Our transcription: Of all Earth's geologic resources, none is more prized, nor in shorter supply, than oil. Oil may be found in ancient marine strata as much as a half billion years old. Along the margins of continents, the seas teem with microscopic life. As these organisms die and settle to the sea floor, they may be buried by sediment which protects them from rapid decay. As this organic matter becomes more deeply buried, it is gradually transformed into oil and natural gas by heat and pressure. It typically takes millions of years for this to occur.
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