Discovering oil has been a formidable stroke of luck for man. Being a liquid and hence easily transportable, it makes a perfect energy product. When burnt in small quantities, it produces sufficient energy to turn the motors that drive all sorts of vehicles and make all sorts of machines work. Moreover, it can be transformed into a huge number of products which have themselves become the raw materials of our day-to-day lives: plastics, synthetic textiles … and many other diverse and varied products. Natural gas, which belongs to the same family as oil, that of the hydrocarbons, is systematically found with it in all the oil fields.
Natural gas is a highly efficient energy product, especially for burning. In addition, certain of its compounds are used to manufacture polymers that are the basic elements of everyday items.
But the stroke of luck represented by oil and gas has also become one of the major challenges of the present time.
The ever increasing consumption of hydrocarbons threatens the ecological balance of our planet, particularly that of the Earth’s climate. Solutions will have to be found in the coming years and that will have an impact on each and every one of us.
How are these hydrocarbons formed? Where are they found? How are they extracted and treated? The answers to these and other many questions are in the following pages! You will also find information there about the hydrocarbon business and about the actors in the petroleum business: large
oil companies, research organisations …
Ready to explore this world that is a little bit special, but fascinating at the same time?
Here we go!
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