2006-07-20 16:50:54 · 6 answers · asked by michinoku2001 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Not entirely. At least *some* oil is formed through non-biological processes ("earth blood"). The question is- how much of it? A few wackos say most or all of it; a few rock jockeys say none of it. The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.
The biggest problem with abiogenic oil is explaining how such complex compounds can be formed- particularly those that have biologically relevant structures, such as pristane and phytane. Another big difficulty is explaining why crude tends to have much higher concentrations of hydrocarbons where n=number of carbons, and n is a factor of two. For example, when compared with C3, C5, C7...C21 carbon backbones, there are peaks of C4, C6, C8...C20. When run through a chromatograph, there are much higher concentrations of even-numbered carbon molecules in crude oil. The reason is thought to have something to do with that many biological molecules- from fats to cellulose- have even numbers of carbons in them.
The biggest contention that oil is found in areas where it couldn't have formed is a weak argument at best. Oil is known to move hundreds- even thousands- of miles from its source rock. We have very good evidence that this is the case, including samples of rock between the two points that have remains of oil that show up very nicely in thin section under UV microscopy.
Most oil is biogenic, it seems, athough no theory lasts forever. Maybe in twenty years we'll all laugh at the idea of fossilized trees and dinosaurs turning into oil, and that it is, in fact, all "earth blood."
See also reference 1.
2006-07-20 16:59:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Yes. Just think about this: Oil is a gazillion dollar industry. The location and production of oil is the second-most scientifically studied subject ever (to the human body). Don't you think they'd have it right? The oil companies seem to be doing fine, how could that be if their entire theory is wrong?
It is hard to rule out any abiogenic oil completely, but the scientific community and the oil community both agree that biogenic oil is the significant, if not entire, portion of the petroleum reserve history.
2006-07-20 16:53:16 · answer #2 · answered by QFL 24-7 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Absolutely. If it was real someone would have found some by now. Why would oil only be found in sedimentary rocks and never in igneous or metamorphic rocks which would be closer to the source for abiogenic oil. People who are dumb enough to believe that there is a secret conspiracy to drive up oil prices deserve to freeze in the dark.
2006-07-22 19:59:39 · answer #3 · answered by clear_red_night 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not at all. Research Eugene Island, among other things.
*********UPDATE******
You guys don't get it do you? The oil industry does well when they can convince people that oil is in short supply, which is bullsh**. Production has only grown by leaps and bounds, yet speculators in the market artificially drive up the price when middle east violence breaks out. What I find funny is how easily people will dismiss this when it was "radicals" (which believers of abiotic oil are obviously considered) who first claimed the world to be round (despite the fact that the Bible describe the "circle of the Earth thousands of years earlier).
I'm not going to take this in to the UN / NWO / Global Warming area that it really does go, but just please do your own research rather than take "conventional wisdom", which has time and time again been proven wrong.
2006-07-20 16:52:38 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Ignores the fossil record
2006-07-20 16:59:00 · answer #5 · answered by Robert A 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sure.
2006-07-20 16:52:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