Earth Science

QUARTER 1 / TOPIC 4.1 / HOW ARE FOSSILS FORMED?

FOSSIL FUELS existed before being buried and

compressed millions of years ago.
TOPIC OUTLINE → Philippines uses approximately 50% coal
1 Introduction resource to produce energy and electricity.
2 Major types of Fossil Fuels and where
they are usually found RANKS OF COAL
3 How are fossil fuels formed?
ANTHRACITE
INTRODUCTION

→ Highest rank of coal.

→ It is hard, brittle, and black lustrous coal,
→ Fossil fuels provide almost 90% of the often referred to as hard coal.
world’s energy supply. → This contains high percentage of fixed
→ Fossil fuels are basically remains of carbon and low percentage of volatile
plants and animals that died millions of matter.
years ago. BITUMINOUS COAL
→ They are natural and finite resources
that are very abundant and has a cheaper
cost production compared to other
resources present on Earth.
→ They are considered as non-renewable
energy source as they take millions of years
to form.

MAJOR TYPES OF FOSSIL FUELS AND

WHERE THEY ARE USUALLY FOUND
→ Second rank of coal.
→ Usually has a high heating value and is
COAL
the most common type of coal used in
electricity generation.
→ It appears shiny and smooth at first
glance, but when you look closely, you will
see that it has layers.
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL

→ An important and primary fossil fuel

present on earth.
→ Coal resources are found predominantly
where forest trees, plants and marshes

STEM JUDE 1
Earth Science
QUARTER 1 / TOPIC 4.1 / HOW ARE FOSSILS FORMED?
→ Third rank in coals.
→ Black in color and dull, and has a higher
heating value than lignite.
LIGNITE
→ Last rank in coal.
→ Also known as brown coal.
→ It is the lowest grade coal with the least
concentration of carbon.
OIL
→ Most of the oils that we are using today
started forming millions of years ago.
→ Oil is an organic material, mostly algae,
which was buried in mud at the bottom of
the sea and lakes.
→ Used mainly to produce transportation
fuels and petroleum-based products.
→ Philippines imports crude oil and
petroleum from Saudi Arabia and Russia.
→ The majority of the market are:
o Petron Corporation
o Pilipinas Shell
o Chevron Philippines
NATURAL GAS
→ A naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas
with the mixture of methane.
→ The Earth’s cleanest fossil fuel and is
odorless and colorless in its natural state.
→ Natural gas is produced from
sedimentary rock formation by forcing
chemicals, water, and sand down a well
under high pressure.
→ The Philippine’s main domestic source of
energy is the Malampaya natural gas field
which is located at Palawan Island.
HOW ARE FOSSIL FUELS FORMED?
→ The remains of prehistoric plants and
animals were buried beneath the Earth’s
surface millions of years ago.
→ Mud had covered these remains. As the
temperature and pressure increased, the
mud sediment was buried by more
sediments and began to change into rock.
In that case, fossil fuels are formed in an
oxygen-depleted environment.
→ Natural gas chemically altered the plant
and animal remains.
→ Oils move upwards through permeable
rock spaces and are trapped if they reach
impermeable rock.
→ Oil companies can extract it by drilling
down through the impermeable rocks. They
can convert it into usable products like
gasoline and diesel.
→ Underground mining, on the other hand,
can be used to extract coal from the Earth.
Once extracted, it can be used to fuel
power plants that generate electricity.
STEM JUDE 2