vncnus Chapter 85. Petroleum is formed under the compression and filtration of atmospheric pressure changes
Chapter 85. Petroleum is formed under the compression and filtration of atmospheric pressure changes
Conference room, Hope Land Oil Exploration Company, Texas, USA!
With the sharp edge of a new boss, Han Zhenhua directly and domineeringly rejected Fred and a group of company engineers' plan to try their luck in the old oil fields of Texas!
Instead, he dropped a bombshell, saying, "Based on my research and speculation on 'geophysics under celestial motion,'"
Petroleum is not formed from the fossilized remains of ancient plants and animals!
Rather, it is formed under the compression and filtration of atmospheric pressure changes caused by celestial motion; therefore, petroleum is not a non-renewable resource.
Instead, it is said that it can be continuously generated underground under changes in atmospheric pressure, which is why it defied public opinion!
Because the reality of later generations is that, in the 1980s, it was already being touted that, at the current rate of extraction, global oil reserves would be depleted in at most 50 years.
The reality is that the more oil is extracted, the more oil is produced. Many oil wells that had been depleted for many years started to gush oil again after ten years!
In fact, Han Zhenhua didn't know if this was the reason, but he needed a plausible explanation.
"Why are you so certain that there is a large oil field in this place?" "A convincing reason."
Whether that's the reason or not, that's not important!
Money! That's the most important thing!
They strongly demanded that the company shift all its resources and funds to Alaska and the North Slope region, which was then considered a "barren land" by the oil industry!
"Mr. Fred, my physics research tells me that beneath that ice sheet lies energy far beyond our imagination!"
"This is science! And it's key data to verify my theory!" Han Zhenhua said in an unquestionable tone!
The theory that "oil is formed by the compression and filtration of atmospheric pressure changes under the influence of celestial motion, and is not a non-renewable resource" has completely overturned the world's understanding of oil!
Fred and all the company's engineers and geologists were "scorched on the outside and tender on the inside" by the direct "thunder."
If it weren't for this Mr. Zhenhua Cole, who is not only a boss but also a British "Copley Prize in Physics laureate" and a nominee for the "Nobel Prize in Physics" in the following year (1939) (although there are as many as 30 nominees every year, and not all of them will win, just being nominated is already a huge achievement!), we would be in a very difficult situation.
They even felt that their boss had "gone mad"!
But whoever pays the money is the boss, especially since the coordinates Han Zhenhua provided were so specific that the boss confidently bought up a large area of surrounding land in advance.
Driven by Han Zhenhua's "money offensive" and "scientific theories," the company immediately dispatched an exploration team led by General Manager Fred, consisting of all company personnel, equipped with "high-power long-wave radios." Han Zhenhua also secretly instructed A-Qiang to bring two bodyguards along (trusting their character was one thing, but supervision was also necessary). Braving the severe cold, they set off for the desolate North Slope of Alaska, a place called Prudhoe Bay.
The days of waiting for the results were agonizing. On the surface, Han Zhenhua appeared calm and composed, spending his days either studying "geological reports" in his Houston office or engaging in "academic exchanges" at universities, but in reality, he was suffering every minute of torment.
What if history were to change due to its own butterfly effect? What if an oil field hadn't yet formed there?
Prudhoe Bay, North Slope, Alaska.
The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, lashed against the tents of the "Land of Hope" exploration team, producing a dull crackling sound. Inside the tents, however, was a warm atmosphere, a stark contrast to the icy landscape outside.
General Manager John Fred clutched the core sample that had just been extracted from the deepest borehole tightly in his hand. His eyes, bloodshot from long hours of working and the freezing cold, were now wide open, staring intently at the rich, almost oily black sheen on the core sample's cross-section.
His fingers trembled violently with excitement, almost unable to hold the light stone.
"God... Holy Mary... This... This is simply a gift from God..." Fred's voice was hoarse as he repeated himself, as if trying to confirm that he wasn't dreaming.
He suddenly looked up at the engineers and foremen around him, who were also shocked and holding their breath. "Preliminary analysis... oil saturation... exceeds 70%!"
Porosity and permeability are both top-notch!
Guys! We...we've fucking struck gold!
No! It's a sea of black gold, ten thousand times more precious than a gold mine!
Preliminary estimates suggest reserves of at least tens of billions of barrels... and extraction costs are extremely low!
The tent erupted in cheers! There were shouts of ecstasy, excited hugs, and some people even cried tears of joy!
In this frigid, far-northern region, considered a "graveyard of exploration" by the mainstream oil industry, they actually found signs of such high-grade oil reserves! It's nothing short of a miracle!
"Quick! Send a telegram to the boss! Highest encryption level!" Fred finally regained a sliver of his sanity and yelled at the telegraph operator!
Soon, an urgent longwave telegram from Alaska arrived on Han Zhenhua's desk.
The sender was none other than General Manager Fred. Although the telegram was not very long, it instantly made Han Zhenhua's blood boil, and he almost cheered!
"Boss, you absolutely won't believe it! Preliminary drilling shows an astonishing oil saturation! Estimated reserves are tens of billions of barrels... Amazing! We've hit the jackpot!"
Good heavens! And boss, your oil is formed through the physical theory of "the compression and filtration caused by atmospheric pressure changes under celestial motion."
This will completely overturn the world's understanding of oil. If we follow your theory, boss, our company might even find a huge oil field, and we will soon become the world's largest oil exploration company..."
Success! History hasn't changed! Black gold is right beneath our feet!
Suppressing his elation, Han Zhenqiang immediately ordered: the entire exploration team's reward will be increased tenfold!
They also strictly forbade anyone to divulge their theory that "oil is formed under the pressure and filtration caused by changes in atmospheric pressure due to celestial motion," because "our company wants to exclusively possess this technology!"
At the same time, he had Fred begin to "inadvertently" leak a little information to industry giants Standard Oil of New Jersey and Rockefeller Corporation: an inconspicuous little company had made a "interesting" discovery in Alaska, but urgently needed funding for further exploration.
What followed was almost a natural progression.
Upon receiving "partial core data" from the Hope Land Oil Exploration Company telegram, the expert teams from Standard Oil and Rockefeller immediately assembled a larger, more "professional" team of over a hundred people to rush to the scene...
Within days, both giants were utterly shocked!
After sending the telegram to Fred, Han Zhenhua picked up the phone and dialed William Rawls's work number, pretending to be excited to tell him, "Mr. Rawls, we've succeeded! We've discovered a super-large oil field in Alaska, with preliminary estimates of reserves in the tens of billions of barrels, and the extraction cost is extremely low. We're rich..."
"What?! What what?!"
Cole! Is this... really true?
Alaska? Under that godforsaken ice field? "Rowles suddenly sprang up from the comfortable leather sofa, his breathing becoming heavy, his face flushed with excitement and disbelief.
However, after a brief period of extreme excitement, a chilling thought suddenly burrowed into his mind like a venomous snake: that agreement!
That incredibly stupid agreement that I signed myself, giving up 20% of the project equity in exchange for a fixed annual dividend of £10,000!
In an instant, a tremendous fire of regret and greed almost overwhelmed his reason.
£10,000 a year? Compared to the future revenue of this oil field, which could be worth tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars, it's like a beggar's coin!
How could I have been so blinded by greed and signed such a stupid agreement? Was I deceived by the seemingly sincere appearance of this young Chinese man? Or was I blinded by the "small amount" of ten thousand pounds?
Rawls's expression shifted between light and shadow, a barely concealed glint of malice about to flash in his eyes.