A logical geological question

[Ed W]

Our economy is based on oil. That's fundamentally obvious.  But where did the oil come from?  Sure, it's easy enough to say it came from deep underground, but how did it form there in the first place?  I'm assuming it began as organic matter that was covered, compressed, and exposed to heat for a very long time. But if that's true, is it equally true that present-day organics will eventually become oil or coal?

Feel free to lie about it.  Not that I'd do that.  Not me. 

[Conan71]

Ed, there's been lots of research into making synthetic crude from organic matter.  One of my clients was working on a project at one point to take sewage sludge and convert it to oil.  No idea how that's going lately, but there is no doubt it can be done.  There's also some theorists who say the oil supply could possibly be self-replenishing.  I really don't ascribe to that theory myself.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Funny you should mention self-replenishing (SR)...I have been thinking about that a lot for the last couple of years.  May even have to go back to school to scratch that particular itch...

I am beginning to think there must be some level of SR going on in different places.  As for organic matter getting buried and turning into oil...well, the process of making hydrocarbons does require carbon.  And plants and animals are loaded with carbon, so it may well be one source of feedstock for the process.  Doesn't mean it is the only source.

I am betting - and I would literally bet a LOT of money - on the speculation that there weren't too many dinosaurs, ferns, or any other of our more familiar sources of carbon - on Saturn's moon, Titan.  Which is covered with a LOT of methane...a very popular hydrocarbon here on earth - one we ALL enjoy the benefits of in one way or other - natural gas.

So there has to be a whole lot of something that we don't understand too well going on both there and most likely here.  Is it SR?  Or just initial plenishment still happening?  I would love to understand more about it.  I'm GUESSING that it is an ongoing process that is occurring now.  Will it keep up with out usage, or are we bleeding down the stock...no one knows.  But one thing is certain - we have been of the opinion that we would use up all the oil sometime "soon", but we also keep finding more and more.  Even old wells are going back online with enhanced recovery methods.  How much of that is due to just better extraction versus maybe some new stuff being generated along with? 

One thing is for sure - if big oil ever does find out definitively that hydrocarbons self-replenish, that will be the biggest secret in the history of the planet - much bigger than the Manhattan project.  Why they may already know and we are just now starting to speculate....

[nathanm]

One thing is for sure - if big oil ever does find out definitively that hydrocarbons self-replenish, that will be the biggest secret in the history of the planet - much bigger than the Manhattan project.  Why they may already know and we are just now starting to speculate....

If the abiotic oil thing really is happening, it can't be on a very large scale, at least in fields we're presently draining. We'd have noticed by now.

[heironymouspasparagus]

It is happening in our galaxy - a lot.

I don't think it is going on here enough to be total replacement, but if we drained the planet now, then came back in 10 million years, I bet there would be a lot again.  Or 20 mill or 30 or some number....