Chemical amendments for the stimulation of biogenic gas generation in deposits of carbonaceous material

Abstract

Methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content are described. The methods may include accessing a consortium of microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material. They may also include providing hydrogen and one or more phosphorous compounds to the microorganisms. The combination of the hydrogen and phosphorous compounds stimulates the consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous material into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content. Also, methods of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content by providing a carboxylate compound, such as acetate, to a consortium of microorganisms is described. The carboxylate compound stimulates the consortium to metabolize carbonaceous material in the formation into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content.

1 . A method of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content, the method comprising:
 accessing a consortium of microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material; and   providing hydrogen to the microorganisms;   wherein the hydrogen stimulates the consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous material into the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a phosphorous compound to the microorganisms. 
     
     
         3 . The method  claim 2 , wherein the phosphorous compound comprises a phosphate salt. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the phosphate compound is selected from the group consisting of sodium phosphate and potassium phosphate. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the phosphorous compound comprises a phosphorous oxyacid or a salt of a phosphorous oxyacid. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the phosphorous oxyacid comprises H 3 PO 4 , H 3 PO 3 , or H 3 PO 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the salt of the phosphorous oxyacid comprises dibasic sodium phosphate or dibasic potassium phosphate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is provided by injecting hydrogen gas into the geologic formation. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen is provided by introducing a compound to the geologic formation that releases hydrogen gas. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the compound comprises a hydrogen release compound. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the compound comprises one or more lactic acid units. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises providing a yeast extract to the microorganisms. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous material comprises coal, oil, carbonaceous shale, oil shale, tar sands, tar, lignite, kerogen, bitumen, or peat. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metabolism of the carbonaceous material to the metabolic product comprises one or more intermediate metabolic steps that produce one or more intermediate metabolites. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more intermediate metabolites comprise a hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of organic acids, alcohols, amines, straight or branched alkyl hydrocarbons, and aromatic hydrocarbons. 
     
     
         16 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method of stimulating biogenic production of methane, the method comprising:
 accessing microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes carbonaceous material; and   providing molecular hydrogen to the geologic formation using hydrogen gas or a hydrogen release compound;   wherein the molecular hydrogen stimulates the microorganisms to metabolize the carbonaceous material into the methane.   
     
     
         23 .- 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method of stimulating biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content, the method comprising:
 accessing microorganisms in a geologic formation that includes carbonaceous material;   detecting a decrease in a production rate of the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen from the first geologic formation that is indicative of a rollover effect;   providing molecular hydrogen to the geologic formation,   wherein the molecular hydrogen increases the production rate of the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content to a level greater than an inflection point where the rollover effect began to occur.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the rate of production of the metabolic product reaches a local maxima due to the rollover effect and the molecular hydrogen increases the rate of production above a level of the local maxima. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the the molecular hydrogen and the phosphorous compound is an activation agent for the microorganisms to metabolize the carbonaceous material in the geologic formation into methane.