We do not think of the life without oil any more though we use oil at least irrationally – as raw materials for fuel use. However forecasts of scientists do not please: at modern rates of oil production its stocks in depths of the earth will end in forty years. But oil – substance mysterious, as on structure, and by origin. There is nobody yet not refuted theory that reserves of oil are inexhaustible since it constantly continues to be formed of inorganic substances.
Oil is called natural liquid which is extracted from deep sedimentary deposits, ignites easily and used as fuel and raw material for chemical production. On the chemical composition oil is a complex mix more than thousands of substances. 90% of these substances make the hydrocarbon connections differing from each other on number of atoms of carbon in a molecule. At a chemical formula of some of these hydrocarbons there are an oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, various metals. Now oil is used generally as fuel (after its processing in kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel) though still Mendeleyev, and after it many other scientists pointed combustion of oil to unreasonableness and irrationality. Mendeleyev even compared this process from the fenny furnace bank notes. And, nevertheless, oil continues to be processed into different types of fuel. Besides, from oil synthesize plastic, dyes, synthetic fibers for fabrics, pharmacological medicines, explosives, cosmetics, polyethylene, food and they are only about 14,000 names of various products. The mechanism of formation of oil in the depths of the earth is still not clear. There are two theories of origin of oil: biogenous and abiogenous. According to the biogenous theory oil, as well as coal, was formed of residues of organic matter. The abiogenous theory assumes that oil was formed and continues to be formed of inorganic substances under the influence of the high pressure and high temperature. If the biogenous theory is right, then oil reserves in terrestrial depths are limited and are estimated approximately at 210 billion tons. If oil, according to the abiogenous theory, is formed of inorganic substances, then its stocks are almost inexhaustible. Unfortunately, to check what thorium is right, at the modern level of development of science it is not possible. Except liquid oil, in the nature there is also "nonconventional" oil. Under this name unite oil sands and kerogen – oil-containing rocky breed. From "nonconventional" oil it is also possible to receive different types of fuel – the truth, with big expenses. In any case, oil will not reach a limit as quickly as we by it are frightened.