History of the Oil

Petroleum or crude oil is an oily, flammable liquid that occurs naturally in deposits, most often found beneath the surface of the earth. Over millions of years, plant and animal remains fall to the floor of shallow seas. As the seas recede, the plant material is covered by sediment layers, such as silt, sand, clay, & other plant material. Buried deep beneath layers of rock, the organic material partially decomposes, under an absence of oxygen, into petroleum that eventually seeps into the spaces between rock layers. As the earth's tectonic plate’s move, the rock is bent or warped into folds or it "breaks" along fault lines, allowing the petroleum to collect in pools. Early Man was not unfamiliar with crude oil. In the Middle East escaping petroleum gases burned continuously, giving rise to fire worship.