About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 43 (1959)

Issue: 5. (May)

First Page: 925

Last Page: 943

Title: Origin of Petroleum

Author(s): W. G. Meinschein (2)

Abstract:

Sediments and crude oils contain the same types of hydrocarbons. This analogy indicates that petroleum is derived from sedimentary organic matter. The close resemblances of hydrocarbons in sediments and crude oils to plant and animal products show that most of these hydrocarbons are obtained either directly from the remains of living things or are minor modifications of living matter. Although many sediment and petroleum hydrocarbons are of the same type and are derived from a common source, the distributions of these compounds in petroleum differ from their distributions in sediments. Therefore, the conversion or accumulation of sedimentary organic matter to form petroleum must be done selectively. An explanation is presented of how water serving as the accumulating agen can produce the changes in distribution that are observed between sedimentary organic matter and petroleum.

Pay-Per-View Purchase Options

The article is available through a document delivery service. Explain these Purchase Options.

Watermarked PDF Document: $14
Open PDF Document: $24

AAPG Member?

Please login with your Member username and password.

Members of AAPG receive access to the full AAPG Bulletin Archives as part of their membership. For more information, contact the AAPG Membership Department at [email protected].