Hydrocarbons, which are an essential component of crude oil and natural gas, form under pressure and high temperatures in the deep ocean floor. In the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California, researchers have detected hydrocarbon gas patterns that could not have been generated by known formation pathways. In their study they describe a new pathway for the formation of two of the main components of natural gas, ethane and propane, via reduction of acetic acid. The team has investigated the isotopic signatures and simulated hydrocarbon formation in laboratory experiments.
