Where does oil come from?

[FRED]

Step 1 - Energy Capture
<table border="0" width="521"> <tbody><tr> <td width="350"> <table border="0" height="346" width="340"> <tbody><tr> <td height="325">http://www.priweb.org/ed/pgws/systems/images/diatom.jpg</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffff99"> <td>Side view of a typical diatom, the energy-trapping organism generally thought to be the origin of oil.</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffff99"> <td>photo copyright 2001 by Dee Breger at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/micro) </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td height="350" width="170"> In spite of some popular misconceptions, oil doesn't come from dead dinosaurs. In fact, most scientists agree that oil comes from creatures the size of a pinhead. These one-celled creatures, known as diatoms, aren't really plants, but share one very important characteristic with them - they take light from the sun and convert it into energy. (Humans can't do this - this is why you have to eat your veggies!)
</td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" height="74"> Diatoms float in the top few meters of the oceans (and lakes, for that matter - which is part of the reason why not ALL oil comes from ocean deposits!) and also happen to be a major source of food for many forms of ocean swimmers. Their skeletons are chemically very similar to sand - in fact, they are made of the same material (silica). Diatoms produce a kind of oil by themselves - both to store chemical energy from photosynthesis and to increase their ability to float. But this small amount of oil still needs to become concentrated and mature before it can be taken from the ground and used as fuel.</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
Move ahead to Step 2 (http://www.priweb.org/ed/pgws/systems/source/source.html)

[Lukester]

MOVE AHEAD TO STEP TWO. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST - 2 HOUR TIME LIMIT.

Oil is made by Exxon and Chevron (and maybe ARCO and BP)? :confused:
Gasoline is made by Exxon and Chevron and ARCO, (and maybe BP)?
Soda is made by soda fountains at, like, Dairy Queen or other leading food franchise stores?
Milk is made by cows, or maybe by those Knudsen's Dairy Farms guys?
Toothpaste is made by the supermarkets, or maybe by those Colgate / Palmolive tubes with the stripes?
Velveeta cheese is like, squeezed out of California-Cheese tubes?
Water is made by Municipal Authorities, or by the water faucets?
Ketchup comes out of those Heinz company bottles that you can like, find in diners and better restaurants?
Gold is made by banks and the higher quality govermints?
The national debt is made by higher quality govermints?
Electricity comes out of power plugs, and maybe wires?
Plastic bags are made by "The Supermarkets"?
Frankfurters are made out of "stuff" at Oscar Meyer's factory?
"Money" is made by the govermints whenever old money wears out? :rolleyes:
Education is made by the school boards?
Cool threads come out of Banana Republic stores?
Cocoa comes out of faucets at the Nestle' company, and faucets at that English company called, like Cadbury's?
Chocolate comes out of candy wrappers under christmas trees?
BMW's are made by containers at Long Beach in LA?
Honda's are made by containers at Long Beach in LA?
Fords and GM's are "made in the USA"?
American prosperity is "Made By The Founding Fathers"? :confused:
Turkeys were invented for Thanksgiving? :confused: :confused: :confused:
"Turkeys can fly" was invented in America?
Yurup is the place where the "Big Ben" (and those red public buses) are at, and the Yeiffel Tower in Paris-France is at, and the Tower-of-Pisa in Pisa-Italy is at, and where those guys in Lederhosen live?
Pizzas are made out of Dominos stores?
Our high cost of living is because of Big Oil Companies?
Freedom was "Made by George Washington" [TM] ?
Orange Juice comes out of Dole and Sunkist factories?
Carbon Trading is "Made By Liberals"?
Polar Bears are made by Museums?
Martha Stewart is made by "Martha Stewart Living Media"?
Jobs are made by ... the Govermint?
Budweiser is made out of switchgrass?
Teflon is made out of "American Know-How"?
POWERBAR energy snacks should be distributed like, free, to poor nations?
Tunafish comes from "Chicken-of-the-Sea" cans?
Wines are "Made by France en Italy"?
Motor Oil is made by Auto-Parts stores?
Yoghurt is made by Yoplait and Knudsen's?
The United Nations was "Made In The USA" but got hijacked by furry-ners?
We buy stuff from developing countries because there is a glut of savings and to help global growth?
Credit cards money is made by the ATM machines? :confused:
Poor countries are made by lack of capitalism? :confused:
Our standard of living is ... uh ... non-negotiable? :rolleyes:

[Jim Nickerson]

