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Asked by catelin_b to Tom, Jennifer, Imogen on 9 Mar 2015.
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Thomas Barrett answered on 9 Mar 2015:
In Geology we call this ‘source rock’. It can be at various different heights and level of purity depending on what formed the oil and how long it has been in the Earth. Oil travels from the source where it is made to the ‘reservoir rock’ usually a sandstone or something with lots of holes in it. A ‘cap rock’ is the layer above this and traps the oil in the reservoir concentrating it.
Oil is usually formed by organic matter such as dead leaves and animals. Different things make up different types of kerogen with later becomes oil or gas.
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Imogen Napper answered on 9 Mar 2015:
Oil is formed of organic matter. Organic matter means anything that contains carbon compounds. You are organic matter! This can also be other animals or plants! However it takes million of years for this oil to form.
Once oil is formed from this organic matter it can get trapped in pockets underground such as where the rocks are folded into an umbrella shape.
It moves through porous rocks (rocks with gaps between the grains) moving upwards from the source rock where its formed.The oil then gets trapped when it meets a layer of cap rock (a rock with no spaces between the grains).
We can then drill down to get the oil that we use in our day to day life!
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