DNA in fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are potential places to find ancient DNA. Fossil fuels like petroleum, coal and natural gas are formed from large quantities of dead prehistoric organisms that are buried underneath sedimentary rock and subjected to intense heat and pressure. Since fossil fuels are formed from prehistoric animals, it could be possible that the deposits still contain ancient biomolecules, like DNA, in oil deposits.

Jurassic Park media
In 2015 Masrani Oil Industeries discovered offshore deposits in the United Arab Emirates. Emma Hannigan, Masrani Oil’s Head of Public Relations, explained: "An analysis of [the peat deposit] has shown identifiable carbon and iron-rich organic structures from the late Cretaceous to mid periods." It is possible that these organic structures still contained ancient DNA. "This has InGen’s scientists very excited. With the prospects of adding to InGen’s ever expanding aquatic and botanic genomic library, who knows what else is out there?"

If these peat deposits still contain DNA-rich fossils, all fossil fuel desposits could contain DNA, since "fossil fuels are hydrocarbons such as coal, oil and natural gas, derived from the biological remnants of prehistoric organisms".

In March 2015 Masrani Oil and InGen, now both subsidiaries of the Masrani Global Corporation, met to discuss how new innovations in fossil fuel technology will be able to aid in the identification of well-preserved fossils.