Much of the petroleum consumed in the last few decades has been extracted from relatively few locations around the world, because most of the world's easily accessible petroleum deposits are concentrated in these areas.

Question

How has this continued petroleum extraction from selected areas over time likely affected petroleum resources on Earth?
A.
More petroleum is now available overall because extraction techniques result in the formation of more petroleum.
B.
Petroleum resources have been replenished as quickly as they have been extracted.
C.
The distribution of petroleum has not changed in any way, and there is the same amount of petroleum available now as there was in the past.
D.
The distribution of petroleum has changed and less petroleum is now available overall.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

D. The distribution of petroleum has changed and less petroleum is now available overall.

This is because the extraction of petroleum from selected areas leads to a depletion of those resources over time, resulting in less petroleum being available than in the past. The concentration of extraction in certain areas can also alter the distribution of remaining petroleum deposits.