Sylvie Willis
The origin of petroleum has been a subject of debate for centuries, with the mainstream theory suggesting that it is formed from the decomposition of long-dead organisms. However, there is a growing body of hypotheses, known as the abiogenic petroleum origin hypothesis, that challenges this notion. This hypothesis proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits are formed inorganically, through processes such as serpentinization and deep-earth bacterial activity, rather than from biological sources. While the idea of abiotic oil has gained some support, particularly in Russia and Ukraine, it is not widely accepted by the scientific community and is rejected by many researchers. The presence of oil in non-porous rocks and on extraterrestrial bodies, such as Saturn's moon Titan, has also sparked discussions about the potential abiotic origins of hydrocarbons.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Abiotic oil hypothesis | Oil and gas are synthesized deep within the earth's mantle by heat, pressure, and other purely chemical means, before gradually rising to the surface. |
| Abiotic oil formation | Oil originated as carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas rising through the deep layers of the Earth's crust. |
| Biotic oil formation | Oil and gas drilled out of the earth come from the remains of plants and animals trapped underground for millions of years. |
| Support for abiotic oil hypothesis | Alexander Kitchka of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Kutcherov, Thomas Gold, Immanuel Velikovsky, Robert W. Felix, Jeffrey Wolynski, Georgius Agricola, Alexander von Humboldt, Dimitri Mendeleev, Marcellin Berthelot, Nikolai Alexandrovitch Kudryavtsev, Mikhailo Vasilyevich Lomonosov |
| Opposition to abiotic oil hypothesis | oilempire.us, mainstream theories, most researchers, scientific theories, geologists in the West and the OPEC states, world's primary oil producers and consumers |
| Examples of abiotic oil | Presence of oil on extraterrestrial bodies like Saturn's moon Titan, Mars, asteroids, and comets |
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What You'll Learn
Abiotic oil hypothesis
The abiotic oil hypothesis, also known as the abiogenic petroleum origin hypothesis, proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits were formed by inorganic means, rather than by the decomposition of organisms. In other words, it challenges the idea that oil and gas are fossil fuels, suggesting that they are synthesized deep within the Earth's mantle through chemical reactions involving heat, pressure, and other factors. This hypothesis has been the subject of debate and controversy among scientists and researchers.
The abiotic oil hypothesis has a long history, with early proponents including Georgius Agricola in the 16th century and Prussian geographer Alexander von Humboldt in the 19th century. Von Humboldt observed petroleum springs in Venezuela and proposed that petroleum was distilled from great depths, originating from primitive rocks associated with volcanic action. The idea gained attention in the 20th century, with Soviet geologist Nikolai Alexandrovitch Kudryavtsev proposing the modern abiotic hypothesis of petroleum in 1951 based on his analysis of the Athabasca Oil Sands in Canada.
One of the most prominent supporters of the abiotic oil hypothesis in recent times is Thomas Gold, a respected astronomer and professor emeritus at Cornell University. Gold proposed the deep gas hypothesis, suggesting that some natural gas deposits were formed from hydrocarbons deep in the Earth's mantle. He conducted experiments simulating mantle conditions and successfully produced hydrocarbons, primarily methane and other gases, with a small percentage of heavier oil components. Gold also pointed to the presence of oil in non-porous and non-sedimentary rocks, challenging traditional theories of oil formation.
Support for the abiotic oil hypothesis also comes from observations of extraterrestrial oil on other planets and celestial bodies, such as Saturn's moon Titan, which has a higher amount of crude oil on its surface than Earth. This raises questions about the universality of biogenic oil formation and suggests that hydrocarbons can form through inorganic processes. Additionally, some oil fields, like those in Vietnam and the Gulf of Mexico, have produced more oil than expected, leading to speculation that they are being refilled from deeper abiotic sources.
However, the abiotic oil hypothesis is generally not well-accepted by the scientific community, and most researchers and theories reject it. Critics argue that the presence of organic compounds in oil, such as those linked to flowering plants, cannot be explained by abiotic processes. They also point to the lack of convincing evidence for commercially viable deposits of abiotic oil. While the debate continues, the abiotic oil hypothesis highlights the complexities and uncertainties surrounding the origins of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits.
