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Earth Science
Quarter 1 – Module 7:
How Fossil Fuels are
Formed

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Earth Science – Grade 11
Self-Learning Module (SLM)
Quarter 1 – Module 7: How fossil fuels are formed
First Edition, 2020

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Development Team of the Module

Writers: Mojahed Abdulbali

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Reviewers: Laforeza L. Maguate, John Jerson P.

Constantino

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 11

Earth Science
Quarter 1– Module 7:

How Fossil Fuels are

Formed

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Grade 11 Earth Science Self-Learning Module (SLM) on How fossil
fuels are formed.

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This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

For the learner:

Welcome to the Grade 11 Earth Science Self-Learning Module (SLM) on

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to check what
you already know about the lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this module.

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 What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link the current
lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be introduced to you in
various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the lesson. This

aims to help you discover and understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent practice to

solidify your understanding and skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or

blank sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process what you
learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will help you
transfer your new knowledge or skill into real life situations or concerns.

Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your level of mastery

in achieving the learning competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given to

you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.

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6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

This module was designed to help you describe how fossil fuels are formed. It
will allow you explore various aspects of fossil fuels by examining the various ranks
of coal and the processes by which coal, oil, and natural gas form and this module
will be your exciting guide in discovering and exploring its wonders.

The module is composed of one lesson, particularly:

How Fossil Fuels are formed (S11ES-1d-10)

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. define fossil fuel;

2. describe the sequence of processes by which coal forms;

3. describe the sequence of processes by which oil and natural gas form;

4. discuss uses of various fossil fuels;

5. Distinguish fossil fuels from nuclear and renewable energy sources;

What I Know

Pre-Test
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. It refers to remains of creatures that lived long ago.

a. Dead Bodies
b. Fossils
c. Ancient Animals
d. Organic Animals

2. Fossil fuels are formed when organic matter that has buried deep within
the earth are subject to heat and pressure for over_______.
a. Hundreds of years
b. Thousands of years
c. Millions of years
d. None of the above

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3. Which type of rock form the most layers at Earth’s surface?
a. Igneous Rock
b. Solid Rocks
c. Sedimentary Rocks
d. Metamorphic Rocks

4.It is the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces from the effects of wind,
water and ice.
a. Accretion
b. Temperature
c. Weathering
d. Diffusion

5. The following are examples of fossil fuels, EXCEPT.

a. Acid
b. Coal
c. Natural Gas
d. Oil

6. This means they are consumed by humans faster than they can be
replenished through geological processes.
a. Non-renewable
b. Renewable
c. Recyclable
d. None of the above

7. Which two main forces transform organic matters into fossil fuels?
a. Heat and Temperature
b. Pressure and Temperature
c. Heat and Power
d. Heat and Pressure

8. It is often called crude oil, or just oil. It is considered a fossil fuel because
it was formed from the remains of tiny sea plants and animals that died
hundreds of millions of years ago.
a. Petroleum
b. Kerosene
c. Gasoline
d. All of the above

9. Organic sedimentary rock formed from plant remains deposited in

swamps and marshes.?
a. Coral
b. Coal
c. Oil

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 d. Gas

10. Which of the following is being generated by coal?

a. Food
b. Gas
c. Electric Power
d. All of the above

Lesson

1 THE VARIOUS SOURCES OF ENERGY

If you have ever walked along the bottom of a cliff, you may have noticed that the
rocks form layers. Different layers may have different colors or textures. They may
be made of bits of other rocks.

Rocks form layers like these over millions of years. As the layers build up, the
pressure on the bottom layers increases. The pressure on the rocks causes their
temperatures to increase as well. Sometimes, rock layers form over the remains of
plants and animals. Scientists call these remains organic matter. High pressures and
temperatures can change organic matter into three very important kinds of things:
coal, oil, and natural gas.

Coal, oil, and natural gas are also called fossil fuels. Why do you think this is so?
Lets go and take a look!

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 What’s In

Activity 1: Think and Share!

Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to; A.
Identify Coal, Oil and Natural Gas.
B. Share your prior knowledge on the uses of Coal, Oil and Natural Gas.
Procedure:

1. There are presented pictures at the bottom.

2. Your task is to identify, which among the following pictures are the
examples of Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas.

