What fossil fuel may be found on a carbon planet?

My scenario is a civilization on a carbon-rich planet. The planet has a hydrocarbon atmosphere, oceans and clouds. Most rocks are carbides. The only flammable substance in such an atmosphere is oxygen. A society undergoing an industrial revolution may find ways to extract oxygen from minerals and use it as natural gas. (Gasoline and air have switched places).

The society has a 19th or 20th century technology. It has a few challenges:

• Oxygen is toxic and corrosive to organisms on that planet.
• Rather than oil, they search for underground water reserves. Water reacts with many carbides (especially calcium carbides) and must be properly stored. However, extracting oxygen by electrolysis is energy-demanding.

Then these are my questions:

• how to extract oxygen efficiently from carbon monoxide? It is common in the planet's atmosphere.
• Assuming renewable energy is yet to come, what other fuels they may find?

posted over 7 years ago

Christmas Snow‭

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