Sekiyu is a Japanese term that refers to petroleum, also commonly known as crude oil. In Japanese, "sekiyu" is written as 石油, with the characters 石 (seki) meaning "stone" and 油 (yu) meaning "oil." The term encompasses a wide range of liquid hydrocarbons, including both natural crude oil deposits found underground and their refined products.
Crude oil is a naturally occurring fossil fuel formed from the decomposition of ancient organic materials over millions of years. It is a dark, viscous liquid consisting primarily of hydrocarbon compounds, such as alkanes, aromatics, and cycloalkanes. Sekiyu is a crucial natural resource due to its versatile applications in various industrial sectors.
Petroleum plays a significant role in the global energy industry, serving as a major source of fuel for transportation, electricity generation, and heating. It enables the operation of vehicles, airplanes, and ships, as well as the production of plastics, synthetic materials, and other petroleum-based products. This natural resource is extracted from the earth through drilling wells and then refined to separate different components, such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and lubricants.
Given its economic importance and impact on numerous sectors, sekiyu is a subject of interest for governments, commodities markets, and energy companies worldwide. International trade of petroleum products has a significant influence on both global economy and geopolitical relations, making sekiyu a critical commodity in today's interconnected world.
