Which Sedimentary Rock Can Store Oil Best?
Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 12:06 pm
These are my Results and Conclusions. Can you review this and let me know if I need to change anything? Thanks.
My hypothesis was incorrect. The rock that soaked up the oil best was the limestone rock. When I took out the limestone rock, I observed the rock had a lot of tiny holes and shells. Next, I tested the limestone, and as soon as I put the oil on the rock, the limestone started to absorb the oil right away. The result after half an hour revealed that some of the oil was soaked into the limestone rock. However, after 1 hour of observation, all the oil got soaked into the limestone rock. The second rock I tested was sandstone. As I put the drops of oil on the sandstone rock, there was a pool of oil on top of the rock. But then after half an hour, the sandstone rock soaked up little bit of the oil. At 1 hour, the sandstone rock absorbed all of the oil. The third rock I tested was the shale rock. When I first put the oil on, I observed a pool of oil. At half an hour, the shale rock didn’t absorb any oil. At 1 hour, the shale rock still didn’t absorb any oil. So, the rock that absorbed the oil the fastest was the limestone rock. The limestone rock is made up of a lot of shells. All the pores and spaces in the limestone rock could be factors in helping the limestone rock store oil the fastest. The reservoir rock is the sandstone because oil moves through the rock slowly. The rock I think is the cap rock is the shale rock because the rock doesn’t contain a lot of pores or spaces. Geologists have learned through their research that we have a limited supply of petroleum oil that we can take out of the earth. Once the oil is extracted from the rocks, there isn't any more oil in the rock, and the oil can’t be replaced. The oil might only last another four decades, so we have to come up with new ideas and technology to replace oil.
My hypothesis was incorrect. The rock that soaked up the oil best was the limestone rock. When I took out the limestone rock, I observed the rock had a lot of tiny holes and shells. Next, I tested the limestone, and as soon as I put the oil on the rock, the limestone started to absorb the oil right away. The result after half an hour revealed that some of the oil was soaked into the limestone rock. However, after 1 hour of observation, all the oil got soaked into the limestone rock. The second rock I tested was sandstone. As I put the drops of oil on the sandstone rock, there was a pool of oil on top of the rock. But then after half an hour, the sandstone rock soaked up little bit of the oil. At 1 hour, the sandstone rock absorbed all of the oil. The third rock I tested was the shale rock. When I first put the oil on, I observed a pool of oil. At half an hour, the shale rock didn’t absorb any oil. At 1 hour, the shale rock still didn’t absorb any oil. So, the rock that absorbed the oil the fastest was the limestone rock. The limestone rock is made up of a lot of shells. All the pores and spaces in the limestone rock could be factors in helping the limestone rock store oil the fastest. The reservoir rock is the sandstone because oil moves through the rock slowly. The rock I think is the cap rock is the shale rock because the rock doesn’t contain a lot of pores or spaces. Geologists have learned through their research that we have a limited supply of petroleum oil that we can take out of the earth. Once the oil is extracted from the rocks, there isn't any more oil in the rock, and the oil can’t be replaced. The oil might only last another four decades, so we have to come up with new ideas and technology to replace oil.
