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Forums - General - Fossils Not Necessary For Oil and Natural Gas

ManusJustus on 12 September 2009

Fossils not necessary for oil and natural gas

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910084259.htm

If its true, it makes everything we were taught in school and thought about 'fossil fuels' wrong.  It makes sense though that hydrocarbons are a natural process, especially when one considers that Saturn's moon Titan has lakes made up of liquid natural gas.



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WessleWoggle on 13 September 2009

I already knew this a long time ago.



Kasz216 on 13 September 2009

Interesting if true... though I must admit I never thought it required fossils in the first place.

I'd be interested to see where they got their research funding from however and if it stands up to peer review in journals.

Should be interesting when it comes to the global warming debate too... if true i can imagine some groups going along with it not because they believed in the science but did believe in peak oil may just revoke their stances.



ManusJustus on 13 September 2009
Kasz216 said:
Interesting if true... though I must admit I never thought it required fossils in the first place.

I'd be interested to see where they got their research funding from however and if it stands up to peer review in journals.

Should be interesting when it comes to the global warming debate too... if true i can imagine some groups going along with it not because they believed in the science but did believe in peak oil may just revoke their stances.

I dont think this means that peak oil wont happen, as our demand can still drastically outpace the production of supply, but it would mean that there is more oil out there in places we didnt think to look.



Kantor on 13 September 2009

So basically we have to organise a trip to Titan now?

How much Oil is that going to take?



(Former) Lead Moderator and (Eternal) VGC Detective

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highwaystar101 on 13 September 2009

Old news really, but here's a lovely picture of some hydrocarbon lakes on Titan...

 



headshot91 on 13 September 2009

i remember reading that a start up tech firm in america has created pure oil from genetically altering certain bacteria, they then excrete pure oil from their processes. Cool no?



mrstickball on 13 September 2009

headshot -

You are correct.

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

200,000 hectares = 7.8 billion gallons of biodiesel from algaes. From their estimate, $308 billion USD (under 1/2 of the stimulus money) could build enough ponds to stop America from drilling for oil ever again, by producing approximately 140 billion gallons of biodiesel a year. Maintenance costs for upkeeping such a system would be apporximately $50 billion a year, or $0.33c per gallon. That'd make gas prices go down a bit, no?



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.

d21lewis on 13 September 2009

Compelling stuff. Not your usual "off topic" fare. I shall read both articles and be enlightened.



ManusJustus on 13 September 2009
mrstickball said:
headshot -

You are correct.

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

200,000 hectares = 7.8 billion gallons of biodiesel from algaes. From their estimate, $308 billion USD (under 1/2 of the stimulus money) could build enough ponds to stop America from drilling for oil ever again, by producing approximately 140 billion gallons of biodiesel a year. Maintenance costs for upkeeping such a system would be apporximately $50 billion a year, or $0.33c per gallon. That'd make gas prices go down a bit, no?

Thats pretty cool stuff, I hope it picks up.  It would definately be a lot better than ethanol from corn.