Fossil fuels power 80% of the planet’s energy, much to the chagrin of environmental activists and climate scientists. While facts about fossil fuels are debated across cultural and political aisles, global fossil fuel consumption is expected to drop just two points to 78% by 2040.
These fuels power everything from cars to plastics. In a world where 6,000 personal products are made from oil, you may not want to imagine a world without it, just yet. Refrigerators, shoes, TVs, golf balls, and even pajamas are made from oil.
These natural fuels are here to stay despite push back and advancement in renewable energy. How much do you know about fossil fuels beyond the headlines?
Here are five fascinating facts about fossil fuels, lurking beneath the Earth’s surface.
1. Fossil Fuels are Ancient History
Fossil fuels have been forming for quite some time. They’re the result of centuries of decomposition of ancient organisms, plants, and animals. Millions of years of combined heat and pressure have produced so much oil that global consumers use 100 million barrels of oil per day.
2. The Largest Oil Deposit Discovered
Oil deposits are millions of years old and rich with crude oil, but what was the biggest deposit ever found?
The title currently belongs to Texas’s Wolfcamp Shale. A recent U.S geological survey found that at least 20 million barrels of oil beneath the shale’s surface. Experts also believe that 1.6 billion barrels of natural fossil fuel gas-liquid are under there as well.
Bloomberg News valued the oil find at over $900! What could this mean for the world’s largest energy producers? Check out the biggest energy companies by revenue to calculate how this find could grow the industry.
3. Why the Permian Basin Is So Important
The Wolfcamp Shale is also significant because it is nestled right in the oil-rich Permian Basin. Texas’s Permian Basin is the place to be if you’re in the oil and gas industry.
The basin is estimated to be 1.3 billion years old. The basin was an oasis of prehistoric plants and animals. After organic life had died off, rich oil deposits were left in their wake.
The Permian Basin is undoubtedly one of the largest petroleum deposits, measuring at an impressive 300 miles long. It stretches across two states and produces 1.3 million barrels of petroleum.
4. The First Oil Well Wasn’t In the U.S.
Texas is known for being the oil state, but it wasn’t the first place oil was discovered. In fact, it was long believed that oil was first discovered in Pennsylvania in 1858, but that turned out to be false.
Oil was first successfully drilled in a Polish town called Bobrka, three years before fossil fuels were discovered in Pennsylvania. If you visit Bobrka today, you’ll find a fascinating oil and gas Museum at the original site!
Discover More Facts About Fossil Fuels
These facts about fossil fuels are just the tip of the oil drill. Keep learning by researching the latest trends and discoveries in oil and gas.
Want more ways to grow your knowledge about the planet? These facts are just the beginning. Check back often to learn more about the environment, food, animals, and your favorite topics.