Suresh Bansal: “Biogenic and abiotic hydrocarbons“ | Tom Nelson Pod #237

Suresh Bansal has spent ~40 years investigating the topic of biogenic vs abiotic oil.

Some of his conclusions:

1. ~80% of current fossil fuel theory and ~80% of current abiotic oil theory is correct.

2. Both sides are ignoring the scientific evidence of the opposite side for the SAME oil deposits—the SAME oil deposit often contains a mixture of biogenic hydrocarbons and larger percentage of abiogenic hydrocarbons.

3. People sometimes use the term “organic” to refer to complex hydrocarbons, but the assumption that all complex hydrocarbons are biogenic isn’t true.

4. *Before* there was any life on Earth, a series of asteroid strikes created lots of abiotic hydrocarbons on Earth.

5. In conjunction with the series of asteroid strikes, a “gigafactory” involving lots of chemical reactions in the Earth’s atmosphere resulted in simple hydrocarbons being transformed into complex hydrocarbons which then rained down to the surface of the Earth.

6. A key compound in #5 may be tholin, a complex organic compound formed through the irradiation of simple organic molecules like methane and nitrogen, typically by ultraviolet light or cosmic rays. It's believed to be common in the outer solar system, particularly on bodies like Titan.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
01:43 Suresh Bansal's Background and Research
04:19 Debunking Biogenic Theory
10:18 Explaining Abiogenic Theory
14:06 Balanced Hypothesis and Giga Factory Explanation
22:50 Source Rock Misconceptions
26:56 Deep Drilling and Hydrocarbon Reserves
43:12 Challenges in Scientific Consensus
46:39 The Balanced Hypothesis: A New Perspective
48:45 Challenges and Debates in the Scientific Community
51:40 The Conspiracy Theory Behind Oil Prices
52:25 Russia's Deep Drilling and Scientific Papers
54:14 Coal and Methane: Organic vs. Abiotic Origins
59:55 Sedimentation Process and Hydrocarbon Formation
01:14:49 Revisiting Fossil Fuel Theory and Kerogen
01:29:46 Future Prospects: Titan and Asteroid Collisions
01:33:23 Final Thoughts and Future Plans

Suresh’s email: [email protected]
https://x.com/sureshbansal342
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