Amafuthetshe

Amafuthetshe, aziwa nangokuthi amafutha angahluziwe, noma uwoyela nje, ayingxube yomCalahwanzi (hydrocarbon) owuketshezi omnyama-saphuzi okhandeka ngokwemvelo futhi otholakala ekwakhekeni kwamadwala. Igama elithi amafuthetshe lihlanganisa kokubili amafutha angahluziwe akhandeka ngokwemvelo kanye nemikhiqizo ebandakanya amafutha ayifukutho elincakuziwe. Njengoba ayisivuthisi esiyintshico (fossil fuel), amafuthetshe akhandeka lapho izindimbane ezinkulu zeziphili ezifile, iningi lazo okuyiZiloleza (zooplankton)  ne-algae, zigqibeka ngaphansi kwamadwala anzika futhi zibhekana nomchadamezo nomfutho isikhathi eside.

Amafuthetshe ngokuyinhloko afumaneka ngokuqopholoza (oil drilling). Ukuqopholoza kwenziwa emva kokwenziwa kocwaningo lokwakheka kwamadwala, nenhlaziyo yesifothongo esinzika. Izintuthukiso zakamuva zezobuchwepheshe ziye zaholela ekusetshenzisweni kwezinye izifothongo ezingavamile ezifana nesihlabathi samafutha namafutha womcengezi.

Lapho sewagqotshiwe, amafutha ayancakuzwa futhi ahlukaniswe, imvama ngokuthonzisa, kube imikhiqizo eminingi esebenza ngokuqondile ekulumbeni eminye. Imikhiqizo ehlanganisa izivuthisi ezifana nogazolo.