Advantages of Petroleum

1. Is a resource that can be easily extracted from the underground reservoirs

Today, the technology used to find new reservoirs and extract the petroleum located there has evolved pretty much, and this is the reason why oil companies are now able to harvest this resource despite the climate conditions and the location of the reservoir (deep underground or even under the bottom of the ocean).

At the same time, the technology used to refine oil and produce petroleum products that will then be used to produce fuels such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene and other useful products has also evolved to a new level, making the entire process an easier one.

2. Petroleum is cheap to extract

Oil drilling has also evolved and this is the reason why after discovering a new petroleum reservoir, the team that will extract the resource will rely on a technology that reached maturity and can complete the job easily and cheaply.

3. Has high energy density

Exactly like the other fossil fuels (coal and natural gas), petroleum is a primary fuel with high energy density.

Energy density refers to the amount of energy stored in a given mass of a substance or system, which means that the higher the energy density of the fuel (in this case), the higher the amount of energy is released when burning the fuel.

1. Wood – chemical reaction – 16 MJ/kg;
2. Coal – chemical reaction – 24 MJ/kg;
3. Biodiesel – chemical reaction – 38 MJ/kg;
4. Petroleum – chemical reaction – 44 MJ/kg;
5. Diesel fuel – chemical reaction – 45 MJ/kg;
6. Gasoline – chemical reaction – 46 MJ/kg;
7. Natural Gas – chemical reaction – 55 MJ/kg;
8. Uranium-235 – nuclear reaction – 3,900,000 MJ/kg.

4. Can be easily transported on long distances

Oil and petroleum products can be easily transported today worldwide due to the complex infrastructure created in this regard.

5. Can be turned into a large number of useful products

From the extraction wells, petroleum is transported using pipes or vehicles to refineries where will be refined using fractional distillation.

The distillation process is used to separate the different chemical components after their boiling point.

The hydrocarbons mixture is heated to a temperature where fractions of the compound will vaporize, and because the different components will vaporize at different temperatures, they can be separated from the main mixture.

We get this way from petroleum many useful things such as fuels (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, LPG, etc.), lubricated oil, paraffin wax and from the residues of the refining process candles, petroleum jelly, face cream, wax, and bitumen (asphalt).

6. Is a main component of the industry sector

Petroleum products are not only used by the transportation sector, they are also used by the industry sector as fuel or heating source, and also to manufacture vaseline, different medicines and even clothes.

7. Is a reliable source of energy

Compared to solar and wind power (which are intermittent sources of energy), petroleum is considered a reliable source of energy because it can provide power whenever is needed.

An oil-fired power plant can generate electricity 24/7 because the fossil fuel used to generate the steam required to spin the turbines will produce heat right after ignite.

8. Along with the other fossil fuels, petroleum has powered the creation of the modern society

Fuels obtained from petroleum have powered the modern society since the mid-1950s, when they started to supply energy for the different industry sectors, to provide fuel for vehicles, ships and airplanes (used to transport goods and people all over the planet), to be used as fuel for cooking and for residential and industrial heating.