Oil
Oil has been used for thousands of years, although we have only utilised it on a large scale since the middle of the nineteenth century.
The worlds biggest oil producers are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, the United States and Norway.
A natural source
Like coal, oil is made from plants and other organisms trapped beneath the surface of the Earth. Under intense pressure and high temperatures, these organisms have been transformed over millions of years. Oil is found collected in pockets in porous rock, or as oil sand.
Oil refined
A large share of the oil we use is refined into gasoline, diesel fuel and aircraft fuel. A smaller portion is used as heating oil.
Many harmful elements
Oil contains a number of elements that can damage the environment. The incineration process creates carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, and sulphuric dioxide and nitric oxides are also produced.
The future
Today, global oil production is thought to have reached its peak. It is expected to fall by 40-80 per cent by 2040.
Share of oil used in electricity generation:
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