Re: Carbon-14 dating of crude oil

["Ron L. Kathren" <rkathren@tricity.wsu.edu>]

Given that the half life of C-14 is only 5600 years, the upper limit for age
dating is on the order of 100,000 years.  Anything older will simply not
have enough residual C-14 to be practically detectable.

Ron Kathren


-----Original Message-----
From: Dean.Steve@epamail.epa.gov <Dean.Steve@epamail.epa.gov>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Thursday, January 06, 2000 5:41 PM
Subject: Carbon-14 dating of crude oil


>
>
>
>I have recently reviewed a report stating that a deposit of crude oil was
at
>least
>26,000 years old based on its Carbon-14 dating analysis.  Does anyone know
how
>the
>age of this deposit compares to the ages of other oil deposits based on
their
>C14 dating?
>Any info on this topic would be appreciated.  Thank you.
>
>dean.steve@epa.gov
>
>
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