Microbial diversity and methanogenic activity of Antrim Shale formation waters from recently fractured wells.

ABSTRACT: The Antrim Shale in the Michigan Basin is one of the most productive shale gas formations in the U.S., but optimal resource recovery strategies must rely on a thorough understanding of the complex biogeochemical, microbial, and physical interdependencies in this and similar systems. We used Illumina MiSeq 16S rDNA sequencing to analyze the diversity and relative abundance of prokaryotic communities present in Antrim shale formation water of three closely spaced recently fractured gas-producing wells. In addition, the well waters were incubated with a suite of fermentative and methanogenic substrates in an effort to stimulate microbial methane generation. The three wells exhibited substantial differences in their community structure that may arise from their different drilling and fracturin

SUBMITTER: Wuchter C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3853793 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature