the weight of the overlying sediment or rock; temperatures increase with depth in the earth; and slowly, over long periods of time, chemical reactions take place. These reactions break down the large, complex organic molecules into simpler, smaller hydrocarbon molecules. The nature of the hydrocarbons changes with tim