--> Abstract: Hydrocarbons in the Context of a Solid, Quantified, Growing and Radiating Earth, by Stavros T. Tassos; #90072 (2007)

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Hydrocarbons in the Context of a Solid, Quantified, Growing and Radiating Earth

Stavros T. Tassos
Institute of Geodynamics, Athens, Greece

In the context of Excess Mass Stress Tectonics – EMST, hydrocarbons are energy sources produced abiotically through a process whereby hydrogen and carbon, but also oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and trace-elements being formed in the Earth's core, rise through radial fracture trails in the solid and cold mantle to the Earth's surface. If their rise is blocked compose bigger compounds, e.g., kerogen, that can transform by radiant heat in the upper 5 km or so of the Earth's interior, into gas, oil and coal, at temperatures <200, 100-50, and <50oC, respectively. In the absence of trapping and/or above 200oC, the temperature at which porphyrins are destroyed, they are released as methane gas, like in Titan today, and/or are fully oxidized to CO2 and H2O. Oil and gas reserves mature in basins adjacent to deformed precambrian shields and platforms, mostly during the last 200 m.y., when wide and deep oceans and a complex pattern of uplifts and sedimentary basins developed, thus providing the reservoirs and the structural and/or stratigraphic traps. They associate with moderate seismic and volcanic activity, free-air gravity, geoidal, and heat flow anomalies, and large igneous provinces, i.e., Excess Mass. Depending on the temperature gradient and in the absence of migration, gas, oil and coal should be found at greater, intermediate, and shallower depths, respectively. For example, with 200oC at 4 km depth, temperature gradient 50oC/km, thermal conductivity 2 W/m.oC, and heat flow 100 mW/m2 gas, oil, and coal should be found at about 3, <2, and <1 km, respectively.

 

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90072 © 2007 AAPG and AAPG European Region Conference, Athens, Greece