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.
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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181
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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22
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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571
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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79
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
0
119
Asphaltenes, a byproduct of crude oil production, are a waste material with potential. Rice University scientists are determined to find it by converting the carbon-rich resource into useful graphene.
Nanomaterials
Nov 18, 2022
2
355
The limited reservoir of fossils fuels and the ever-increasing threats of climate change have encouraged researchers to develop alternative technologies to produce eco-friendly fuels. Green hydrogen generated from the electrolysis ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 19, 2021
2
246
