Question

Why is oil a nonrenewable energy resource?

Answer 1

Hint: Non-renewable energy resources are the resources that are limited in quantity. They take thousands and millions of years to get produced. Oil is an example of non-renewable energy resources. The answer is quite simple. If production of something takes millions of years and you use it fast, then a time will come when the resource will get over. And for it to replenish you have to wait for a million years.

Complete answer:
A nonrenewable energy resource is a natural resource that cannot be readily replaced by natural means at a pace quick enough to keep up with consumption. Example renewable energy resources are oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy. Their supplies are limited to the amounts that we can mine or extract from the earth.
Now, why do we say that oil is a nonrenewable energy resource? Oil is a type of fuel that is formed when plant and animal remains are exposed to extreme conditions such as high pressure (eg. under a mud layer on the ocean floor.) for thousands of years. It is a carbon-based fuel. Nowadays we are so much dependent on oil to produce petrol etc. that its consumption rate has increased very high. It takes thousands and millions of years for the earth to produce oil. Its consumption rate is much faster than the earth can produce. Furthermore, most oil-based products (such as petrol) are burnt in their usage. This releases carbon gasses into the air which we are unable to recycle to create more oil.

Note:
Almost all of the energy that humans use comes from non-renewable resources. Oil is known to be the world’s most versatile substance. It is estimated that given current consumption levels, our known oil reserves will run out around the middle of the century while our known coal reserves may run out towards the end of the century.