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Biogenic origin
The biogenic origin of oil, also known as the biogenic petroleum origin hypothesis, proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits were formed organically from the decomposition of long-dead organisms. This hypothesis is supported by scientific evidence and mainstream theories about the formation of hydrocarbons on Earth. It suggests that oil and gas are fossil fuels, formed from the remains of plants and animals trapped underground for millions of years.
The biogenic hypothesis explains the presence of biomarkers in oil, which are traces of biological molecules from bacteria (archaea) that feed on primordial hydrocarbons. For example, hopanoids are parts of bacterial cell walls present in oil as contaminants. Additionally, the biogenic hypothesis accounts for the presence of organic compounds in oil, such as compounds linked to flowering plants, which are formed through the decomposition of organisms.
While the biogenic hypothesis is widely accepted, there are alternative theories, such as the abiogenic hypothesis, which proposes an inorganic origin for oil and gas. The abiogenic hypothesis suggests that oil and gas are formed from deep carbon deposits present since the formation of the Earth, rather than from fossil deposits. This hypothesis gained support in 2009 when researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm challenged the idea that fossils are necessary for crude oil and natural gas formation.
However, the existence of hydrocarbons on extraterrestrial bodies, such as Saturn's moon Titan, provides evidence for the inorganic formation of hydrocarbons. Thomas Gold's "deep gas hypothesis" further proposes that some natural gas deposits are formed from hydrocarbons deep in the Earth's mantle. While these abiogenic theories exist, they are generally not well-accepted by the scientific community and are rejected by most researchers.
The debate between the biogenic and abiogenic hypotheses highlights the ongoing research and understanding of oil and gas formation. While the biogenic hypothesis currently holds stronger support, the abiogenic hypothesis offers alternative explanations that continue to be explored and discussed within the scientific community.
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Thomas Gold's deep gas hypothesis
The abiogenic petroleum origin hypothesis, also known as the abiotic theory of oil, proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits were formed by inorganic means, rather than by the decomposition of organisms. The hypothesis suggests that oil and gas are synthesized deep within the Earth's mantle by heat, pressure, and other purely chemical means, before gradually rising to the surface.
Thomas Gold, an Austrian-born astrophysicist, astronomer, and professor at Cornell University, was a prominent proponent of the abiogenic hypothesis. Gold's "deep gas hypothesis" or "deep-Earth-gas hypothesis", proposed that some natural gas deposits were formed out of hydrocarbons deep in the Earth's mantle. Gold believed that the hydrocarbons we use today were incorporated into the Earth at its creation and that the Earth is much more abundant in these hydrocarbons than commonly believed. He argued that the idea that oil comes from fossils is a myth and that the general belief in scarcity that drives up gas prices is a mirage that serves the interests of oil producers.
Gold's hypothesis was influenced by his work on earthquakes, which he studied from the standpoint of their causation by or co-occurrence with the sudden escape of large volumes of methane gas. Gold also pointed to the existence of hydrocarbons on extraterrestrial bodies like Saturn's moon Titan, which has more crude oil on its surface than the Earth, as well as on asteroids and comets. He argued that it was absurd to insist that hydrocarbons on Earth are biological in origin while those on other planets are not.
Gold proposed that the Siljan Ring meteorite crater in Sweden was the most likely place to test his hypothesis. The meteorite impact had cracked the granite basement, allowing oil to potentially seep up from the mantle, and the thin veneer of sediment was sufficient to trap any abiogenic oil. However, geochemical analysis concluded that the oil in the seeps came from organic-rich shale, heated by the meteorite impact. Despite this, Gold considered the drilling a scientific success, even though it was a commercial failure.