C. Afterwards, you are going to share your prior knowledge on the uses of Coal, Oil
and Natural Gas based on the picture you had selected.

Let’s think!

Picture A Picture B Picture C Picture D Picture E

Guide Questions:

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 1. Which among the pictures is an example of a Coal?________
2. Which among the pictures is an example of a Oil?__________
3. Which among the pictures is an example of a Natural Gas?________

Let’s Share
Share your prior knowledge on the uses of Coal, Oil and Natural Gas.

Coal Oil Natural Gas

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 Notes to the Teacher

Let the students finish the module for 2 two days.

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 What’s New

Activity 2 : Lets Reflect

Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to;
A. Understand the energy consumption in the Philippines from 2004 to 2014.

Fossil fuel energy consumption (% of total) in Philippines was reported at

62.43 % in 2014, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators,
compiled from officially recognized sources. Philippines - Fossil fuel energy
consumption (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections
were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2020.
The total primary energy consumption of the Philippines in 2012 was 30.2 Mtoe
(million Tonnes of oil equivalent), most of which came from fossil fuels. Electricity
consumption in 2010 was 64.52 TWh, of which almost two-thirds came from fossil
fuels, 21% from hydroelectric plants, and 13% from other renewable sources. The
total generating capacity was 16.36 GW.

Write your answer here!

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 What is It

Fossils are the remains of creatures that lived long ago. So,
fossils include organic matter buried beneath layers of rocks. A fuel is a source of
energy. Without fossil fuels, most people could not drive their cars. They could not
turn on their lights or heat their homes. This is because most of the energy needed
to do these things comes from fossil fuels.

The energy in fossil fuels originally came from the Sun. Plants use the energy
in sunlight to make their own food. The energy in plants passes to the animals that
eat the plants. (You can learn about these processes in the lesson Food Webs.) Some
energy remains in plants and animals that die and become fossil fuels. Burning the
fossil fuels releases the energy for humans to use.

Fossil fuels are formed when organic matter that has buried deep within the
earth are subject to heat and pressure over millions of years.

Over time, they were buried by thousands of feet of sand and sediment, which
turned into sedimentary rock. As the layers increased, they pressed harder and
harder on the decayed remains at the bottom. The heat and pressure eventually
changed the remains into petroleum.

When you think of fossils, you might think of dinosaurs, wooly

mammoths, or other large creatures that lived long ago. However,
most of the fossils that become fossil fuels are the remains of much
smaller plants and animals.

Write your answer here!

The formation of fossil fuels

What is sedimentary rock?

To understand how fossil fuels form, it is important to learn more about rocks.
Most of the rocks that form layers at Earth’s surface are sedimentary rocks. A
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sedimentary rock is made of bits of other rocks. Processes such as weathering break
down rocks at Earth’s surface. These bits of broken rock are called sediments.

Sediments form layers at the bottoms of valleys and seas. New layers increase the
pressure on older layers. This pressure compacts the sediments. (During compaction,
bits of rock are pressed tightly together.) Over time, water flows through the
compacted sediments. Most of the water on Earth contains dissolved minerals. Some
of these minerals stick to the sediments. Eventually, enough minerals stick to form
a kind of cement. The cement holds together all the bits of rock to form new rock.

Not all sedimentary rocks form in this way. In other lessons, you will learn more
about the different ways that sedimentary rocks form.

How is sedimentary rock involved in the

formation of fossil fuels? How long does this
process take?

The effects of pressure and temperature can change organic matter into fossil fuels.
This does not happen quickly. The transformation takes millions of years.

Coal forms from dead plants that sink to the bottoms of swamps. The organic matter
is buried under sediments and slowly transformed into peat. If the peat is buried
under more sediment, it can become coal. There are several kinds of coal. Coal that
has experienced greater pressure contains more energy.

Some people consider coal to be a type of sedimentary rock. The other kinds of fossil
fuels, oil and natural gas, are not rocks. They formed from microscopic animals that
lived in ancient seas. When these tiny creatures died, they were buried beneath layers
of sediments. The sediments became sedimentary rocks. Over millions of years,
pressure from the rocks changed some of the organic matter into oil. (Another word
for this kind of oil is petroleum.) Given enough pressure, organic matter can also
become natural gas.

