Where Does Crude Oil Come From? Biotic or Abiotic Processes?

Chemistry, Education
Crude oil is used in the production of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other important substances, including plastics. The crude oil comes from the ground beneath our feet. But the question arises, how did it get there? Where Does Crude Oil Come From? There are two basic theories for the origin of crude oil: biotic and abiotic. The biotic theory predominates. It attributes oil’s formation to the decay of animal and plant matter. The less widely accepted – even controversial – abiotic theory denies the involvement of living organisms in the production of crude oil. These two theories are finding most of their adherents in two camps – the Western camp (biotic) and the Russian-Ukrainian camp (abiotic) – although there are western scientists in the R-U camp. This division is especially…
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