Geology Assignment Title:

ORIGIN OF HYDROCARBON

VII SEMESTER B. TECH PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

SESSION 2016-17

By:
Sl. No. Name Admission no.

71 Abhijeet Kumar Roy 2013JE0595

72 Palash Jain 2013JE0608

73 Akshay Pratap Singh Shekhawat 2013JE0618

74 Rishabh Raj 2013JE0622

75 Sumit Kumar Gautam 2013JE0626

76 Vishal Kumar Rajak 2013JE0638

77 Vishwa Mohan Rai 2013JE0643

78 Devendra Gurjar 2013JE0649

79 Mayank Kumar Agarwal 2013JE0651

80 Kshitij Goel 2013JE0665

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 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 2

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PETROLEUM ORIGIN HYPOTHESIS 2

3. DILEMMA: ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM 3

4. INORGANIC or ABIOTIC ORIGIN 3

a. OVERWHELMING EVIDENCES FOR INORGANIC ORIGIN OF

PETROLEUM

5. ORGANIC or BIOTIC ORIGIN 5

a. OVERWHELMING EVIDENCES FOR ORGANIC ORIGIN OF

PETROLEUM

6. DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES BEHIND THE ARGUMENTS BETWEEN

PETROLEUM ORIGIN HYPOTHESES 7

7. WHAT IS THE TRUTH? 7

8. CONCLUSION 8

9. REFERENCES 9

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INTRODUCTION

Petroleum is a Latin word of (Petra ‘‘rock’’ + Oleum ‘’ oil ‘’), It is completely different than oil
that comes from vegetable sources such as the olive, but modern research has traced its origin to
the lipids (oils) of planktonic (free floating) plants and animals which live in brackish water such
as blue-green algaes and foraminifera. The brackishness is essential because aerobic bacteria does
not live in brackish water which in turn would decompose all of the organic matter. In brackish
water the organic matter of the planktonic plants and animals sinks to the bottom and incorporated
into clay sediments which ultimately become sedimentary rocks, as we called shale rock. Under
high pressure and temperature the oil of clay shales can be squeezed out and into porous rock. In
porous rock the oil can travel, until it reaches an impervious barrier such as a salt dome.

Petroleum is so important to ensure life sustainability as a source of energy which has a big impact
on society from several aspects including: economy, politics and human basic needs. It is a
strategic commodity that every country is seeking by developing new technologies which
contribute to maximizing petroleum recovery from underground.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF PETROLEUM ORIGIN HYPOTHESIS

The idea concerning the origin of petroleum dates back to the 18th and early part of the 19th
century, when the chemical nature of petroleum was not known. Abraham Gottlob Werner and
supporters of neptunism in the 18th century considered basaltic sills as solidified oils or bitumen.
While these concepts proved not solid, the primary idea of an association between petroleum and
magmatism has then persisted as Alexander von Humboldt proposed an inorganic abiogenic
hypothesis for petroleum formation after he saw petroleum springs in the Bay of Cumaux
(Cumaná) in Venezuela. He is quoted as saying in 1804, "the petroleum is the product of a
distillation from great depth and issues from the primitive rocks beneath which the forces of all
volcanic action lie". As it is said above other prominent advocate of the abiogenic hypothesis
included Mendeleev (1877) and Berthelot (1827-1907). The Soviet Russian geologist Nikolai
Alexandrovitch Kudryavtsev also proposed the modern abiotic hypothesis of petroleum in 1950s.
On the basis of his analysis of the Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada, he concluded by
denying the existence of "source rocks" that could form the enormous volume of hydrocarbons,

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and as consequence he offered abiotic deep petroleum as the most admirable explanation. (Humic
coals have since been proposed for the source rocks. Others who continued Kudryavtsev's work
are Emmanuil B. Chekaliuk, Petr N. Kropotkin, Georgi E. Boyko Vladimir B. Porfir'ev, Vladilen
A. Krayushkin, etc, in 21st century the most prominent supporter of the hypothesis are Astronomer
Thomas G. and Jack Kenney.

