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Hydrothermal Petroleum

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Hydrocarbons, Oils and Lipids: Diversity, Origin, Chemistry and Fate

Part of the book series: Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ((HHLM))

Abstract

Hydrothermal petroleum formation is rapid and efficient in systems associated with tectonic spreading centers and high fluid transport. In these systems the conditions driving chemical reactions are high temperatures (~60 to >400 °C) and confining pressures (>150 bar) in an aqueous open flow medium. Organic matter alteration by reductive reactions to petroleum hydrocarbons proceeds generally from immature organic matter (also from entrained viable biota) instantaneously or over a brief geological time span (decades to millennia). These conditions are conducive to organic chemistry which yields concurrent products primarily from reduction (due to mineral buffering), to a lesser extent from oxidation (high thermal stress), and traces from synthesis reactions.

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  1. BRT Simoneit, Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Bernd R. T. Simoneit

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    Heinz Wilkes

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Simoneit, B.R. (2018). Hydrothermal Petroleum. In: Wilkes, H. (eds) Hydrocarbons, Oils and Lipids: Diversity, Origin, Chemistry and Fate. Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_16-2

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  1. Latest

    Hydrothermal Petroleum
    Published:
    19 June 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_16-2

  2. Original

    Hydrothermal Petroleum
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    30 March 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_16-1

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