Very interesting! the only thing I’d add is that I’m not so…
Very interesting! the only thing I’d add is that I’m not so sure peak oil exists. Not that it still wouldn’t/couldn’t be used to further agendas. I remember reading Kunstler’s Long Emergency (one of many books on so called Peak Oil) back in mid 2000s and feeling a strong propaganda push. Then I dove into this whole abiotic oil theory from the Russians. Super cool mind expansion for me at the time.
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[[abiotic oil]]
Can you explain the Abiotic Oil Theory proposed by Russian scientists? What does it suggest about the formation of oil
Yes, I'd be happy to.
The Abiotic Oil Theory suggests that crude oil is formed from deep within the earth, rather than from the decay of prehistoric organisms. More specifically, this theory posits that hydrocarbons are produced non-biologically underground, under extreme heat and pressure.
According to the abiotic theory, this means that oil production could potentially be continuous allowing for more oil to be produced even after so-called peak oil is reached. However, it's important to understand that this theory is considered controversial and is not widely accepted in Western scientific communities. Most scientists still support the biotic theory of oil formation that suggest oil is produced from decayed organic material over millions of years.
For additional research, Thomas Gold was a significant proponent of the abiotic oil theory outside of Russia. His work, including the book "The Deep Hot Biosphere: The Myth of Fossil Fuels", outlines his thoughts on this subject in more detail.
Can you talk about the methane aspect of the abiotic process they've theorized? And also, separately, provide supportive evidence that the scientists provide for the theory?
Yes, the Abiotic Oil Theory is closely associated with a process known as Fischer-Tropsch Type (FTT) reactions. According to this process, methane (CH4) under high pressure and temperature conditions could combine with various oxides (silicates and carbonates) to produce more complex hydrocarbons, which are the building blocks of oil.
Regarding the supportive evidence, proponents of the abiotic oil theory argue the following:
1. Presence of hydrocarbons in locations in Earth's crust where no life has ever existed, for example in the deep Earth's mantle rocks.
2. The discovery of methane on other planets where life is not thought to exist, such as Saturn's moon Titan.
3. The relative abundance of 'helium-3' in oil wells, which indicates a connection between oil and deep Earth processes.
However, many in the wider scientific community remain skeptical and argue these points could be explained by other processes or might not provide conclusive evidence of abiotic oil production. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting and thought-provoking theory in the field of petroleum geology.