Regeneration of unconventional natural gas by methanogens co-existing with sulfate-reducing prokaryotes in deep shale wells in China.

ABSTRACT: Biogenic methane in shallow shale reservoirs has been proven to contribute to economic recovery of unconventional natural gas. However, whether the microbes inhabiting the deeper shale reservoirs at an average depth of 4.1 km and even co-occurring with sulfate-reducing prokaryote (SRP) have the potential to produce biomethane is still unclear. Stable isotopic technique with culture-dependent and independent approaches were employed to investigate the microbial and functional diversity related to methanogenic pathways and explore the relationship between SRP and methanogens in the shales in the Sichuan Basin, China. Although stable isotopic ratios of the gas implied a thermogenic origin for methane, the decreased trend of stable carbon and hydrogen isotope value provided clues for increasin

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7525477 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature