The word petroleum comes from Medieval Latin petroleum (literally 'rock oil'), which comes from Latin petra 'rock' (from Greek pétra See more

Petroleum consists of a variety of liquid, gaseous, and solid components. Lighter hydrocarbons are the gases methane, ethane, propane and butane. Otherwise, the bulk of the liquid and solids are largely heavier organic compounds, often hydrocarbons (C … See more

Three conditions must be present for oil reservoirs to form:
• A source rock rich in hydrocarbon material buried deeply enough for subterranean heat to … See more

The petroleum industry generally classifies crude oil by the geographic location it is produced in (e.g., West Texas Intermediate, Brent, or Oman), its API gravity (an oil industry measure of density), and its sulfur content. Crude oil may be considered See more

Early
Petroleum, in one form or another, has been used since ancient times. More than 4300 years ago, bitumen was mentioned when the Sumerians … See more

Fossil petroleum
Petroleum is a fossil fuel derived from fossilized organic materials, such as zooplankton See more

In terms of volume, most petroleum is converted into fuels for combustion engines. In terms of value, petroleum underpins the … See more