Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com The Barnyard: Oil, Abiogenic vs Biogenic

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Oil, Abiogenic vs Biogenic

Are we near peak oil or just breaking the crust? This is a very interesting study of the various theories surrounding this debate. I am in the abiogenic camp believing that oil and coal are processes of the earth's tectonic forces. It is in PDF format and fairly long with some serious chemistry and physics involved but there is plenty for the layman to get a grasp of the debate as well. I just can't accept the biogenic argument that "fossil" fuels are formed by organic matter as it just doesn't add up to even the known sources. Part of what I find most intriguing is the depth of oil and gas discoveries and the depth of fossil record, for example fossils recovered from coal beds when all examples of such would be gone if the biogenic argument held true. I am by no means a scientist or geologist but it has been a subject that has fascinated me since I was child walking in the woods with my godfather, a physicist and geologist. I have marveled over fossils and studied rock formations as a mountaineer so I am not ignorant to what these folks are saying having paid attention in chemistry class on the building blocks and formation of hydro-carbons, the basis of energy and life.

4 comments:

Trader Rick said...

You ought to add History to your scientific studies, Goat.

Everybody knows the Dinos from all over the world, big and small, migrated to the Middle East and followed the Jews out into the desert, where they all died in huge piles, and melted into black gold...

The Griper said...

he chuckles, good one rick.

Anonymous said...

I am agnostic on Abiogenic vs Biogenic at this time. But I have wondered how much decayed biomass it takes to produce billions of barrels of oil.

Have any calculations been done to determine this?

If oil is a matter of decayed biomass, have we produced it in the lab? A few plants, some road kill, heat, pressure, and bingo! Oil.

If oil is Abiogenic, then what does that say about our scientists and their ability to "trust but verify"?

Goat said...

Welcome to the Barnyard Southern roots. The study I linked to has quite a bit about synthetic fuels produced in the lab and in major refineries in South Africa today. The Nazi war machine was largely fueled by synfuel after the Allies cut off its oil. The US at one time had a fairly large synfuel operation as well but super cheap oil killed it off. Time to bring it back if you ask me.