DILEMMA: ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM

The origin of petroleum still has uncertainties despite the tremendous researches and studies
devoted to it rather than any other natural substance. By referring to different grounds from two
opposing theoretical hypothesis, petroleum origin and formation still become a polarized topic of
scientists’ debates. These theories are abiogenesis and biogenesis. Abiogenesis-inorganic origin of
petroleum, is an oldest theory which suggests that petroleum comes from the underneath part of
the mantle very long time ago before the existence of life on earth (Mendeleev, 1877). The second
hypothesis, biotic or organic origin suggests that petroleum is formed from biological matters, left
behind by very ancient lives. These matters become subjected to high temperature under the
absence of oxygen. The last hypothesis, biogenesis is currently accepted by many people due to
how it is supported by various valid grounds while the first one is more doubtful. Its early
supportive tenets lost their truth, especially when they fall in contraction with modern science.

1. INORGANIC or ABIOTIC ORIGIN

“Early in 16th century, a theory of the origin of oil stated that it resulted from very deep carbon
deposits that have been around far longer than life on this planet. That theory, lately became known
as the abiotic oil formation (AOF) theory, was largely ignored and forgotten until rather recently
when a few people-some of them scientists revived it and backed it with some tenets”.

As the earth existence is date back to 4.5 billion years, the Abiotic theory is said to occur in that
time, before the appearance of any form of life. The hypothesis bases on the fact that some of
harvested hydrocarbons and other associated substances have a very deep origin, indeed they are
widely found in the universe. Methane is said to be present in the atmosphere of Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, on others planets as well as moons and meteorites found in the solar system. Russian

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chemist and mineralogist Dimitri Mendeleev and scientists of the epoch have had a great influence
supporting the hypothesis. “They propose that abiogenic methane reflects a cosmic organic
inheritance that is subsequently released by the mantle and migrates towards the surface utilizing
weaknesses in the crust such as plate” (Sephton A. & Hazen M, 2013). Recently in 20thcentury,
members of so called “Russian-Ukrainian School” supported the hypothesis by stating that
generated methane polymerizes into higher molecular weight hydrocarbons which results into
petroleum deposits, the fact which is also persuade by finding increased abundance of methane
gas in the depth of petroleum basin. (Sephton A & Hazen M, 2013).

It states that hydrogen and carbon came together under great temperature and pressure, far below
the earth’s surface and formed oil and gas where chemical reactions have occurred. The oil and
gas then seeped through porous rock to deposit in various natural underground traps. It has also
excluded the hypothesis that petroleum is a finite substance. There are some different theories that
describe the inorganic origin of petroleum which include:

 METAL CARBIDE THEORY

Developed by a Russian chemist and states that the deposition of petroleum is controlled by
tectonic activities that occurred during the life of sedimentary rock. To explain his observations,
he has put forth "metal carbide theory". Metal carbides deep in Earth reacted with water at high
pressure and temperature to form acetylene which condenses to heavier hydrocarbons.

Reaction equation is: CaC2+H2O = C2H2+Ca(OH)2

 VOLCANIC THEORY

Involves outgassing of the mantle via volcanic activity or eruption.

 EARTHQUAKE THEORY

Involves outgassing deep Earth's mantle via tectonic activities such as faults, and this is still
happening till now.

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 SERPENTINIZATION THEORY

States that hydrocarbon is a by-product that came from a metamorphic transformation of the green
dark Olivine mineral, which was found in Earth's mantle.

