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The correct answer is no and not only no, it's a known that fossils are not the cause of crude oil. But the genesis of crude is not fully understood. We have wells in Texas that were pumped dry years ago that are now producing again. Where did it come from and how it is formed is not known. The current thought by many is that there is a reaction between the earths nickel core, the extreme pressure of the earths plates, the heat, and the carbon molecules produce the crude we have today, but that's theory only. FWIW, that's a fair description of the process that makes many of the synthetic oil products we have today. Hydrocarbons under extreme pressure as a gas are condensed out on a nickel base forming the Gp IV base oils. But oil does not come from fossils. Basically, we use enough crude oil in a 1 year period to consume all known life on earth from prehistoric times. The reservoirs of crude are huge and some are miles deep like the one in the Gulf of Mexico. It runs from Brazil, to Cuba, to the US shores, to Venezuela. Or to put it in perspective, larger than the Gulf of Mexico. That's the reservoir that the BP rig that blew up was on attempting to find how deep and how big this new find is. But the answer to your question is no, it does not come from dead animals and forests.
This is a ride at Epcot but it explains how we get our energy. I can't tell you how many times I have been on this ride. Watching this makes me want to go again. I need to get to Disney World soon.
Oil is formed from the living organisms (plankton and algae) that grew in the ocean. Coal is formed from the plants that grew on land. Neither were made from land animals (mammals, reptiles, etc.).
Wells that were once dry can become active again because oil is a liquid that can flow back into areas that were once depleted from areas that still contain oil.
OP, fossils don't turn into oil; oil is formed from the lipids(fats) of dead organisms. Essentially, oil is the fossilize fats of dead critters. Too, the organics have to be "cooked". Whether, or not, oil, gas, or tar(the longer the length of the carbon chain, the more viscous the fluid) if formed is a function of temperature and pressure, i,e: depth.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
The correct answer is no and not only no, it's a known that fossils are not the cause of crude oil. But the genesis of crude is not fully understood.
You are demonstrably wrong; the process is understood very well.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
We have wells in Texas that were pumped dry years ago that are now producing again.
Reservoirs are permeable and porous. Some of the extraction fluids will always remain in the reservoir. In those old Texas plays, they used very poor "sustainability of reservoir" practices. Most of those old fields only recovered about half of the fluids in the reservoir. But anyway, I think that you are confusing gas plays with oil'
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
Where did it come from and how it is formed is not known.
The current thought by many is that there is a reaction between the earths nickel core, the extreme pressure of the earths plates, the heat, and the carbon molecules produce the crude we have today
The only people holding that view are crackpots, miscreant, and fools. and they are few and far in between.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
... but that's theory only.
For all interested parties, that is a buzz phrase for those educated in a scientific discipline that the writer has no ideal what he is talking about. It is a clue that the writer conflates a colloquial usage of "theory" with its true scientific meaning.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
FWIW, that's a fair description of the process that makes many of the synthetic oil products we have today. Hydrocarbons under extreme pressure as a gas are condensed out on a nickel base forming the Gp IV base oils.
I can't speak to this, and I don't have the time to look into it, but the egregious errors presented by writer, thus far, has raised the skeptic hairs on the back of my neck.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
But oil does not come from fossils.
Yes, yes it does. the process is well understood, and has been for decades
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrapperL
Basically, we use enough crude oil in a 1 year period to consume all known life on earth from prehistoric times.
Horsepuckey! You obviously have absolutely no ideal what you are talking about.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
[reservoirs] runs from Brazil, to Cuba, to the US shores, to Venezuela.
Once again, you demonstrate your profound ignorance of the most basic principles of geology. This even contradicts what you wrote up thread: "We have wells in Texas that were pumped dry years ago that are now producing again". Oil is confined to specific reservoirs that are contained by things like faults, salt traps, impermeable mudstones, ect ,ect, ect.
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
That's the reservoir that the BP rig that blew up was on attempting to find how deep and how big this new find is.
No it wasn't. The Macondo well(Deepwater Horizon) was not even an exploratory well; it was for production of a relatively small reservoir
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Originally Posted by TrapperL
But the answer to your question is no, it does not come from dead animals and forests.
No one has ever claimed that oil comes from forests???
EDIT/: to fix tags
Last edited by Thanatocoenosis; 06-12-2013 at 06:51 PM..
A shining light into the darkness of ignorance. Please continue to post on City Data.
Thanks. I came across that post TrapperL and could not allow such a blatantly wrong misrepresentation of some basic science go unchallenged.
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