Question

What happens to the oil if temperatures get too high, and in what environments does this happen?

a) It turns into natural gas in deep-sea environments
b) It solidifies into asphalt in extremely cold climates
c) It undergoes thermal cracking, breaking down into lighter hydrocarbons in high-temperature reservoirs
d) It remains unchanged regardless of temperature

Answer 1

In high-temperature reservoirs, oil undergoes thermal cracking, breaking down into lighter hydrocarbons.

Step-by-step explanation:

In high-temperature reservoirs, oil undergoes thermal cracking, breaking down into lighter hydrocarbons. This process occurs when the temperatures become too high and leads to the formation of lighter molecules of oil. An example of this can be seen in the production of natural gas, where longer-chain hydrocarbons are broken down into single-carbon methane molecules. This commonly happens in deep-sea environments where natural gas is often found trapped above oil deposits.