Oil Spills
Crude oil or petroleum is an important fossil fuel. Fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago, when much of Earth was covered by water containing billions of tiny plants and animals. After these organisms died they accumulated on ocean floors, where, over the ages, sand and mud also drifted down to cover them. As these layers piled up over millions of years, their weight created pressure and heat that changed the decaying organic material into oil and gas.
Since petroleum is often extracted in places that are far away from areas where it is refined and eventually used, it must be transported in
large quantities by ocean tankers, inland-water barges, or...
[The entire page is 1329 words long]
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