Oil

Syrup

Oil is a liquid a little bit like syrup. It doesn't mix with water. It can be black or brown, depending on the type. It is used as a fuel. When it burns it makes heat. Heat is energy.

We use a lot of oil. We use it in our cars. We use it for heating. The world uses around 84 million barrels of oil every day.

Where it comes from

Oil actually comes from living things. Mostly it is plankton - tiny animals that float on the sea. These plankton lived millions of years ago. Now they are buried deep in the ground - usually 4-6km down. The weight of the 4-6km of ground has turned them into oil.

Deep in the ground