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To: xrp
There's a theory that hydrocarbons like oil have nothing to do with organic fossils but are seeping up from the Earth's crust. This would explain why we haven't run out of oil in spite of the predictions more than thirty years ago that we would have by the 1990's. For example, old abandoned oil wells for some reason seem to partially refill after being left alone for a decade or two.

I can't remember the name of the scientist who has popularized this theory but to me it makes a lot more sense than the idea that all the oil and coal on the earth are remains of primeval forest and dinosaur crap.

19 posted on 03/07/2004 9:39:37 AM PST by katana
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To: katana
Cool, thanks for the information.
20 posted on 03/07/2004 9:45:22 AM PST by xrp
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To: katana
Gold. Can't remember his first name...

:^)
24 posted on 03/07/2004 9:51:40 AM PST by null and void
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To: katana
For example, old abandoned oil wells for some reason seem to partially refill after being left alone for a decade or two.

The reason oil can be found in abandoned wells is because it is impossible to get all the oil out of the rock now. Oil doesn't quit flowing overnight. It just drops to levels where you're spending more money on electricity or gas to pump the well than it can produce economically.

Even in the very best rock, you're going to plug that well with 30% of the original oil in place still there.

So yes, there will be some further migration of the oil in the pores of the rock after a well is plugged. But this notion that reservoirs are replenishing themselves and that the supply of oil is endless is a stunning myth which is posted here at FR as if it's established fact. It's false.

144 posted on 03/08/2004 5:38:14 PM PST by Dog Gone
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