This is an excellent article. My father was a PhD (RPI, 1954) research chemist at the Hydrocarbons and Monomers Research Lab at Dow Chemical in the 1950s-70s and he believed that petroleum truly was what the name described: rock (petr-) oil (oleum). For the same reasons discussed in this article and known by the Russians since the same time: the laws of thermodynamics. Which tell us that it is impossible for complex hydrocarbons to be formed from organic (life-created) materials (i.e, dead animals and plants) at modest temperatures and pressures. The laws of physics tell us that simpler molecules will be formed under those conditions: methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, possibly carbon dioxide in a sufficiently oxidized substrate. Basically a similar mix of gases to what is produced by the 'water gas' reaction in which coal is reacted with water at atmospheric pressure and modest temperature (hundreds of degrees Celsius): H2O + C -> H2 + CO. Add an excess of carbon, and you get some methane; a little oxygen leaking into the process, and you get some carbon dioxide.
The article is also correct that the industry benefits from the 'illusion of scarcity' implied by the 'fossil fuel' theory; thus they denigrate the truth to perpetuate their business model. This is just one of many lies perpetrated, and truths hidden, by government and big business, to 'keep us in the dark' where we 'own nothing and will be happy.'
20 years ago the petroleum companies have known oil is created through geologic processes and high pressure since the middle of the last century and just don't discuss it publicly because having an ignorant public is handy for their business goals and no to mention Methane on Mars and Titan!
This is an excellent article. My father was a PhD (RPI, 1954) research chemist at the Hydrocarbons and Monomers Research Lab at Dow Chemical in the 1950s-70s and he believed that petroleum truly was what the name described: rock (petr-) oil (oleum). For the same reasons discussed in this article and known by the Russians since the same time: the laws of thermodynamics. Which tell us that it is impossible for complex hydrocarbons to be formed from organic (life-created) materials (i.e, dead animals and plants) at modest temperatures and pressures. The laws of physics tell us that simpler molecules will be formed under those conditions: methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, possibly carbon dioxide in a sufficiently oxidized substrate. Basically a similar mix of gases to what is produced by the 'water gas' reaction in which coal is reacted with water at atmospheric pressure and modest temperature (hundreds of degrees Celsius): H2O + C -> H2 + CO. Add an excess of carbon, and you get some methane; a little oxygen leaking into the process, and you get some carbon dioxide.
The article is also correct that the industry benefits from the 'illusion of scarcity' implied by the 'fossil fuel' theory; thus they denigrate the truth to perpetuate their business model. This is just one of many lies perpetrated, and truths hidden, by government and big business, to 'keep us in the dark' where we 'own nothing and will be happy.'
20 years ago the petroleum companies have known oil is created through geologic processes and high pressure since the middle of the last century and just don't discuss it publicly because having an ignorant public is handy for their business goals and no to mention Methane on Mars and Titan!