Petroleum is a naturally occurring complex mixture of hydrocarbons, predominantly alkanes, cycloalkanes, and aromatic compounds, with variable amounts of heteroatom-containing species (sulfur-, nitrogen-, oxygen-bearing molecules) and trace metals, formed from the thermal maturation of organic matter in sedimentary basins. As a research topic, it encompasses source rock characterization, kerogen typing, basin modeling, fluid thermodynamics, and multiphase flow in porous media, as well as geochemical fingerprinting for provenance and migration studies. Petroleum research also addresses phase behavior under reservoir conditions, enhanced recovery processes, and environmental impacts associated with extraction, processing, and accidental release.
The extraction of gas and oil by fracking—large-scale fracturing of underground rocks by injecting water, sand and additives—is generating growing concern in Argentine Patagonia. Neuquén province—home to the country's largest ...
Earth Sciences
Feb 23, 2026
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An estimated 7,700 gallons of jet fuel spilled into the James River on Feb. 13 near Newport News Shipbuilding, according to officials. The spill happened during a refueling operation involving the aircraft carrier John F. ...
Environment
Feb 16, 2026
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I grew up on the beaches of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales. Visits to Tenby were my family's summer ritual: sand between our toes, paddling in rockpools, strawberry syrup on ice cream.
Environment
Feb 13, 2026
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16
When oily plastic and glass, as well as rubber, washed onto Florida beaches in 2020, a community group shared the mystery online, attracting scientists' attention. Working together, they linked the black residue-coated debris ...
Environment
Jan 7, 2026
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18
A large research study by an international team of scientists led by Christoph Böttner from Aarhus University shows clear evidence of extensive natural hydrocarbon seepage along the Northeast Greenland margin—one of the least ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 12, 2025
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In the dense forests of northwestern Pennsylvania, hundreds of thousands of retired oil and gas wells—some dating back to the mid-1800s, long before modern construction standards—dot the landscape, according to geochemists ...
Earth Sciences
Nov 7, 2025
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When fire erupted at the Intercontinental Terminals Co. bulk liquid petroleum storage terminal, large plumes of dark smoke billowed into the clear skies over Deer Park, Texas. Despite the efforts of site staff and local firefighters, ...
Environment
Oct 9, 2025
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21
A new study co-authored by Texas A&M University geologist Dr. Michael Tice has revealed potential chemical signatures of ancient Martian microbial life in rocks examined by NASA's Perseverance rover.
Astrobiology
Sep 14, 2025
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570
Air pollution from oil and gas is causing 91,000 premature deaths and hundreds of thousands of health issues across the United States annually, with Black, Asian, Native American and Hispanic groups consistently the most ...
Environment
Aug 22, 2025
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78
Oil drops from underwater oil spills can break into tinier droplets at the surface that remain suspended in the water, according to research from the University of Illinois Chicago. That means cleanups after disasters like ...
Soft Matter
Jul 18, 2024
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