# Is petroleum biogenic or abiogenic

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 23, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507 "2004-07-23T13:57:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507/1 "2004-07-23T13:57:10Z")

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Wikipedia on petroleum:

> [@](#):
>
> The biogenic theory, which is supported by most petroleum geologists, is based upon the burial of dead biological matter, which breaks down to a waxy material known as kerogen. Under the influence of heat and pressure, kerogen breaks down first into liquids and to gases.
> 
> The abiogenic petroleum origin theory is based upon large amounts of carbon existing in the planet, some of which are hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are lighter than rocks so it seeps upward. Deep microbial life converts it to various hydrocarbon deposits.

Which one do you think it is? Convince me.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507/2 "2004-07-23T14:18:07Z")

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[Here is](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=258479) one of several threads on the subject with others links in it.

Not much support for abiogenic origins.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507/3 "2004-07-23T14:50:16Z")

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> [@adam yax](#):
>
> [Here is](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=258479) one of several threads on the subject with others links in it.

Damn!

My searches almost never yield any useful results, so this time I skipped it. Go figure. Sorry, Mods.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-petroleum-biogenic-or-abiogenic/256507/4 "2004-07-23T15:30:26Z")

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Don’t sweat it. I only knew about it because I had posted to that thread.