# Are there any non-synthetic oils that do not derive from living things?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 28, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043 "2003-06-28T23:16:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043/1 "2003-06-28T23:16:48Z")

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There are animal fats, vegetable oils, and petroleum which is derived from fossilized plants and animals. “Mineral oil” is a petroleum derivative, I’m pretty sure. Except for synthetic oils, do any oils or oily substances exist which do **not** derive from living tissue?

And what about glues and other “sticky” substances? So far as I know, nothing is sticky or tacky unless it is derived from living things. Is this true?

If so, we should not expect to find any oily or sticky substances on any planet where life has never existed.

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**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043/2 "2003-06-28T23:49:54Z")

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There is the theory of the non biological origin of (crude) oil. Basically IIRC such chemicals are relitivlely common in space. The reason for this though might be because life is common throughout space so it would be a alien fossil fuel of sorts.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043/3 "2003-06-28T23:54:40Z")

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Molten sulphur is pretty sticky.

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043/4 "2003-06-29T00:16:08Z")

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There are a lot of serious researchers who believe that most mineral oil is not organic in origin and is derived from inorganic materials in the crust. ( [http://people.cornell.edu/pages/tg21/usgs.html](http://people.cornell.edu/pages/tg21/usgs.html) ).

Then we have evidence of hydrocarbons even in deep space ([http://www.eurekalert.org/pub\_releases/2002-04/nofs-nef041802.php](http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-04/nofs-nef041802.php) )

So it seems at least feasible that there we could find long chain hydrocarbons on lifeless planets.

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**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-non-synthetic-oils-that-do-not-derive-from-living-things/185043/5 "2003-06-29T00:22:26Z")

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sticky: hmm semen… Oops, non-organic.