Oil is made by Exxon and Chevron (and maybe ARCO and BP)? :confused:
Gasoline is made by Exxon and Chevron and ARCO, (and maybe BP)?
Soda is made by soda fountains at, like, Dairy Queen or other leading food franchise stores?
Milk is made by cows, or maybe by those Knudsen's Dairy Farms guys?
Toothpaste is made by the supermarkets, or maybe by those Colgate / Palmolive tubes with the stripes?
Velveeta cheese is like, squeezed out of California-Cheese tubes?
Water is made by Municipal Authorities, or by the water faucets?
Ketchup comes out of those Heinz company bottles that you can like, find in diners and better restaurants?
Gold is made by banks and the higher quality govermints?
The national debt is made by higher quality govermints?
Electricity comes out of power plugs, and maybe wires?
Plastic bags are made by "The Supermarkets"?
Frankfurters are made out of "stuff" at Oscar Meyer's factory?
"Money" is made by the govermints whenever old money wears out? :rolleyes:
Education is made by the school boards?
Cool threads come out of Banana Republic stores?
Cocoa comes out of faucets at the Nestle' company, and faucets at that English company called, like Cadbury's?
Chocolate comes out of candy wrappers under christmas trees?
BMW's are made by containers at Long Beach in LA?
Honda's are made by containers at Long Beach in LA?
Fords and GM's are "made in the USA"?
American prosperity is "Made By The Founding Fathers"? :confused:
Turkeys were invented for Thanksgiving? :confused: :confused: :confused:
Yurup is the place where the "Big Ben" (and those red public buses) are at, and the Yeiffel Tower in Paris-France is at, and the Tower-of-Pisa in Pisa-Italy is at, and where those guys in Lederhosen live?
Pizzas are made out of Dominos stores?
Our high cost of living is because of Big Oil Companies?
Freedom was "Made by George Washington" [TM] ?
Orange Juice comes out of Dole and Sunkist factories?
Carbon Trading is "Made By Liberals"?
Polar Bears are made by Museums?
Martha Stewart is made by "Martha Stewart Living Media"?
Jobs are made by ... the Govermint?
Budweiser is made out of switchgrass?
Teflon is made out of "American Know-How"?
POWERBAR energy snacks should be distributed like, free, to poor nations?
Tunafish comes from "Chicken-of-the-Sea" cans?
Wines are "Made by France en Italy"?
Motor Oil is made by Auto-Parts stores?
Yoghurt is made by Yoplait and Knudsen's?
The United Nations was "Made In The USA" but got hijacked by furry-ners?
We buy stuff from developing countries because there is a glut of savings and to help global growth?
Credit cards money is made by the ATM machines? :confused:
Poor countries are made by lack of capitalism? :confused:
Our standard of living is ... uh ... non-negotiable? :rolleyes:

That's pretty good, Luke, bearing out that an idol mine is the devil's workbench.

Edit: I hate myself when I have these hot flashes of charitableness, the ravages of aging, I guess.

[$#*]

Credit cards money is made by the ATM machines?

That is correct! The bonar paper (legal tender notes) is manufactured by the Treasury and stored in ATM's for distribution, but the credit cards money is actually made by the ATM machines. It is that simple!

[GRG55]

MOVE AHEAD TO STEP TWO. MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST - 2 HOUR TIME LIMIT.

Electricity comes out of power plugs, and maybe wires?


Yep. And if you don't use those "child proof" plugs on the unused outlets, it leaks out [invisibly] all over your living room carpet. Which is why your power bills are so high...

[Lukester]

No, the power bills are high because of the greedy oil companies. What do they think we are, stupid? :cool:

Yep. And if you don't use those "child proof" plugs on the unused outlets, it leaks out [invisibly] all over your living room carpet. Which is why your power bills are so high...

[GRG55]

No, the power bills are high because of the greedy oil companies. What do they think we are, stupid? :cool:

Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up Lukester.

Last week I heard that the oil companies and GE bought up all the patents for leak-proof electricity, and the 100mpg light bulb too.

[Lukester]

Dang. One of these days we'll finally slap some badass anti-trust action on those bloodsuckers. My champion for this cause is Nancy Pelosi. She's a demon in those senate hearings on "big oil", and lethally well-informed too [ NOT ]. You tell 'em Nancy! Go gettem! :p :p :p

Damn. I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up Lukester. Last week I heard that the oil companies and GE bought up all the patents for leak-proof electricity, and the 100mpg light bulb too.