Petroleum is a fossil fuel. A fossil fuel is a material burned to release chemicals. Petroleum is produced from the remains of plants and animals millions of years ago. As this picture shows (Bottom Right).

Before there is petroleum there is crude oil. Crude oil is what was created from the remains of plants and animals millions of years ago. The crude oil is brought up from the earth by drilling wells. Usually these wells are on the land but there are many out in the ocean. After brought up from the earth the oil is sent to refineries on land.

Once at the refinery the oil is pumped into large heating tanks. As the oil heats it separates into different densities. At 400º C it is at the right density to be lubrication oil, wax and asphalt. 370º C industrial fuel oil 300º C Diesel fuel, 200º C kerosene, 150º - 20º C petroleum.

Kerosene

DieselGas / Petroleum

Lubrication Oil

At this stage you have many different products available. Lubrication oil for car/truck motors. Kerosene for Heaters. Diesel fuel for farms trucks or tractor trailers. But most widely used gas / petroleum used in atvs, cars, trucks, tractors you name its probably uses gas.

Now lets talk about how this fuel is used in a gas engine such as an atvs engine. Fuel is forced in above the piston. Then ignited by the spark plug. Once ignited it expands forcing the piston downward thus turning the shaft. The gas that expanded is then forced out the exhaust.

Piston = Green ☼

Gas / Petroleum = Red ☼

Exhaust = Brownish / Red ☼

Spark plug-ignition source

Exhaust

Fuel

Turning Shaft

Petroleum is used in an atv for power. The atv uses the same type of motor shown before just on a much larger scale. Once the atv motor has begun combusting it will turn a shaft connected to the differential.

Shaft Turning