[Cicero]

I have seen the theory that oil is NOT a fossil fuel resulting from organic decay. This is very much a minority theory, which is considered whacko by the scientific community. But it is at least possible. There's a lot more oil, a lot deeper in the ground, than conventional theory would expect.

We know that there is quite a bit of complex organic material in outer space. That may be another clue that oil doesn't just come from the decay of ancient plants on earth, but could have been among the available components when the planet originally coalesced at the origin of the solar system.

As you say, probably everything runs out sooner or later. But in the case of oil, it may be later. The jury is still out.

[Dog Gone]

Very little oil is found at deep depths (greater than 20,000 feet subsurface), and it all seems to be related to temperature and pressure. The cooler rocks and basins, like the Permian Basin of West Texas, have the deeper oil reservoirs.

Generally, the deeper you go, the more likely the hydrocarbons are to be natural gas, not oil. As it gets hotter and deeper, even that is cooked off and what is found is mostly carbon dioxide or hydrogen sulfide.

That's my main objection to the theory that oil or gas is oozing up from deep inside the earth. It's too hot for it to exist there in the first place.

I could accept a theory that at least some of the natural gas is methane which is being spun off of the hotter earth material, but I think oil is a much harder sell.

[Seeking the truth]

Yes, I read the same thing. Check google for the McDonald Field in Louisiana. Very old basin, played out after every technique was used started to regenerate back to original levels of 30-40 years ago. I'm going by memory here but I had this very conversation with my wife today at lunch.

[blam]

"I have seen the theory that oil is NOT (only) a fossil fuel resulting from organic decay. This is very much a minority theory, which is considered whacko by the scientific community. But it is at least possible. There's a lot more oil, a lot deeper in the ground, than conventional theory would expect.

I agree. I read an article ( I believe on FR ) about a month ago describing this process. I didn't understand it but it seemed reasonable.