Studies related to the deep earth gas. Annual report Jan-Dec 81

The purpose of this research is to elucidate the origin of terrestrial hydrocarbons, principally of methane and petroleum. This year the authors continued the experimental and theoretical work conceived for this purpose. They obtained the first significant experimental success in reacting methane with petroleum hydrocarbons. They established that such a reaction does occur at a measurable rate in the presence of natural clay catalysts at temperatures and pressures existing in the geological setting of petroleum formation. Thus they have shown that upward migrating methane may participate in petroleum formation. The authors have assembled a great deal of evidence concerning regional patterns of hydrocarbon deposits, trace element content, the geologic setting of the deposits and the chemical and physical processes in the upper mantle and the crust, toward the case that methane from deep sources has penetrated the crust in large quantities, and that this has contributed to the formation of much of the world's natural fuel supplies.