X-Message-Number: 19229
Date: Fri, 07 Jun 2002 22:22:55 -0700
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: Re: No end to oil?
References: <>

In Message #19221 George Smith" <>
quoted an article by Bruce Bartlett, which stated in part:


"The existence of oil much farther below the surface than it was previously
thought to exist raises new questions about the origins of oil and natural
gas. It has commonly been thought that they are the decayed remains of long
dead plants and animals. However, as hydrocarbons are found at extreme
depths, this explanation becomes increasingly implausible.
   Astronomer Thomas Gold of Cornell University has long been dissatisfied
with the dead dinosaur theory of oil's origins. He argues that oil and gas
are in fact the remains of methane left over from the Earth's origin.
Methane, he points out, is one of the most common minerals in the universe.
When the stars and planets were formed eons ago, it was one of the central
building blocks from which matter formed. ..."

If that was indeed the case, then there should also be oil on
Mars and even the Moon.  So how come, that the huge impacts from
the bombardment of meteors have not "squeezed" any of it to the
surface.  The search for water with surveyor satellites should
have identified spots of lower density matter, even if a cover of
dust made them invisible by optical means.

Having said that, I have often wondered, how such huge amounts of
hydrocarbons could have been created by decaying plant matter
alone.
Best,
Olaf

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