Question

The oil window is the Choose one:_______
A. relatively narrow range of temperatures in which oil can form: 90°C to 160°C.
B. late Cenozoic, when all current oil was formed; any older oil has already decomposed.
C. depth in the Earth at which oil forms, roughly 40 to 50 km.
D. holes in the drill bit through which oil enters.

Answer 1

Answer:

A. relatively narrow range of temperatures in which oil can form: 90°C to 160°C.

Explanation:

The formation of oil begins in warm, shallow oceans that were present on the Earth millions of years ago. In these oceans, extremely small dead organic matter - classified as plankton  falls to the floor of the ocean.

If temperatures of the kerogen are greater than 90°C but lower than 160°C, the kerogen is transformed into oil and natural gas. At temperatures higher than this, only natural gas (literally a gas that's a hydrocarbon) or graphite is formed. This temperature range is known as the "oil window".