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189 comments on Has the Algae Cavalry Arrived?

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ET on May 12, 2007 - 6:16pm

The same article estimated that once oil finds its way into a reservoir it has a survival half-life of approximately 100 million years.

My Mom-In-Law is a retired sedimentologist who has consulted with various govts such as Oman. I recall her saying that some of Oman's oil was as much as a billion years old, and very heavy as a result. A hundred million here, a hundred million there and pretty soon you've got some real eons on your hands :)

PS someday maybe I'll tell the story of how the Libyan govt smuggled her in for a consult before the travel ban was lifted. She got to meet the Colonel himself. Crazy woman!

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plucky underdog on May 13, 2007 - 12:15pm

I recall her saying that some of Oman's oil was as much as a billion years old

Interesting - one thing I forgot to mention in my note is that oil can be sourced, trapped, and then remobilized by faulting at depth, allowing migration along the hydrdynamic gradient into other reservoir rocks. But this article seems to support your MiL's recollections...

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1322300

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