Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: NormsRevenge
True, true.

Or, more accurately, possibly true.

And, most accurately, potentially true: over the very, very long run.

But, IF (big, unknown IF!) oil/natural gas ARE being formed continuously, then they form deep at relatively low rates, must rise (slowly) through the overlaying rock to accessible depths, must be trapped and accumulate (slowly) at those accessible depths by only a limited places of suitable layers of rock, then accumulate in enough density to warrant re-drilling and extraction. Think of fat, thick sponge sitting in a small pool of water. Putting a single straw in the middle of the sponge is going to pull the water right around the straw, but takes a while to reload the sponge so a second extraction can be made. (Some oil wells are now (almost) re-profitable by the way, after sitting idle for a few years.) But emptying the bowl of water takes a long, long time.

Oil consumption rates must go down: because burning oil for fuel is a waste of the chemicals available.

...

Once methane sources underground is known, the rest of the chained oil compounds can be (relatively) well accounted for by synthesis of longer chains.
62 posted on 03/05/2006 2:42:14 PM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary's ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies ]


To: Robert A. Cook, PE
I think methane is formed abiotically, and tranformed into oil microbially, at lesser depths/pressures.

Which says all we have to do is match consumption to production.

84 posted on 03/05/2006 4:22:54 PM PST by patton (Just because you don't understand it, does not mean that it does not exist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson