[from occupied ga]

I've always wondered aobut oil being a "fossil" fuel as defined by being the residue of earlier biological activity. There isn't any doubt about coal, but hydrocarbons were part of the solar nebula and doubtless condensed into the planets in varying degrees. Oil may be the result of geological activity on primal hydrocarbons that condensed when the planet did.

I believe some geologist sold one of the scandanavian countries on the theory that there were a lot of deep hydrocarbons, and they ran a really deep well. Found some methane, but not enough to make it worth drilling the hole.

[dblshot]

I can see tar pits and near surface oil coming from decaying plants and animals but it never made any sense that this theory would explain oil reservoirs under miles of rock.

[aruanan]

I've always wondered aobut oil being a "fossil" fuel as defined by being the residue of earlier biological activity.

Petroleum rotates light to the left, supposedly indicative of biogenic origin. However, the degree to which it rotates the light is much less than it should be and is indicative of contamination by biological agents, such as bacteria that can live at extreme heat and pressure. There are many other problems with petroleum being of biogenic origin. It contains many elements and compounds that it should not if biogenic. It does not contain other elements and compounds that it should if biogenic.