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Heat and pressure are the two main forces that transform organic
matter into fossil fuels. Can you think of other examples of heat or
pressure changing one type of thing into something else? For
example, what happens to dough when it is placed in a hot oven?

Write your answer here!

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What is petroleum engineering?

If you wanted to drill underground and find oil, what would you look for? Oil is
not found in underground lakes filled with black liquid. Instead, the rocks in an oil
reservoir have tiny holes called pores. Pressure from the layers of rock above the
reservoir squeezes drops of oil into the pores. Petroleum engineers look for ways to
remove oil from underground rocks. They test the ground to determine the best
places to drill. They build pumps to force the oil to the surface. However, these
methods remove only a quarter of the oil in any reservoir. How can people get the
remaining oil? That’s a problem that petroleum engineers are still working on.

Take some time to explore how oil droplets gather in the pores of rocks by doing this
simple activity at your homes.

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 1. To complete this activity, you will need the following materials:

Three different sedimentary rocks. One rock should have extremely small pores.
Another rock should have pores that are easily visible. Limestone, sandstone, and
shale are recommended.

2. Spend a few minutes observing each rock. Use a magnifying glass if you have one.
Based on your observations, predict which rock will absorb the most oil and which
rock will absorb the least oil. Explain your reasons for each prediction.
3. Place the r ocks on the paper plate. Leave plenty of space between the rocks. Use
the eyedropper to place three drops of oil on each rock. (For each rock, place all three

RECORD YOUR OBSERVATIONS HERE!

Fossil Fuels are Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Nonrenewable means they are consumed by humans faster than they can be
replenished through geological processes.

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 Fossil fuels are produced by geological processes acting on organic matter over
long periods of time (hundreds of millions of years).

Renewable Energy Sources

⚫ Biomass (burning of wood, biofuels such as ethanol & biodiesel, or waste)

⚫ Hydroelectric power (using flowing water to produce energy)
⚫ Solar energy
⚫ Wind energy
⚫ Tidal and wave energy
⚫ Geothermal energy

What about nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is not a fossil fuel and is not considered renewable. Uranium235
is used to fuel nuclear power plants. After uranium ore is mined, the U-235 must be
extracted and processed before it can be used as fuel.

Fossil Fuel Formation Activity 4

Activity 4. Compare and Contrast Oil and Coal Resources — Student

Worksheet

Directions: Watch the video, Coal, Oil and Natural Gas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQncFcuYWos (6 minutes 47 seconds). Pause
the video at the Venn diagram and do this activity. Cut out the rectangles containing
statements below and organize them on the Venn diagram on page 2 according to
whether they apply to coal alone, oil alone, or both coal and oil.

Formed from marine organisms Typical power plant fuel

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 Formed from vegetation U.S. uses 20% of world supply

Source of carbon dioxide U.S. has 25% of world supply

Example of a fossil fuel Contains carbon

Migrates up after formed Formed from kerogen

Non-renewable Four varieties (carbon content)

Used for electricity Most reserves in Middle East

Buried during formation Takes millions of years to form

What is Coal?

⚫ Organic sedimentary rock formed from plant remains deposited in swamps and
marshes. Composed mostly of Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen and Nitrogen.
⚫ The major use of coal is generating electric power.
⚫ Burning coal is one of the largest sources of CO2, a greenhouse gas related to
global warming.

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 Coal Formation

⚫ Think about the carbon cycle. Trace the carbon from the atmosphere into plants.
⚫ Dead plants are buried under sediment, and converted into coal.
⚫ When coal is burned, carbon returns to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Types (or Ranks) of Coal

Increasing Low pressure, ▪ Peat

Rank
▪ Lignite temperature
▪ Sub- bituminous coal
and ▪

Bituminous coal
▪ Anthracite coal
High Rank depth of burial

Peat: The sediment that forms coal

⚫ Brown, partially decayed plant fragments.

⚫ Vegetation accumulates in wetlands (swamps,
marshes, peat bogs or lakes).
⚫ Stagnant water (little or no oxygen) slows
decomposition rate.

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Lignite

⚫ Soft, dark brown, gray or black, crumbly, sooty coal.

⚫ Plant parts may be visible.
⚫ Formed from compaction of peat under low burial pressures &
temperatures.
⚫ Low rank coal.
⚫ Carbon content 46-60% (dry basis).

