12 AUGUST 2025 WorldWide Drilling Resource® Fossil Fuel is Not Dino Fuel Compiled by Bonnie Love, Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource® Today’s gas and oil fields may have formed during the Age of Dinosaurs, but they aren’t literally created from dinosaur remains. In fact, most of the fossil fuels we find today were formed millions of years before the first dinosaurs. Modern gas and oil formations actually came from prehistoric plants, such as algae, plankton, bacteria, and other organisms. Hundreds of millions of years ago, when these prehistoric organisms died, they either sank to the bottom of a lake or the ocean floor, or they were carried there by a river. After sinking, they became buried under layers of sediment and sand. Through pressure, the sand and silt eventually changed into a source rock, like shale or mudstone. They contain enough organic material that when subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years, the organic material becomes gas, oil, or natural gas liquids - also called hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are natural chemical compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon. The type of fuel generated by the source rock depends on what kind of organic matter it contains, as well as how much heat and pressure were involved in the rock’s burial history. These naturally occurring hydrocarbons have a variety of uses including plastic production, heating and cooking, as well as gasoline blends. Of course, it’s possible dinosaurs became the source of some oil, but not very much. The main reason is when dinosaurs and other land-dwelling animals died, the bodies were left exposed to an oxygen-rich environment leading to rapid decay. Not to mention, dead dinosaurs often became food for many scavengers. Both of these circumstances would prevent dead dinosaurs from becoming gas and oil. The formation of petroleum occurs in an oxygen-deficient environment with the organic material not exposed to the atmosphere or aerated waters; the lack of decomposition, when added to a quick burial in sediment, provides the ideal environment for petroleum formation. One of the largest gas- and oil-rich areas in the U.S. is the Permian Basin, which extends over parts of West Texas into southeast New Mexico. It got its name because it has one of the world’s thickest deposits of rocks formed during the Permian geologic period, which began around 300 million years ago and ended 252 million years ago. During that time, all of the continents were combined in a single land mass, and the Permian Basin was completely under water. The geology of the Permian Basin is unique because it contains multiple stacked plays. A stacked play is where a single well can be used to produce natural gas and oil from several layers of rock in different geological zones, which increases the basin’s natural resource potential. For geologists searching for the next promising gas and oil field to develop, source rocks are a key indicator. To locate source rocks, geologists analyze samples from the field as well as cuttings (rock fragments) brought to the surface during the drilling process. Gas and oil has been pivotal in human development. The use of crude oil for energy dates all the way back to 2000 B.C., when the Chinese began refining it for lighting and heating. Around 500 B.C., the Chinese used bamboo pipelines to transport natural gas they discovered seeping to the surface. They would use the gas to boil seawater to make it drinkable. Today, gas and oil is used in nearly every electronic device including TVs, smartphones, and computers. It is also used for personal care items such as deodorant, makeup, and shampoo. Even artificial limbs, pacemakers, hearing aids, heart valves, and pharmaceuticals are created using gas and oil products or components. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash by WorldWide Drilling Resource by WorldWide Drilling Resource®. This newsletter is filled with articles not included in our print issue. Based on readership, this was the most popular article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: worldwidedrillingresource.com G&O
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