This prolonged exposure to heat between 90°C and 160°C "cooks" the kerogen, a process geologists call diagenesis and catagenesis. Unlike material that decomposes on the surface, this organic matter was buried quickly under layers of mud and silt.
The Transformation of Kerogen into Liquid Hydrocarbons
This prolonged exposure to heat between 90°C and 160°C "cooks" the kerogen, a process geologists call diagenesis and catagenesis. Crude oil is a fossil fuel formed from the buried remains of microscopic marine organisms that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
During this cooking process, the large organic molecules crack apart, reorganizing into the smaller, complex hydrocarbons that define crude oil. Extraction and Modern Recovery After millions of years of formation, the oil is extracted using modern technology.
The Transformation of Kerogen into Liquid Hydrocarbons
Transformation Through Heat and Pressure As newer sediments piled on top, the organic-rich layer was pushed deeper underground. Here, the increasing weight created intense pressure, while the Earth’s internal heat raised the temperature.
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