Sub-bituminous coal

⚫ Intermediate between lignite and bituminous coal.

⚫ Carbon content 46-60% (dry basis).

Bituminous coal

⚫ Hard, but slightly sooty.

⚫ Dull to shiny luster.
⚫ May have layers.
⚫ Deeper burial, longer burial, and higher temperatures than
lower coal ranks.
⚫ Most abundant coal rank in the United States.
⚫ Carbon content 46-86% (dry basis).

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Anthracite coal

⚫ Hard, shiny coal with a silvery luster.

⚫ A metamorphic rock formed from bituminous coal at higher
temperatures and pressures.
⚫ The highest coal rank.
⚫ Carbon content 86-98% (dry basis ).

Coalification

⚫ Water is expelled as peat is compacted.

⚫ Plant material breaks down releasing natural gas (mostly methane).
⚫ A bed of peat about 10 feet thick produces a layer of coal about 1 foot thick.

Carbon, Heating Value and Carbon Dioxide

⚫ Different types of coal contain different amounts of carbon.

⚫ The highest percentage of carbon is found in the highest rank coal.
⚫ High-rank coal also has a higher heat content (or heating value).
⚫ When coal is burned, carbon dioxide is emitted – a greenhouse gas related to
global warming.

Review Questions

1. How does coal rank relate to temperature and pressure of burial?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

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2. How does carbon content relate to coal rank?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

3. How does heating value relate to coal rank?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

4. What is the major use of coal?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

What is Oil (or Petroleum)?

⚫ Liquid hydrocarbons that are present in certain layers of sedimentary rock

(the geosphere).
⚫ Petroleum can be extracted from the rock and refined to produce fuels and
chemicals.

Petroleum Products:

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Other products:
Kerosene
Lubricants

Waxes
Asphalt
Chemicals

What is Natural Gas?

⚫ The major component in natural gas is methane,

CH4

⚫ Other gases that may be present include:

ethane, C2H6
propane, C3H8
butane, C4H10

See video of formation of petroleum source rocks, movement of hydrocarbons,

reservoir rock, and hydrocarbon traps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PDOD_FEnNk
(2 minutes 15 seconds).

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Petroleum and Natural Gas Formation

⚫ Think about the carbon cycle. Trace the carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean
and into marine organisms.
⚫ Remains of organisms are buried under sediment and converted into oil and
natural gas.
⚫ When these fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is emitted.

What are Tar Sands?

⚫ Tar sands form when oil moving upward within a reservoir of porous, permeable
sand is not stopped by an impermeable sedimentary layer.
⚫ Oil begins to escape from the sand at the surface, and is biodegraded by “oileating
bacteria”, causing the oil to become highly viscous asphalt or tar called bitumen.
⚫ Tar sands can be mined and processed with hot water to separate the bitumen
from the sand.

What is Oil Shale?

⚫ Oil shale is sedimentary rock containing kerogen that has not been heated
enough within Earth to change the kerogen into hydrocarbons.
⚫ Oil shale can be mined, but it must be subjected to a high temperature before
petroleum-like liquids can be separated from the rock.

What is Shale Gas?

Shale gas forms in organic-rich black shales where extremely deep
burial and extremely high temperatures have broken petroleum down
into natural gas (methane).

What is fracking?
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⚫ Shales have low permeability, so to extract the oil or methane gas, it is necessary
to create artificial fractures.
⚫ Wells are drilled to thousands of feet deep, and then drilled horizontally along
the shale bed.
⚫ High-pressure fluids and sand are injected to hydraulically fracture the shale,
releasing the trapped oil or methane gas (fracking).

What are methane hydrates?

⚫ Ice saturated with natural gas (methane) on the seafloor, and in arctic
permafrost regions.
⚫ Methane in the cryosphere!

Watch video on Oil and Gas Formation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHsxXEVB1M

(3 minutes 4 seconds).

Review Questions

1. Oil and natural gas form from the remains of what sorts of organisms?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

2. What has to happen to organic matter in order to produce hydrocarbons?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

3. What are the major components of natural gas?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

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4. What types of rock serve as reservoirs for oil and gas?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

5. How do tar sands form?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

6. What is the major use of petroleum?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

7. What other sorts of products are made from petroleum?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

8. What is the difference between oil and oil shale?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

9. How is natural gas extracted from shale?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.

Origin of Oil

⚫ The story of oil and gas begins with planktonic organisms living in the ocean (or
in lakes).

