Most geologists think optimistically about the earth’s reserves of oil.

Most geologists have performed accurate chemical analyses on previously discovered oil reserves.

Ancient seas are buried within the earth at many places where fossils are abundant.

The only bacteria yet found in oil reserves could have leaked down drill holes from surface contaminants.

Chemical transformations reduce the volume of buried hydrocarbons derived from organisms by roughly the same proportion as bacterial action reduces the volume of other complex hydrocarbons.