1. The oil on earth is all the product of a previous biosphere. Plants die, get burried under rock, and converted into oil over thousands to millions of years.
However fuel does seem to include stuff like Methane and similar volatile gasses. And the
Methane Hydrate or "Methane Ice" in permafrost or on the ocean floor is a major concern of climate change. If we manage for it to gass out, we might already be done for.
I personally found that metal is a lot rarer on geologically active planets - presumably stuff is still moving around to much.
2. The presence of a biosphere - even a token one - is a good indicate for plentyfull fuel.
The metal content and lack of geological activity tends to benefit the chance of metal deposits
3. All deposits are generated before gamestart. You do not create any deposits, you only find what was always there.
4. The cards really just add a lot of Prospecting Points to any given zone, meaning you get the same finds earlier. Or get clear information that there is nothing left.
Keep in mind however that only the current Zone is searched. the slowly gathering prospecting poitns are banked and as zones expand, you might capture new deposits you were not aware off
5. Yes!
