Scientists have found an oil field containing 200 times more hydrocarbons than the amount of water that currently exists on Earth.

But there's the rub.

The oil field is 1,300 lightyears away.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute in Germany say they've discovered major hydrocarbon molecule deposits in the Horsehead Nebula galaxy in the Orion constellation.

Unlike Earth-bound fossil fuels — which are made up of decayed organic material — the researchers believe these hydrocarbon molecules are created by the fragmentation of giant carbonaceous molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a waste-product of dying stars.

"We observe the operation of a natural refinery of petroleum of gigantic size," they conclude.

While this crude may not be on the radar of the country's oilmen, scientists are extremely interested in the compounds: Some believe these space-borne molecules may have served as organic compounds for creating life.