Gold's abiogenic theory has been largely rejected by the scientific community and criticized within the academic disciplines of geobiology and petroleum geology. However, it has gained some supporters, including Jack Kenney of the Gas Resources Corporation and researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
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Alexander Von Humboldt's inorganic abiogenic hypothesis
The abiogenic petroleum origin hypothesis proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits were formed by inorganic means, rather than by the decomposition of organisms. This hypothesis is also known as the abiotic oil theory.
Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian geographer and naturalist born in Berlin in 1769, proposed an inorganic abiogenic hypothesis for petroleum formation. After observing petroleum springs in the Bay of Cumaux (Cumaná) on the northeast coast of Venezuela, he stated:
> The petroleum is the product of a distillation from great depth and issues from the primitive rocks beneath which the forces of all volcanic action lie.
Von Humboldt's hypothesis was first proposed in 1804, after he had travelled extensively in the Americas from 1799. His work laid the foundation for the field of biogeography, and he is regarded as a founder of modern geography. He is also known as "the father of ecology" and "the father of environmentalism".
The abiotic theory of oil suggests that oil and gas are synthesized deep within the Earth's mantle by heat, pressure, and other purely chemical means, rather than being derived from fossils. This theory has been supported by the discovery of oil on extraterrestrial bodies like Saturn's moon Titan, and the presence of oil in non-porous rock. However, it is generally not well-accepted by the scientific community and is rejected by most researchers.
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Serpentinization of peridotite
The existence of hydrocarbons on extraterrestrial bodies, such as Saturn's moon Titan, indicates that hydrocarbons can indeed be naturally produced by inorganic means. The abiogenic hypothesis for the origin of petroleum proposes that most of Earth's petroleum and natural gas deposits were formed through inorganic processes, commonly referred to as abiotic oil.
One chemical basis for the abiotic petroleum process is the serpentinization of peridotite. Serpentinization is a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ferromagnesian minerals, such as olivine and pyroxene, in mafic and ultramafic rocks, leading to the formation of serpentinite. This process involves the absorption of large amounts of water into the rock, resulting in increased volume, reduced density, and the destruction of the original rock structure. The density changes from 3.3 to 2.5 g/cm3, with a concurrent volume increase of 30-40%.
Olivine, a mineral composed of forsterite and fayalite, metamorphoses into serpentine, magnetite, and silica through serpentinization. The reaction is highly exothermic, releasing significant amounts of energy and increasing rock temperatures. The hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide produced during serpentinization are released through non-volcanic hydrothermal vents, providing energy sources for deep-sea microorganisms.
Peridotite, a type of mantle rock, is found at significant depths in the Earth, often exceeding 6 kilometers. Due to faulting, these peridotite rocks are exposed at or near the seafloor, where they undergo serpentinization. This process has significant geophysical, geochemical, and biological consequences for the marine system, particularly in slow-spreading ridge environments. The formation of serpentine during the hydration of peridotite results in changes in rock density and volume, leading to the creation of new fractures and further reactions with seawater.
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Frequently asked questions
The abiotic oil hypothesis, also known as the abiogenic hypothesis, proposes that a small amount of oil originates from non-biological origins, forming through inorganic means rather than the decomposition of organisms.
The existence of hydrocarbons on extraterrestrial bodies like Saturn's moon Titan indicates that hydrocarbons can be produced by inorganic means. Additionally, oil has been found in locations where it shouldn't be present according to traditional theories, such as in hard rock formations.
The abiotic oil hypothesis has supporters among Russian and Ukrainian scientists and within the Russian oil industry. Notable proponents include Vladimir Kutcherov, Alexander Kitchka, Thomas Gold, and Dimitri Mendeleev.
If the abiotic oil hypothesis is correct, it could mean that oil reserves are not as limited as previously thought and that energy sources could be found beyond traditional basins where fossils might have accumulated.
The abiotic oil hypothesis is generally not well-accepted by the scientific community and is rejected by most researchers. Critics argue that the hypothesis ignores resource limits and has been used to push climate change denial arguments. Additionally, geologists in the West and OPEC states have found that petroleum is not typically found close to the mantle, where the hypothesis claims it is formed.
