Figure 7.3.3, How petroleum and natural gas were
formed. (“Petroleum (Oil) – A Fossil Fuel”, Energy Kids Page, Energy
Information Administration.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/oil.html)
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Like coal, oil was also formed from the remains of animals and
plants that lived millions of years ago in a marine (water)
environment before the dinosaurs. Over the years, the remains were
covered by layers of mud. Heat and pressure from these layers helped
the remains turn into what we today call crude oil. The word
"petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."
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