⚫ Zooplankton eat phytoplankton (algae) that use the Sun’s energy to produce
organic matter and energy through photosynthesis.

⚫ As the planktonic organisms die, their remains begin to settle to the sea floor
under anoxic conditions (without oxygen).

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⚫ Over time, layer upon layer of sediments accumulate, containing the remains of
planktonic organisms.

⚫ Thick sequences of sediments are

deposited and the planktonic
organisms buried in them are
heated and compressed until the
organic matter begins to change
into kerogen, a solid, waxy
organic material.

⚫ With the high temperatures and

pressures of greater depth of
burial, the kerogen begins to
change into hydrocarbons.

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⚫ With even more heat
and pressure, the
hydrocarbons are
broken down into
petroleum (oil) and
natural gas.

⚫ Thick sequences of
sediments are
deposited and the
planktonic organisms
buried in them are
heated and
compressed until the
organic matter begins
to change into
kerogen, a solid, waxy organic material.

1.

⚫ With the high temperatures and

pressures of greater depth of burial,
the kerogen begins to change into
hydrocarbons.

⚫ With even more heat and pressure,

the hydrocarbons are broken down
into petroleum (oil) and natural gas.

⚫ More and more petroleum and

natural gas accumulate and
become concentrated in the trap,
forming an oil field.

⚫ Geologists use various tools, such

as seismic surveys, to study Earth
to locate oil fields beneath the
ground. If a location seems
promising, drilling may begin.

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⚫ Wells are drilled into the ground in the oil field to extract the petroleum, which
is called crude oil.

⚫ The crude oil is transported to a refinery, where it is separated by distillation and

other processes into fuels such as gasoline, butane, kerosene, liquid petroleum
gas, jet fuel, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and chemicals used to manufacture plastics.

History of Oil

People have used petroleum since ancient times. The early Chinese and
Egyptians burned oil to light their homes. Before the 1850s, Americans used whale
oil to light their homes. When whales became scarce, people skimmed the crude oil
that seeped to the surface of ponds and streams. Did you know that oil floats on
water? The density of oil is less than the density of water, allowing it to float to the
top. The demand for oil grew and in 1859, Edwin Drake drilled the first oil well near
Titusville, PA. At first, the crude oil was refined into kerosene for lighting. Gasoline
and other products produced during refining were thrown away because people had
no use for them. This all changed when Henry Ford began mass producing
automobiles in 1908 with the invention of the assembly line. Everyone wanted
automobiles, and they all ran on gasoline. Gasoline was the fuel of choice because it
provided the greatest amount of energy relative to cost and ease of use.

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 Today, Americans use more petroleum than any other energy source, mainly for
transportation. Petroleum provides more than 36 percent of the total energy we use.
One-sixth of the oil the U.S. produces comes from offshore wells. Some of these wells
are a mile under the ocean. Some of the rigs used to drill these wells float on top of
the water. It takes a lot of money and technology to find, explore, produce, and
transport oil from under the ocean. Texas produces more oil than any other state,
followed by North Dakota, California, Alaska, and Oklahoma. Americans use much
more oil than we produce. Today, the U.S. imports 48% of the oil it consumes from
foreign countries.

History of Natural Gas

The ancient people of Greece, Persia, and India discovered natural gas many
centuries ago. The people were mystified by the burning springs created when natural
gas seeped from cracks in the ground and was ignited by lightning. They sometimes
built temples around these eternal flames and worshipped the fire. About 2,500
years ago, the Chinese recognized that natural gas could be put to work. The Chinese
piped the gas from shallow wells and burned it under large pans to evaporate
seawater to make salt. In 1816, natural gas captured from a coal coking plant was
first used in America to fuel street lamps in Baltimore, MD. Soon after, in 1821,
William Hart dug the United States’ first successful natural gas well in Fredonia, NY.
It was just 27 feet deep, quite shallow compared to today’s wells. Today, natural gas
is the country’s second largest source of energy, meeting nearly 29 percent of our
total energy demand.

Everyday Life: What is gasoline?

