Article
Article
Petroleum
Article By:
Okandan, Ender Department of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.
Last reviewed:April 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.502600
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- Petroleum, published June 2014:Download PDF
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A naturally occurring complex liquid hydrocarbon found in source rocks beneath the Earth’s surface which, after distillation, yields combustible fuels, petrochemicals, and lubricants; also known as crude oil. Strictly speaking, petroleum consists only of crude oil, but in practice it includes gases (natural gas), liquids (crude oil), and solids (asphalt, tar, bitumen), or a combination of states. See also: Petroleum products
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