Function of the Earth's oil deposits?

Oil is a carbon sink so if all the oil was used the carbon would be where ever it was before it got deposited. You are right that there is a lot not known about oil or anything else for that matter.

Thomas Gold (and others) have theorized that petroleum is not the result of dead dinosaurs but formed by either methane or deep natural gas pockets that leach out through the strata and get converted along the way. You can buy Gold's book to read his argument. This makes more sense to me than relying on dinosaurs to all die in one spot to make oil.

I doubt oil has any effect on the magnetic field of the Earth or continental drift.

Gold theorizes that indeed oil deposits ARE replaced over time as more hydrocarbon gases hydrocrack out from the interior. Some oil basins are observed to be refilling.

Jeremy, Does Gold have a theroy of how the methane got down so deep into the Earth? Do you? The density is so much less than the rocks that contain the methane and oil, is there any logical explaination?

I always thought that the dinasaur / oil connection sounded improbable. I am wondering if the oil has an important function in relation to how the Earth functions, possibly facilitating Earth movement because of its lubricating qualities.

Is it possible that oil depletion could result in more earthquakes? That land along faultlines might get stuck more easily allowing energy and stress to increase which would eventually be released by an earthquake.

Additionally, I have read reports recently that claim the Earth's magnetic field is at an all time low. ThIs all time low follows a period during which oil has been continually and in ever increasing amounts pumped out of the Earth. Is there a connection?

The oil deposits were made after the Earth formed a crust which was a long time ago. It is likely earthquakes were a lot more common back then and maybe more powerful. Since the oil deposits earthquakes still make a mess of the crust. They seem to be caused by motion in the crust caused by seabed spreading. Oil deposits are very small details in that process.

I've heard Gold's theory about the source of oil has been discredited. Why are people skeptical of the traditional theory of compressed carbon material (dinsosaurs being largely a metaphor--swampy organic material being a much larger original source of carbon).

Emanuel