Since oil comes from fossil fuels (dinosaurs), why is there no oil to be found in places like Montana and the Dakotas where plenty of dinosaur bones have been found?
First, fossil fuels aren’t literally made out of dinosaurs; per the Britannica petroleum “is derived from aquatic plants and animals that lived and died hundreds of millions of years ago”. Second, just having those aquatic plants and animals around wouldn’t be enough–you’d have to have the right conditions for them to eventually become fossil fuel after they die. Third, “[t]he discovery of oil at Tioga in 1951 led to North Dakota’s becoming one of the largest producers of crude petroleum in the nation”; in Montana coal is “one of the major mineral resources” of the state, while petroleum “was discovered in commercial quantities at Elk Basin in 1915”. And fourth (just to be different), hi, Opal!
Also, ever driven I-25 through Wyoming? On the stretch between Casper and Kaycee you’ll see plenty of oil wells. There was this place up there called Teapot Dome, too …
I’m from Montana and lived next to Petroleum County. There are oil wells all over, particularly the northern and eastern parts of the state.
Oil and fossil fuels do not come from dinosaurs. Although I learned a year ago that a Junior High science teacher still teaches this at a local school here. Of course, the science teacher is also the track coach…
Montana is one of the top States in the US for producing fossil fuels. It includes the Northern portion of the Powder River Basin region, and has a large amount of very thick coal beds there. Along with this, they have a large amount of natural gas and oil as well.
Of course, we’re one of the top states for just about anything natural, simply by virtue of our size. Do you have any statistics on fossil fuels per hectare, Anthracite?
and if you continue farther north, Alberta has extremely rich dinosaur beds, and plenty of oil.
And Texas has plenty of Dinosaurs.
all good responses, i just want to point out that new “theory” (i cant remember the guy’s name) that fossil fuels did not coem from dinosaurs/plants/etc but rather come from bacteria living inside the earth, and are constantly being replenished.
When I worked at the USGS, the common wisdom was that there are underground deposits of oil almost everywhere, just not in commercially exploitable amounts.