This grant provides continued research support to the Deep Energy community of the Deep Carbon Observatory. Led by an international team of 21 scientists from eight nations and co-chaired by David Cole of Ohio State University and Isabelle Daniel of the University of Lyon, the Deep Energy research team is conducting an ambitious research agenda aimed at transforming our understanding of the origins, abundance, and distribution of abiotic hydrocarbons in the deep Earth. Over the next two years, the team will expand its sampling to 10 key geologically representative field sites around the globe; develop and deploy new instruments for sample collection and analysis; set common protocols for the collection, preservation, and analysis of samples; and work toward the development of rigorous, effective methods for distinguishing biotic from abiotic hydrocarbon.