Oh no... not Gold? I thought that was still "out there" as a bit of a crank theory?
Quote:
The geological argument against
Oil deposits are not directly associated with tectonic structures.
Key arguments against chemical reactions, such as the serpentinite mechanism, as being the major source of hydrocarbon deposits within the crust are;
* The lack of available pore space within rocks as depth increases
o This is contradicted by numerous studies which have documented the existence of hydrologic systems operating over a range of scales and at all depths in the continental crust. [49]
* The presence of no commercial hydrocarbon deposits within the crystalline shield areas of the major cratons especially around key deep seated structures which are predicted to host oil by the abiogenic hypothesis [31]
* Limited evidence that major serpentinite belts underlie continental sedimentary basins which host oil
* Lack of conclusive proof that carbon isotope fractionation observed in crustal methane sources is entirely of abiogenic origin (Lollar et al. 2006)[3]
* Mass balance problems of supplying enough carbon dioxide to serpentinite within the metamorphic event before the peridotite is fully reacted to serpentinite
* Drilling of the Siljan Ring failed to find commercial quantities of gas[31], thus providing a counter example to Kudryavtsev's Rule and failing to locate the predicted abiogenic gas
o Helium in the Siljan Gravberg-1 well was depleted in 3He and not consistent with a mantle origin[50]
* The distribution of sedimentary basins is caused by plate tectonics, with sedimentary basins forming on either side of a volcanic arc, which explains the distribution of oil within these sedimentary basins
* Kudryavtsev's Rule has been explained for oil and gas (not coal): Gas deposits which are below oil deposits can be created from that oil or its source rocks. Because natural gas is less dense than oil, as kerogen and hydrocarbons are generating gas the gas fills the top of the available space. Oil is forced down, and can reach the spill point where oil leaks around the edge(s) of the formation and flows upward. If the original formation becomes completely filled with gas then all the oil will have leaked above the original location.[51]
* Ubiquitous presence of diamondoids in natural hydrocarbons such as oil, gas and condensates are composed of carbon from biological sources, unlike the carbon found in normal diamonds.[52]
[edit] Arguments against the incidental evidence
* Gas ruptures during earthquakes are more likely to be sourced from biogenic methane generated in unconsolidated sediment from existing organic matter, released by earthquake liquefaction of the reservoir during tremors
* The presence of methane hydrate is arguably produced by bacterial action upon organic detritus falling from the littoral zone and trapped in the depth due to pressure and temperature
* The likelihood of vast concentrations of methane in the mantle is very slim, given mantle xenoliths have negligible methane in their fluid inclusions; conventional plate tectonics explains deep focus quakes better, and the extreme confining pressures invalidate the hypothesis of gas pockets causing quakes
* Further evidence is the presence of diamond within kimberlites and lamproites which sample the mantle depths proposed as being the source region of mantle methane (by Gold et al.). [23]
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Abiogenic petroleum origin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In any case, the oil is demonstrably
not refilling in old fields in any measurable rate fast enough to offset the peak oil crisis.
If Gold is right, there might be a little oil on Mars... if the temperatures were ever high enough there for it to form... and high enough long enough? But the main issue is getting there with an economic incentive to do so. For that we might need big business motivated by minerals exploration and either advances in launch systems or something straight out of KSR, like the space elevator.
