Abstract
By the early 1980s I was convinced that the abiogenic theory of petroleum formation was substantially correct. I also knew that in order to solve the petroleum paradox, the abiogenic theory must be supplemented with a theory of what I called the deep hot biosphere. I knew, however, that such views pertaining to the widespread existence of methane and other hydrocarbons deep within the earth’s crust would not be taken seriously in the West unless I could offer a clear, practical demonstration of its validity. The theoretical arguments and indirect empirical evidence presented in the previous three chapters would not, in themselves, be sufficient to overturn the reigning paradigm. Rather, I would need to prove that hydrocarbons do indeed exist at a depth and in a type of rock for which the biogenic theory could offer no explanation. I would thus need to generate interest in drilling for oil at a site that would be regarded, under the prevailing view, as among the worst of all possible prospects.
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Gold, T. (1999). The Siljan Experiment. In: The Deep Hot Biosphere. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1400-7_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-1400-7_6
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