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How Palaeontology is used for
Commercial Purposes


Palaeontology in Hydrocarbon Exploration around the Gulf of Mexico
With in the deep water geological setting of the Gulf of Mexico lies a very substantial accumulation of hydrocarbons that the oil companies of the USA have been exploring and extracting to meet the countries oil and electricity demands. The role of palaeontology involved with hydrocarbon exploration and extraction is incredibly useful; predominantly in the form of biostratigraphy and in determining palaeoenvironment in which the hydrocarbon originated.

The types of fossils that are most useful in hydrocarbon biostratigraphy are Microfossils found in marine environments. This is because the rock samples that studied during exploration (drilling) are in the form of cuttings; broken pieces of the rocks that are brought to the surface by the drill piece. Fossilised bones or shells are often destroyed as the drill bores into the rock, but microfossils are small......

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Approximate Word Count: 1655
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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