In our country, oil is the main natural resource on which the entire Russian economy is currently based. But there are interesting facts about oil that you most likely do not even know. It is about them that we will tell you in detail in this article.
Meaning of the word
The Russian word "oil" was borrowed from the Turkish language, which in turn adopted this word from Persian, which originated from the Semitic languages. The Assyrian word naptn comes from the Semitic word nptc, the original meaning of which is "spew" or "spew" (from the Arabic naft - "spewed" or "spewed").
An interesting fact about oil is that the word "oil" has other meanings. For example, according to some historical data, the word comes from the Akkadian word napatum, the meaning of which is "flare", "ignite". There is also a version that the Russian word "oil" comes from the ancient Iranian naft, which means "wet substance", "liquid".
Interestingversion of the origin of this liquid
This interesting fact about oil will seem strange to many oil experts, but among the inhabitants and people not connected with this industry, there is an opinion that oil was formed from the remains of ancient animals and, in particular, dinosaurs.
In a sense, this theory is correct - deposits of mineral matter really formed from the remains of ancient living beings. However, these were creatures much smaller than dinosaurs. Some scientists believe that this combustible liquid came from such source material as microorganisms and marine plankton that inhabited the deep sea and coastal regions of the Earth.
Do you think there are oil rivers and seas underground?
Many experts in this field are surprised when they hear this unusual, but very interesting fact about oil from people who have nothing to do with the production of this substance. It turns out that many people think that oil rivers and lakes flow underground.
This is one of the many misconceptions people make when they don't know anything about oil and its production. Naturally, no rivers and lakes exist in nature. The entire earth's crust consists of rocks of varying density and chemical composition. Oil, gas, water are a kind of constituents of rocks that are able to contain substances with a liquid composition, called fluids. These rocks are called reservoirs and can contain both solid and liquid constituents.
Oil is not a product of the industrial revolution
For children, an interesting fact about oil may be that it began to be used not with the advent of cars, but even in ancient times. In ancient Babylon, a derivative of this substance (bitumen) was used to seal buildings and build maritime merchant ships. And such a product from oil as tar was first used in the VIII century in Arabia for the construction of roads. In ancient Egypt, and then in ancient Greece, lamps fueled by oil were used to illuminate rooms.
In the Byzantine Empire, with the help of a "combustible mixture", the basis for which was again oil, the soldiers terrified the enemy, because the mixture burned even more when trying to put it out with water. The original recipe for the "combustible mixture" has been lost, but scientists suggest that it was a mixture of processed products and other combustible substances.
Once oil saved whales from extinction
One of the most interesting facts about oil is that once, thanks to the discovery of the properties of this natural resource, whales did not completely disappear as a species. Some two centuries ago, whale oil was at a high price and was actively used. Its ability to burn slowly without emitting an unpleasant odor was noticed by people in ancient times. Whale oil has been used in all areas of human life - for lubricating watch movements, coating the first photographs, pharmacology, light and cosmetic industries.
As you might guess, by the middle of the 19th century, the whale population had almost disappeared fromfaces of the earth. Fortunately, people began to use cheaper kerosene, which also burned without leaving an unpleasant odor, and its extraction was much more humane than whale hunting. In the US whaling fleet, for example, in 1846 there were about 735 ships, and by 1879 there were only 39. By the beginning of the 20th century, whaling had practically ceased, as its unprofitability and cruelty became obvious to society.
The only area of application of whale oil in the modern world is space research and experiments. The subcutaneous fat of sperm whales has discovered an amazing property not to freeze at the colossally low temperatures that prevail in outer space. That's why whale oil is the perfect lubricant for spacecraft parts.
Useless and cheap gasoline. Is this even possible?
In chemistry, an interesting fact about oil is that gasoline was not initially of interest to either producers or consumers. The main product of oil refining was kerosene, which was used for lighting fixtures. Passenger cars were not yet common, people traveled mainly on horseback, and locomotives and trains were used for long distances. Demand for gasoline increased sharply in the 1930s and 1940s; at the beginning, gasoline had practically no value. Gasoline's only use is in the treatment of head lice (lice infestation), paint thinner, and the removal of stubborn stains from clothing. Sometimes corporations depreciated gasoline so much that they simply poured it intorivers.
