Why is most of the oil in the Islamic countries ?

Question

Oil was made up of some kind of miniature living creatures that lived millions of years ago... trillions of em, and their decayed bodies sort of went gooey and got pushed under surface layers of earth... i know that much.

Why is oil mostly in the middle east ? Was the desert full of lush resources where these creatures thrived before somehow it got destroyed to leave hostile desert and sand ? The Arabs complain constantly how they are being exploited... but we pay em billions each day cause of their mini creatures luck. Its been like a powerful hose of cash switched at them for past few decades where before they'd still all be in mud huts and on camels if no oil (not racism but there would not have been the cash or Western investment and infrastructure put in if no oil).

Answer 1

Actually, you are right, the Middle East does contain about 65% of the world's proved oil reserves with Saudi Arabia alone having about 25%. By comparison, all of Europe (including the North Sea reserves) account for about 7-8%, the US has about 6-7% (including offshore Gulf of Mexico), South america about 8% and Africa about 8-9%. I realize that proved reserves don't tell the whole story but it is the portion that we know for a fact exists- we have a well in it. Even if you look at all identified reserves to date, the Middle East still has almost 55% (with Saudi Arabia alone having 24%)

The reason the Middle East is so fortunate in this respect is the geology. Several factors have to work together to yield an oil field. There must be a good source rock (shales which formed from the accumulation of dead marine organisms or terrestrial organic material) which is buried deep enough for the temperature to be just right for generating oil (called the oil window). The Middle East has excellent source rock.

Then there must be a good reservoir rock to contain the oil within it's pore spaces (sandstones or limestones are good). The Middle East has abundant limestone and sandstone but so do a lot of other places.

More important, there must be some kind of structuring of the rocks to form traps and seals so the oil can't just migrate right on up to the surface. This can be faults where porous and non-porous rocks are juxtaposed and the oil gets trapped in the porous rocks. Or a change in rock type going updip from porous to non-porous (stratigraphic traps). But, some of the best and by far largest traps in the world are huge anticlines (4 way closures like a big dome) where a porous reservoir rock is topped by a non-porous seal. Tectonic events that have affected the Middle East have produced gigantic structures like these to trap the oil and the alternating marine and sabhka environments that much of the Middle East had in the past produced excellent limestone and some sandstone reservoir rocks layered with anhydrites which make wonderful seals.

The Middle East, and particularly Saudi Arabia, was extremely fortunate to have all of the elements working together in such a way as to produce many giant oil fields.

PS: Ralph is right too about the potential of biodegraded petroleum like the Athabasca tar sands. Huge deposits exist and represent tremendous potential if we are willing to spend enough to extract and process it. The technology exists but it's expensive. Unfortunately, that's what happens if the oil isn't trapped and sealed deep enough in the Earth. If it manages to migrate up fairly shallow then microorganisms rapidly degrade it into tars and asphaltenes.

Hope this helped.

Answer 2

As others say, there's a lot of oil still out there. For instance, in a region in Canada called the Athabasca Tar Sands there's something like 1.7 trillion barrels, which is more than the combined reserves of all the major petroleum-producing countries combined. And as other say there's more reserves in many regions around the world. However, we're not using that oil because extracting petroleum from tar sands is very difficult and expensive.

Before you celebrate by getting that SUV, though, it's worth taking a look at the demand side of the equation. Around 2003 The United States alone consumed over 19 billion barrels of petroleum. That rate of consumption is expected to rise to something like 28 billion barrels per year by the year 2025 (_Blood and Oil_ by Michael Klare). And that's just one country. Already China is set to overtake U.S. consumption if they haven't already.

However, an answer to your question would require looking back tens of millions of years to see what the flora and fauna were like back then, since that's what made the petroleum in the first place.

Answer 3

in part because the liberals have blocked each oil drilling operation interior the US to save a tree or another negligent critter. Off shore is taboo, reason it ought to harm sealife and Alaska is taboo, because it really is pristeen. Write your Liberal Congress and tell them to get drilling regionally.....the american actually everyone looks so Oil dominante there is not any different decision on the time

Answer 4

Exploration is very costlyYou can basically find oil across the globe. Exploration is very costly. Due to the high start up costs oil companies stick with the existing wells (and explore nearby) and suck them dry to recover their investments. There is actually more need for refineries at the moment.

Answer 5

Islamic countries don't have most of the oil, it's just that oil from the North Sea is taxed so much the revenue from it has been taken by successive governments that it has been of little value to the population of the U.K.

Governments are selfish, greedy, and don't tell the truth.

Answer 6

Islamic countries are blessed with Oil, Islam began in the Middle east and so God gave them Oil to make some sort of life and help the Muslim arabs, who went through a lot to pass on the message of Allah and its messanger Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him., and therefore Allah rewarding them with Oil, trust me this is true, believe me.

Answer 7

Well..most of it isn't. Most of the oil is actually off under the oceans..we see evidence of them when we see oil floating on top of the water..usually someone comes along..tests it and then they start drilling..but much of the oil spots in the ocean are left untouched. And here are some other countries that have tons of oil...Mexico, Idonesia, Venuzula, Russia, Norway.

Answer 8

I guess it is the right environment. There is oil under the North sea too, and probably under all the other seas but i guess drilling for it is the issue

Answer 9

The two phenomena are entirely unconnected.

Answer 10

you answered your own question