[Strategerist]

Well, I've often wondered about this "fossil" oil theory my self. I mean, there would have had to have been and awful lot of dinosaurs to decay into the amount of oil that we know exists, not even counting what we have used in the past 100 years.

There are no dinosaurs, or land animals of any kind, in oil. It's sort of interesting how a myth so completely wrong is so widespread.

It's made out of microscopic dead marine algae. The biomass of marine algae is beyond belief. Actually, if all the oil that ever formed still existed, gas would be a penny a gallon; the overwhelming majority of it has been destroyed or escaped to the surface; the key thing is getting it trapped underground.

[spetznaz]

You should know that there is a significant group of people here who, sadly, totally believe that T.Gold's theories on abiotic oil formation are the gospel truth. There have been several threads where some of the proponents of that THEORY have outrightly become acerbic to anyone who even says T.Gold might be wrong.

In fact T.Gold is considered a crackpot by many in the industry. The only thing that gives him some credibility is that he can say he was 'right' in the neutron star debate (although he does keep quiet about the things he has been wrong about).

Anyways, according to most estimates current world needs for oil will rise from 80 to 140 million barrels by 2035. It will be obvious by then if T.Gold's 'theories' will pan out as true or not.

I'd bet they are false.

Why? Well, there is something called the 'water cut.' That is when water pumped into oil wells to help in the extraction of oil, and when the oil is removed a certain portion of it is water. Most wells in M.E have been getting a higher water cut level as they pump more H2O to aid in oil extraction. How come oil is not 'seeping' up from the mantle and filling them up?

I am familiar with several oil wells in Texas and Oklahoma. How come those wells are not being 'filled up from below?'

I personally think that T.Gold studied one neutron star too many! And most in the petro-chemical industry concur.

[dennisw]

It's made out of microscopic dead marine algae. The biomass of marine algae is beyond belief.

Also land vegetation biomass and vegetation from swampy land areas. This (swamps) might have been very extensive back then. Swamps are full of algae and slimy vegetation.