SSC
Which energy resource is popularly called 'liquid gold'?
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Answer: Option A — Petroleum
Detailed Solution
Petroleum (crude oil) is called "liquid gold" (and also "black gold") because it is extremely valuable, it is used to make a very large number of products, and it has been a source of great wealth for the countries that produce it.
What is petroleum?
The word comes from the Latin "petra" (rock) and "oleum" (oil), meaning "rock oil".
It is a fossil fuel, a thick, dark liquid made of a mixture of hydrocarbons.
It formed over millions of years from the remains of tiny marine plants and animals that were buried under sediments on the sea floor and changed by heat and pressure.
It is found in sedimentary rocks, usually trapped in anticlines (upfolds), fault traps or salt domes, often with natural gas above it and water below.
Why it is so valuable:
- Refining crude oil produces many fuels, such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, aviation fuel (ATF), LPG and fuel oil.
- It also gives lubricants, bitumen (asphalt for roads), paraffin wax and petroleum coke.
- It is the raw material for the petrochemical industry, which makes plastics, synthetic fibres (such as nylon and polyester), synthetic rubber, fertilisers, detergents, paints and medicines.
- It is the main fuel for transport throughout the world.
Global facts:
- Major producers include the United States, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
- OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries), founded in 1960, coordinates the oil policies of many major exporting countries.
India and oil:
- India is one of the world's largest consumers of crude oil and imports most of what it uses (over 80 per cent).
- Mumbai High, an offshore field discovered in 1974, is India's largest oil-producing field.
- India's oil companies include ONGC, Oil India Limited and private companies.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Natural gas is a valuable fuel, but it is a gas, not a liquid at normal conditions, and is not called liquid gold.
- ✗Bauxite is the ore of aluminium, a solid mineral.
- ✗Iron ore is a solid mineral used to make steel.
Quick tip
Remember: Petroleum = "liquid gold" or "black gold" (rock oil); Mumbai High = India's largest oil field.
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Minerals & Energy Resources — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Minerals & Energy Resources, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's mineral resources (iron ore, manganese, bauxite, copper, mica and others) and energy resources (coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy), with their main producing regions, mines, oil fields and power plants. Questions often ask where a mineral is found, which state is the leading producer, or where an important power plant or oil field is located. For example, Jharia is known for coal, Digboi in Assam is the oldest oil field in India, and Tarapur in Maharashtra is the site of India's first nuclear power plant. Practise the minerals and energy resources questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.