Magma: A potential source of fuels

Magma and hot silicate rocks can be used to produce fuels from aqueous fluids. Fuel generation from injection of aqueous fluids into magmatic environments occurs principally because the FeO content of these systems causes them to be relatively reducing. Thermodynamic and experimental studies indicate that fluids containing 3 mole hydrogen would result from the interaction of water with typical basaltic rock or magma over the temperature range 500 to 1300{sup 0}C at 100 MPa total pressure. The cumulative hydrogen potentially recoverable from the interaction of water with a cubic kilometer of basalt at these conditions is on the order of 10{sup 12} moles (2 x 10{sup 12} grams or 20 km{sup 3} at S.T.P.). Fuel concentrations can be considerably enhanced by the addition of biomass to the injected aqueous fluid. The mid-ocean ridge systems appear to offer the most favorable site for magmatic fuel generation.