Active methanogenesis and acetate utilization in Powder River Basin coals, United States

Bioassay of chemically treated subbituminous coal derivatives using Pseudomonas putida F1

“…Although coal is primarily burned to generate electricity, the conversion of coal to liquid and gaseous fuels is becoming more attractive as concern over air emissions including mercury and carbon dioxide grows. Research over the past several decades, both in the laboratory and in the field, has shown that coal can be converted to methane biogenically (Beckmann et al, 2011a,b;Harris et al, 2008;Jones et al, 2008Jones et al, , 2010Krüger et al, 2008;Orem et al, 2010;Panow et al, 1997;Strąpoć et al, 2008;Tao et al, 2007;Thielemann et al, 2004;Ulrich and Bower, 2008;Volkwein et al, 1994). However, coal can be chemically described as an irregular lignin-like polymer containing only a limited number of accessible moieties, such as phenolics, carboxylic acids and alkanes that are readily degradable by microorganisms (Levine et al, 1982).…”

Characterizing microbial communities dedicated for conversion of coal to methane in situ and ex situ

“…CBM or microbially enhanced CBM (MECBM) through microbial processes appears to be favored in lower-rank coals, such as lignite or subbituminous coal, which have high permeability and highly branched compounds that may be accessible to microorganisms. Typical examples include, but are not limited to: Powder River Basin coals (Ayers, 2002;Flores et al, 2008;Ulrich and Bower, 2008), San Juan Basin coals (Scott et al, 1994) and south Sydney Basin coals (Faiz and Hendry, 2006). In the US, commercial production of CBM is mainly in states west of the Mississippi river, where 83.7% of coal is either subbituminous or lignite.…”

Conceptual exploration targeting for microbially enhanced coal bed methane (MECoM) in the Walloon Subgroup, eastern Surat Basin, Australia

“…Powder River Basin field trials demonstrated the importance of coal seam permeability and coal surface area contact. In the study by Ulrich and Bower (2008), in situ acetate utilisation and microbial activity measurement are thought to have benefited from extensive dispersal, dilution and migration of nutrient-amended formation water injected into the coal seams.…”