Russia's plan to drill superdeep revives controversial theory of 'endless oil'
Russia plans to drill ultra-deep boreholes in the Arctic, a project that has revived the contentious abiotic oil theory, which posits that petroleum forms from non-biological deep-Earth processes rather than decaying organic matter. The drilling aims to test this hypothesis and potentially access vast, supposedly endless oil reserves.
Background
- Russian state-owned oil company Rosneft is planning to drill superdeep wells (up to 7 km) in the Arctic, citing the "abiotic oil" theory popular among some Russian geologists.
- The "abiotic" or "abyssal" theory argues that petroleum forms deep in the Earth's mantle from inorganic carbon, not from ancient organic matter (fossilized plankton and algae) — meaning oil could be "renewable" and far more abundant than mainstream science assumes.
- This theory has been largely rejected by Western geologists since the 1980s; the consensus is that oil is a finite fossil fuel formed over millions of years.
- The project revives a Cold War-era Soviet debate: the USSR once promoted abiotic theory as a justification for unlimited oil exploration, and some Russian officials still cite it to argue Russia's reserves are practically inexhaustible.
- Critics say the real motivation is political and economic: the Arctic wells burnish Rosneft's image, attract state funding, and support Russia's narrative of energy dominance — not serious science.