Petroleum is a mix of chemicals. By breaking apart these chemicals, people can

turn petroleum into a wide range of products. (This process is called refining. Before
it has been refined, petroleum is sometimes called crude oil.) One such product is
gasoline. When gasoline is burned, it expands very quickly. This expansion releases
lots of energy in the form of explosions. A gasoline engine allows people to create and
control these explosions. The energy can then be used to propel a car forward.
Americans use hundreds of millions of gallons of gasoline each day. Nearly one-fifth
of all the energy used in the United States comes from gasoline.

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Looking to the Future: Can we run out of fossil fuels?

It is very important for people to use less coal, oil, and natural gas. Removing
fossil fuels from the ground pollutes the environment. So does burning them. But
there is an even simpler reason for people to find other sources of energy. Fossil fuels
are nonrenewable resources. This means that we use them much more quickly than
nature makes them. Remember: coal, oil, and natural gas take millions of years to
form. Yet Americans use billions of barrels of oil each year. Even if people could
remove every drop of oil from the ground, eventually all the oil would be gone. You
can learn about possible solutions to this problem in the lesson Alternative Energy.

What’s More

What Do You Know?

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 Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas. Read the characteristics in the
box below. Decide whether each characteristic describes coal, oil, or natural gas.
Then write each characteristic in the correct section of the Venn diagram.

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What I Have Learned

Share your thoughts!

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Direction: Share your ideas based on the learning you had learned in the given topic
by answering the given question below.

GUIDE QUESTION
Knowing the processes how fossil fuels were formed, its derivatives and uses, as a
student in your own idea, how important fossil fuels in the development of our
economy in the Philippines.

What I Can Do

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 Share your thoughts!

Direction: Share your ideas based on the learning you had learned in the given topic
by answering the given question below.

GUIDE QUESTION
You had learned that majority of our energy in the Philippines were regulated using
non-renewable energy, which in due time if we continue to neglect in handling and
regulating it properly, it will be depleted.
As a concern citizen in the Republic of the Philippines, what will be your message to
the government and if possible your significant advocacy in order to regulate our
non-renewable sources of energy properly.

Assessment

Post Test

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Direction: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Most of the rocks that form layers at Earth’s surface are what type of
rocks.
a. Igneous Rock
b. Solid Rocks
c. Sedimentary Rocks
d. Metamorphic Rocks

2. Refers to the remains of creatures that lived long ago.

a. Dead Bodies
b. Fossils
c. Ancient Animals
d. Organic Animals

3. Which of the following is being generated by coal ?

a. Food
b. Gas
c. Electric Power
d. All of the above

4. Fossil fuels are formed when organic matter that has buried deep
within the earth are subject to heat and pressure over.
a. Hundreds of years
b. Thousands of years
c. Millions of years
d. None of the above

5. It is often called crude oil, or just oil. It is considered a fossil fuel

because it was formed from the remains of tiny sea plants and
animals that died hundreds of millions of years ago.
a. Petroleum
b. Kerosene
c. Gasoline
d. All of the above
e.

6. The breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces from the effects of wind,
water and ice.
a. Accretion
b. Temperature
c. Weathering
d. Diffusion

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7. This two main forces that transform organic matter into fossil fuels.
a. A.Heat and Temperature
a. Pressure and Temperature
b. Heat and Power
c. Heat and Pressure

8. The following are examples of fossil fuels, EXCEPT.

a. Acid
b. Coal
c. Natural Gas
d. Oil

9. This means they are consumed by humans faster than they can be
replenished through geological processes.
a. Non-renewable
b. Renewable
c. Recyclable
d. None of the above

10. Organic sedimentary rock formed from plant remains deposited

in swamps and marshes.?
a. Coral
b. Coal
c. Oil
d. Gas

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 DISCLAIMER
This self-learning Module (SLM) was developed by DepEd
SOCCSKSARGEN with the primary objective of preparing for and
addressing the new normal. Contents of this module were based on
DepEd’s most essential Learning Competencies (MELC). This is
supplementary material to be used by all learners of Region XII in all
public schools beginning SY 2020-2021. The process of LR development
was observed in the production of this module, This is version 1.0 We
highly encourage feedback, comments, and recommendations.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education - Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

Ground Floor, Bonifacio Bldg., DepEd Complex

Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines 1600

Telefax: (632) 8634-1072; 8634-1054; 8631-4985

Email Address: [email protected] * [email protected]

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