Magnetic-field-driven spin catalysis as a fundamental mechanism of hydrocarbon generation on the Earth.

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms that govern the hydrocarbon generation processes remains a critical challenge in the geosciences, particularly given that the current oil recovery factors rarely exceed 40%. Here we present experimental evidence that magnetic fields substantially enhance the hydrocarbon generation through spin-catalyzed radical reactions. Bituminous argillite samples from the Bazhenov Formation, West Siberia, were exposed herein to heat maturation at 270°C with and without a 50 mT magnetic field. The quantitative assessment using HAWK pyrolysis and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) revealed a significant increase in the hydrocarbon generation parameters (S₁, Production Index (PI), and oxygen index' (OI'), coupled with a decrease in the concentration of paramagnetic centers in the samples treated with the magnetic field. Statistical analysis by ANOVA and linear mixed models confirmed the statistical significance of these differences. Notably, the magnetic exposure strengthened the correlation between the PI and the paramagnetic center concentration (R² = 0.92 vs. 0.14 in controls), evidencing the spin-dependent radical reactions. These findings support Nesterov’s radical-reaction hypothesis and Buchachenko’s spin-catalysis theory in geological systems, opening new avenues for geomagnetically guided exploration criteria and potential magnetic-field-enhanced oil recovery in reservoirs.