Types of Fossil Fuels

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Oil Gusher - you won't see these now

Fossil
Fuels 1

Renewable
Energy 1

There are many types of fossil fuels. Only a handful are used to provide energy
for most of the world's transportation and power needs at present. This is changing
as more and more renewable energy sources come online.

The main types used are peat, coal, natural gas, and oil, petroleum, or petrol. These
fossil fuel types were all formed in a similar manner.

Trees, shrubs and other plants concentrated sunlight into wood and other biomass.
Entire forests grew, died, got compacted, then were turned into peat, coal, gas, and
oil and stored in rocks. These fuels packed lots of energy in portable places and
stored well until needed.

Coal has been mined for centuries. It is one of the prime types of fossil fuels. Coal is cheap and the expertise and infrastructure already in place to use it are easily
available. The fact that it is perhaps the dirtiest of fossil fuels to extract and burn has
not diminished its popularity. Gas can be generated from coal in a process called
coal gasification.                                                                                                                    

Flared Natural Gas:

Flared gas in North Dakota alone in 2011 put as much CO2 in the air as an estimated 384,000 cars, some 2 million tons worth.
Value: $110 million. In Apr. 2012 the EPA first regulates these emissions beginning 2015.

There are many types of fossil fuels. Only a handful are used to provide energy
for most of the world's transportation and power needs at present. This is changing as more and more renewable energy sources come online.

The main types used are peat, coal, natural gas, and oil, petroleum, or petrol. These
fossil fuel types were all formed in a similar manner.

Trees, shrubs and other plants concentrated sunlight into wood and other biomass.
Entire forests grew, died, got compacted, then were turned into peat, coal, gas, and
oil and stored in rocks. These fuels packed lots of energy in portable places and
stored well until needed.

Coal has been mined for centuries. It is one of the prime types of fossil fuels. Coal is cheap and the expertise and infrastructure already in place to use it are easily available. The fact that it is perhaps the dirtiest of fossil fuels to extract and burn has not diminished its popularity. Gas can be generated from coal in a process called coal gasification.