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Has anyone experience large electrical generation assoiciated with oil reservoirs on top of salt water? I've had severe electrolysis in tubing across and under oil zone. Large scale VERTICAL metal loss contiguous across 200 feet.

Reminds me of Eh generation as written by Dr. Sylvan Pirson. Phenomenon is across a thick low resistivity unconventional oil "shale".

I know that hydrocarbons dissolved in salt water may acquire interfacial charges which when concentrated can result in a significant charge effect. Columns of charged hydrocarbons migrate to the surface as natural seeps. There are probably other static effects occuring as wel

Is it some thing similar to telluric current or self potential.
I remember that such surveys have been used in ground water exploration, especially for identifying flow directions or pipe line leakages.

Maybe...

It may also be telluric: probally breakdown of double bond Hydrocarbon molecule. Lab test have shown electron (Eh) generation from reducing (ie HC) cells - I don't know what currents this can produce but I seem to remember that when I first came across this I was just surprised at the magnitude of the results (metal eroded).

May i ask how are you measuring those currents?

We measure those currents by using simple voltmeter and the self potential by potentiometer.I have measured these SP and used for identification of pipe line leakage and also to some extent in identification of chemical effluent effects around chemical industries. However regarding telluric (if I remember correctly) I have read in some geophysical books on electrical prospectivity methods for ground water by Zohdy. published by USGS.

This is a common natural electrical phonemenon measured by self potential method, as above members said. You may have observed this in SP borehole logging. Or you may have observed this in prospecting of Sulphide ore deposits by SP method.

Telluric currents are primarily induced by changes in the outer part of the Earth's magnetic field, which are usually caused by interactions between the solar wind and the magnetosphere or solar radiation effects on the ionosphere, observed in the Earth's crust and mantle. Telluric method is a very common method now used in the study of the earth's crust and mantle geology.

-Bill

I’m familiar with tellurics and the externally generated or solar generated large scale currents and associated effect on electro-magnetic field fluctuations. I have experimenting in the AC audio/magno tellurics as an exploration or depth determination tool. Mixed results. I wish those tools were better understood or use in the Oil and Gas community.

The phenomenon I experience was much more localize to the reservoir and of what appeared to be a significant amount of electrical energy.

In light of that I started thinking:
As the world changes from crude based energy to more renewable sources I was wondering if we might be missing an additional clean source of electricity, electricity from underground “fuel cells”.

I think your ideas are really excellent and worth looking into as it may be a very good alternate energy source. Although, IO do think this is simply related to self potential (SP) which is developed between two different lithologies(electrodes in your case) in presence of an electrolyte(any fluid). I wander if that will ever be enough to generate significant amounts of electricity...