OVERWHELMING EVIDENCES FOR INORGANIC ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM

The tenets supporting abiotic origin of petroleum are in the following way:

 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: Most of hydrocarbon producing regions are located close

to belts of tectonic activities.
 STABILITY WITH DEPTH: Corresponding to what organic theory's supporters have
admitted themselves; petroleum is a fossil fuel, and there has never been a real fossil found
below 16000 feet. Nowadays, there is drilling for oil reservoirs at 28000 feet or 30000 feet
where there is no a fossil remains.
 The existence of methane on other planets of solar system, meteors, moons and comets.
 The biogenic explanation fails to explain some of hydrocarbon deposit characteristics.
 The crude oil distribution of metals fits better with upper serpentinized mantle, primitive
mantle and chondrite patterns than the oceanic and the continental crust, and never shows any
correlation with sea water.
 The helium and other noble gas association with hydrocarbons.
 Deep hydrocarbon seeps.
 Hydrocarbon-rich areas tend to be hydrocarbon-rich at various different levels.
 Some proposed mechanisms of abiogenesis formation of petroleum.

2. ORGANIC or BIOTIC ORIGIN

It is the most widely accepted. Biotic origin of petroleum (Hydrocarbons) suggests that petroleum
come from a long time decaying of died organisms such as planktons, zooplankton ad other form
of biological species under a subjection of high temperature. This hypothesis is currently accepted
by many people around the world and it has many viable supporting grounds which fits well
modern sciences. According to that hypothesis, very long time ago, the organisms (marine living

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things, terrestrial) died and buried and covered by silt in a sedimentary basin where they undergo
a very slow and very long lasting physical and chemical transformation which involves processes
such as diagenesis and kerogen formation. Remains of plants have been transformed to coal and
animals to oil and gas. These remains were settled into seas and accumulated at the ocean floor and
buried under several kilometers of sediments. Over a few million years, the layers of the organic
material were compressed under the weight of the sediments above them. The increase in pressure
and temperature with the absence of oxygen changed the mud, sand, slit or sediments into rock
and organic matter into Kerogen. After further burial and heating, the kerogen transformed via
cracking into petroleum and natural gas.

The more conventional view of petroleum formation is that it formed when selected aliquots of
biomass from dead organisms were buried in a sedimentary basin and subjected to diagenesis
through prolonged exposure to microbial decay followed by increasing temperatures and
pressures. Oxygen-poor conditions, produced by exhaustion of local oxygen levels by biomass
decay and often sustained by physical barriers to oxygen recharge, are obvious enhancers for fossil
organic matter preservation and passage into the geosphere. The major organic components in life
are large, high molecular weight entities and the most resistant of these units are preserved in
sediments, augmented by cross-linking reactions that polymerize and incorporate smaller units
into the complex network. The high molecular weight sedimentary organic matter is termed
kerogen from the Greek for “wax former.” It is worth noting that not all of life’s organic matter is
reflected in kerogen. Even under relatively favorable conditions less than 1% of the starting
organism, representing the most resistant chemical constituents, may be preserved (Demaison and
Moore 1980).

The hypothesis of biotic origin of petroleum has many plausible evidences which can indeed allow
scientists to simulate the production of petroleum (crude oil). Today advancements in science such
as chemistry-knowledge about carbon and its compounds and geology make the hypothesis well
understood and well useful. The most plausible evidence is the focus on the stage of what so-called
“development of hydrocarbons”, from peat to anthracite and equally from algae to oil.

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OVERWHELMING EVIDENCES FOR ORGANIC ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM

 Presence of brine (sea water) with petroleum.

 Petroleum is found only in association with sedimentary rocks. There is no petroleum
associated with igneous or metamorphic rocks.
 Polarized light passing through all petroleum resources undergoes a rotation that is similar
to all organic oils.
 Molecules in hydrocarbons are thought to be similar to that of the organic matter.
 The organic carbon found in plants is depleted into C13 due to photosynthesis process. In
dead organic matter, it is further depleted due to radioactive decaying. The same depletion
was found in petroleum and natural gas.

DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES BEHIND THE ARGUMENTS BETWEEN

PETROLEUM ORIGIN HYPOTHESES

Biotic origin of petroleum inspires the possibility of exhausting oil reserves and abiotic hypothesis
assure quasi-unlimited supplies of oil and gas reserves. Therefore many issues regarding energy
renewability rises. According to the website Petroleum.co.uk, politics as the main driver of every
issue in our modern socio-economic aspects of living, the arguments of abiotic versus
biotic origins of petroleum are caused by some hidden reasons which are for particular interests
and politically motivated. For example, “a limited supply can be used to control people and as
justification for actions like war. An unlimited supply, on the other hand, means that we need not
worry about running out, that we ought to be able to drill for more oil and increase the daily supply
so as to decrease price, and so forth”.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

The question arises, what is the truth, and wherein lies the proof? There is no question that oil can
be extracted from once-living organisms. That makes an impressive statement in behalf of the
biotic theory. In addition, many years of belief this is the correct mechanism has led to much
development and organization of the data. But none of this suffices as proof it is the one-and-only
mechanism for the formation of crude oil within the earth’s mantle.

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Research has demonstrated that at least some of the chemistry of the abiotic theory can occur
within the earth, and if it proves to be the correct mechanism, it could explain the abundance of oil
within the earth, as well as offering the hope that much more remains and that it is possible to
replenish the oil supplies. But this does not suffice as proof that it is the one-and-only mechanism
for the formation of oil, either.

CONCLUSION

The battle between organic and inorganic theories are still persistent till now. All the supporters
from both sides were struggling to prove their theory. According to organic theory, petroleum is a
finite substance formed from organisms decaying at several kilometers below the ground surface.
On the other side, Inorganic origin supporters consider petroleum a self-regenerating substance
produced by the Earth itself with the assistance of chemical interactions occurring deep within the
Earth. In other words, it is assumed that petroleum is not a finite substance as oil and gas didn't not
run out till now.

If Abiotic theory is true, it could still be difficult to accept just the same. The chemistry is less
intuitive, and prejudice in favor of the established theory could require time for barriers to its
acceptance to be broken.

Currently some feel there is insufficient carbon dioxide (CO2) availability within the earth to
achieve the necessary chemistry.

To illustrate, one reaction leading to the formation of a hydrocarbon may be written:

How could an abiotic process result in a hydrocarbon?

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Elemental carbon (assuming such would be needed) would have to be oxidized to form the carbon
dioxide. Where would that oxygen come from?

Biotic origin of petroleum fits today science with plausible evidences and it is commonly accepted
as the true hypothesis to explain the origin of petroleum regardless of some few confrontations
with its counterpart. It defines the substantial conditions for the formation of petroleum such
as: saturated soil, absence of oxygen and high pressure and temperature conditions. All these
conditions contribute to the decay of organic matters which then is transformed into kerogen
forming a source rock.

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REFERENCES

 Wikipedia. 2015. Origin of petroleum (18 November 2011

revision), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum (accessed 10 November 2015).

 Donatien Ishimwe. 2014. Origin and formation of petroleum, 11 September

2014, http://connect.spe.org/blogs/donatien-ishimwe/2014/09/11/origin-and-formation-of-
petroleum (accessed 12 November 2015)

 Samar. Abb.1969. The non-organic theory of the genesis of

Petroleum, http://cds.cern.ch/record/360632/files/9610011.pdf (downloaded 6 November
2015)

 Abiotic oil Formation, Retrieved on 10.09.2014. http://www.petroleum.co.uk/abiotic-oil-

formation.

 Ballentine CJ, O’Nions RK, Oxburgh ER, Horvath F, Deak J (1991) Rare gas constraints on
hydrocarbon accumulation, crustal degassing and groundwater flow in the Pannonian Basin.
Earth Planet Sci Lett 105:229-246.

 Sephton.A .S & Hazen R.M (2013). On the Origins of Deep Hydrocarbons. Reviews in
Mineralogy & Geochemistry.Vol.75 [449-465].

 Wood BJ, Alison P, Frost DR (1996) Water and carbon in the Earth’s mantle. Philos Trans R
Soc London Ser A 354:1495-1511

 Wood BJ, Bryndzia LT, Johnson KE (1990) Mantle oxidation state and its relationship to
tectonic environment and fluid speciation. Science 248:337-345.

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