As the demand for affordable domestic energy supplies increases, researchers are tasked with finding new ways to maximize our abundant domestic resources, especially fossil fuels. Recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding microbial communities in coalbed deposits as these communities may be potential indicators of productive CBM wells or may be utilized to enhance in situ production of methane. This includes making use of coal seams that have been deemed unmineable by standard means, due to the location of the deposit, the quality of the coal, and the cost of extracting it. This project provides the fundamental data necessary to understand the natural microbial processes occurring in coalbeds. Further research will lead to the development of strategies to enhance the microbial-driven methane production in these natural systems. This will convert unused resources into an efficient and cost-effective fuel source for advanced distributed power generation. Through novel and innovative technology, these unmineable coal seams can provide a new source of energy and introduce a new market economy.
NETL has successfully completed the first taxonomic and metagenomic microbial characterization of the Appalachian coal basin, identifying a consortium of methane-producing microorganisms (methanogens) unique to the region. This investigation suggests a correlation of methanogens with interstitial fluid salinity and microorganisms associated with hydrocarbon degradation. Appalachian Basin metagenomes were also compared to metagenomes from the geographically distinct coalbed basins, Alberta Basin and San Juan Basin. This functional characterization combined with genome-resolved microbial metabolisms revealed functional diversity within and across coalbed basins, particularly for the Bacteria fraction.