The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-06-10
ORIGIN OF PETROLEUM.
The Three Leading Theories Advanced by


have been numerous theories and spec
ulations advanced for the origin of
this truly wonderful fluid Much
thought has been given to the problem
and many experiments have been made,
chiefly with two objects in view The
first is to find a satisfactory scientific
explanation for the occurrence of pc
troleum and to account for the varied
compositions and forms under which it
is found. The other, of more practical
and general interest, is to determine
whether the present supply, as we find
it, is to become exhausted in the COM
paratively near future, or whether ma
ture is still busy manufacturing new
stores for coming generations.
Of late the chemist has endeavored
TO aid the geologist in the solution of
this highly interesting and important
question, and as a result many new
facts have been brought out regarding
petroleum and it's allied products.
These newer facts have in reality re-
opened the whole matter, which for a
time was supposed to be satisfactorily
explained and settled It might, there
fore, be of interest to take short re-
view of the present status of the ques-
ton.
The first hypothesis advanced to ac-
count for the origin of petroleum is
similar to the explanation proposed
for the formation of coal According
to this view, the remains of the ex-
ceedingly luxuriant vegetation of the
Devonian period of our earths history
were buried under the accommodations
of sand and debris. They were then
subjected to a process of decom position
which is partly a fermentation, partly
a decay, and chiefly slow, destructive
distillation, the heat for this latter
process being derived from the inte-
riOr of the earth or by the decomposi-
ton itself. The vegetable fiber is COM
posed chiefly of the elements carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen, and by the
above processes these elements are
caused to enter into new com limitations,
the oxygen compound being mostly
eliminated, and the hydrogen and car
bon combining mostly to form the So
called hydro-carbon In this way, all
the different varieties of coal, of pc
troleum and of natural gas, which are
mixtures of the hydrocarbons were
supposed to have been produced.
This theory. of course, would tend
to consider the production of oil and
gas as being completed, and does not
hold out the hope that they are being
formed at present. 1t was on the whole
so plausible and satisfactory that
until 1876 no other was advanced. In
fact, it is the only one known to the
general public and is usually the only
one mentioned in the textbooks.
However, in the year above men
toned, Byasson, and especially the
noted Russian chemist, Mendelejeff
proposed to account for the produc-
ton of petroleum by a more purely
chemical theory Basing their views
upon the teachings of geology and
astronomy, they assumed that at con-
siderable depth from the earth's sur
face the heavy metals have accumu-
lated in large quantities. AS they
readily com bine with carbon, it is
proba BILE that they exist there as in
candescant metallic carbides, or, in
other words, as compounds of these
metals with carbon. 1t has, moreover,
long been known that water is readily
decomposed by metallic carbides at
high temperatures into it's elements,
hydrogen and oxygen, and that it's
hydrogen under these circumstances
COM ines with the carbon of the car
bides to produce hydro-car bons
Mendelejef in this manner accounts
for the origin of petroleum by the ac-
ton of water through openings in the
earth's crust upon the molten metallic
carbides in the interior.
This hypothesis, which is certainly a
very ingenious one, holds out the hope
that petroleum and natural gas are be-
ing continuously produced as undoubt-
eddy the masses of metallic carbides
are not nearly exhausted. 1t is rem
dered somewhat probable by the OBJ
servation made by Silvestri of the &C.
currence of petroleum in certain lavas
of Etna. But it cannot stand the test
of chemical examination. 1t is also
very doubtful whether water could
ever reach the molten metals, as it
would probably be converted into
steam and driven back by the heat of
the intervening layers long before it
could penetrate to the necessary depth.
The next theory advanced was that
of the purely animal origin of petro-
leum. In 1877 Prof. Hoefer concluded
from observed geological conditions Of
its occurrence that petroleum was pro-
duced from the accumulated remains
of marine animals, while coal was
still conceded to have originated from
vegeta bic debris. This would also ex-
plain the often observed fact that Pc
troleum is generally found, not in the
rocks where coal is common, but. on
the contrary, in such rocks of marine
formation in which coal is absent A
great deal has been said and written
for and against this explanation,
but it is rapidly gaining ground and
has obtained wide acceptance, es-
pecially in Europe. The chief
argument against it was at first the
fact that nitrogen was never found in
petroleum, while animal matter is al
ways rich in this element. But this
objection is easily overcome by the
fact that the nitrogen of the animal
tissue tends to be eliminated as am
monia. An artificial petroleum, free
from nitrogen, has been produced from
animal fats Later Investigation