Creation of Carbon-based Fuels

The origin of hydrocarbon based fuels include catagenesis and diagenesis.

Millions of years ago, carbon-based materials in aquatic environments were converted to kerogen during diagenesis by a number of pathways, including microbial action, poly-condensation and selective preservation. Bitumen was derived from preservation of lipid components and cleavage of polymeric material from the kerogen structure.

With increasing burial depth and compaction, the bacterial activity declined and temperature steadily increased until kerogen was converted to low to medium molecular weight hydrocarbons, which make up conventional crude oil. This process is called catagenesis. The bitumen was extracted from the kerogen structure by these hydrocarbons.

Some of the conventional crude oils underwent aerobic biodegradation due to infiltration of the reservoirs by bacterial-containing water to yield heavy oils and extra heavy oils. Some of the kerogen underwent further alteration to yield gas, including methane, at elevated temperatures.

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