UAE and Russia: a fundamental difference. Interesting about oil in two different countries
Over time, the complex and costly technology for extracting this natural oily combustible liquid has been greatly facilitated and automated. Saudi Aramco is the national oil production and refining company in Saudi Arabia. It is wholly owned by the state and works to increase its well-being. This oil giant is one of the largest oil producing concerns in the world.
I wonder how much it costs this company to produce one barrel of oil? Let's find out now.
According to Forbes magazine, the situation looks like this: Saudi Aramco is the company with the largest profit in the oil market. According to the most conservative estimates (and this despite the fact that it does not fully advertise its financial performance), its income is approximately $200 billion (approximately 13.4 trillion rubles) per year, with a total annual income of about $350 billion (approximately 23.4 trillion rubles). rubles). The minister of this oil company (Ali Al-Naimi) said in an interview that the cost of oil production, and specifically one barrel of oil in Saudi Arabia, is approximately two dollars (133.8 rubles). And the wholesale price of the sale is about 130 dollars (about 8,700 rubles). After passing through all stages of processing and entering the plant, the income from the sale of one barrel of the substance is approximately $500 (about 33,450 rubles).
When compared with Russia, the picture is as follows: the Russian oil company Rosneftspends about 15 dollars (1,000 rubles) on the extraction of one barrel of oil. If we add to this the cost of exploration, drilling and other expenses, then the price of producing one barrel is approximately $21 (1,400 rubles).
The position of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century
An interesting fact about oil production in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century - in 1900, the total amount of oil produced in the Russian Empire amounted to 631.1 million poods of oil. This is 51.6% of the total amount mined in the world.
At that time, oil was produced in 10 countries: the Russian Empire, the USA, Holland, Romania, Austria-Hungary, India, Japan, Canada, Germany, Peru. The main share of flammable liquid production was in Russia and the United States, which produced about 90% of the world volume.
The most successful year for Russia in terms of oil production was 1901, when 706.3 million poods of oil were produced, which accounted for 50.6% of the total amount of combustible liquid produced in the world. After that, there was a decline, when demand decreased, and there were more offers. In 1900, the price for one pood of oil was 16 kopecks per pood, and in 1901 it fell by 2 times to 8 kopecks per pood. In 1902, the price of one pood of oil was already 7 kopecks per pood, after which there was a tendency to increase the price. The revolution of 1905 crossed out this success.
Relationship between rising oil prices and the cost of other goods
How does the rise in oil prices affect our lives? In addition to the obvious rise in gasoline prices, no fatal consequences are visible at first glance. The obvious and most importantthe downside of rising oil prices for the average person is the possible need to switch to public transport or a bicycle.
An interesting chemical fact about oil is that it is used not only as a raw material for fuel, but also as a basis for obtaining many chemicals that are part of the things that are quite common for us on store shelves. Did you know that the shower gel and shampoo you use contain petroleum products?
Accordingly, an increase in prices for this substance entails an increase in prices in stores. Experts' opinions are divided - some believe that the price increase will continue, while others consider the price increase due to problems with oil trade and oil production to be a temporary phenomenon.
Inelastic demand
The obvious fact about oil is that it is a non-renewable source of energy. Accordingly, scientists have a question: "Is it possible for the complete disappearance of oil reserves from the bowels of our planet?".
In addition to the very vague threat of the complete disappearance of oil, there is a more urgent danger in the oil sector. It lies in the so-called inelastic demand for oil. Its essence lies in the fact that a small reduction in the production of a substance can lead to a sharp rise in prices for it. The oil crisis in the oil production market in the 1970s was caused precisely by a 25% drop in supply. Because of this, prices for natural combustible liquid rose by 400%. If oil production reaches its peak, then the decline is natural; accordingly, a globaleconomic crisis in the global economy.
