The Brighter Side Of Science And Mineral Exploration

By Christine Cook


The economy of the world rests squarely on one natural commodity. It is often referred to as black gold and in its natural form is gooey and slimy. It is the main element that powers all machinery and equipment. From household appliances to gargantuan equipment, this element is used as the main source of power. It fuels the transportation industry. Large oil firms have engaged scientists to identify reserves through micro paleontology.

One business that is often associated with tycoons is the oil business. Since its discovery, fossil fuels have been used as the main substance for all sorts of engines. In its pure form, it is extracted from beneath the ground and under the deepest of oceans. Mineral exploration companies invest billions of dollars to find the spot where deposits are found. Once it is found, then the drilling begins.

The transportation industry is one of the largest users of petrol and other petroleum based products. Whether it be gasoline, diesel, or bunker fuel. All vehicles run on internal combustion engines and these needs petrol in order to fire up and operate. Every day from dusk till dawn we can see these machines on roads, streets, high ways like parading ants.

Crude oil is an exhaustible resource. With this in mind, rich industrialists hire experts and scientists in looking for the spots where there are huge deposits. These scientists come from different fields of expertise and most are geologists and paleontologists. They help in identifying areas that can possibly contain a deposit of hydrocarbons which is the main component of petroleum and natural gas.

Geology is the science that concentrates on the study of earth materials which can either be solid, gas, or liquid. It also encompasses the process by which these materials are created and formed and the causes that bring about their existence. Geologists are what these scientists are called and their expertise and talent are now being harnessed by mining and oil exploration companies.

The study of organisms that lived millions of years ago is called paleontology. These focus especially on microorganisms such as foraminifera. The remains of the decomposed bodies of these organisms are embedded on rocks and sediments found deep under the oceans. There is also a branch of study that concentrates on the different earth layers where these might be found.

At present most oil exploration firms employ scientists from these to fields of scientific endeavor to identify deposits and help develop one that is already existing. Deep sea drilling which employs horizontal and multi directional drilling backed up by supercomputers have made deep water exploration feasible. Big chunks of core samples are extracted and examined on board drilling vessels.

Micro paleontologists use the method of studying what fossils are normally found in the different strata of the earth crust. Modern gadgetry and analysis equipment are available as a result of technological advances. This equipment is used to determine the biological and chemical components of these strata. The extracted materials being brought up are known as core samples.

This huge endeavor which is largely financed by big oil industries seeks to find more and more of this resource as supplies begin to dwindle as a result of over-exploitation. More and more companies are looking at developing an alternative and renewable source of energy. Industries have relied too much on crude oil for a very long time. The use of fossil fuel has also brought about severe climatic changes.




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