SURFACTANT AMENDMENTS FOR THE STIMULATION OF BIOGENIC GAS GENERATION IN DEPOSITS OF CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
Methods of conditioning a carbonaceous material in a subterranean geologic formation for metabolism into a compound with enhanced hydrogen content by a microorganism consortium are described. The methods may include the steps of accessing the subterranean geologic formation through an access point, and contacting the carbonaceous material with a surfactant. The microorganism consortium can utilize the surfactant as a first nutrient source. The surfactant also increases accessibility of the carbonaceous material as a second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium. The microorganism consortium metabolizes the carbonaceous material into the compound with the enhanced hydrogen content.
1 . A method of increasing biogenic production of a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content, the method comprising:
accessing a subterranean geologic formation that includes a carbonaceous material;
providing a surfactant solution to the geologic formation, wherein the surfactant solution increases a rate at which the metabolic product is biogenically produced in the geologic formation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surfactant solution comprises an alkoxyethanol.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the alkoxyethanol comprises 2-butoxyethanol.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous material comprises coal or shale.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metabolic product is methane.
6 . A method of conditioning a carbonaceous material in a subterranean geologic formation for metabolism into a compound with enhanced hydrogen content by a microorganism consortium, the method comprising:
accessing the subterranean geologic formation through an access point;
contacting the carbonaceous material with a surfactant;
allowing the microorganism consortium to utilize the surfactant as a first nutrient source; and
increasing accessibility of the carbonaceous material as a second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium with the surfactant, wherein the microorganism consortium metabolizes the carbonaceous material into the compound with the enhanced hydrogen content.
7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the surfactant comprises an alkoxyethanol.
8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the alkoxyethanol comprises 2-butoxyethanol.
9 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the microorganism consortium metabolizes at least a portion of the surfactant into an acetate compound.
10 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein increasing the accessibility of the carbonaceous material as the second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium comprises moving a hydrocarbon from the carbonaceous material into contact with the microorganism.
11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein increasing the accessibility of the carbonaceous material as the second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium comprises increasing contact between the microorganism consortium and the carbonaceous material.
12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein increasing the accessibility of the carbonaceous material as the second nutrient source for the microorganism consortium comprises converting a portion of the carbonaceous material from a solid phase into a solution phase.
13 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the carbonaceous material comprises coal or shale.
14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the compound with enhanced hydrogen content comprises methane.
15 . A method of increasing the accessibility of a carbonaceous material in a subterranean geologic formation to a microorganism consortium, the method comprising:
accessing the subterranean geologic formation;
contacting the carbonaceous material with a surfactant, wherein the surfactant moves a first hydrocarbon from the carbonaceous material into contact with the microorganism consortium; and
having the microorganism consortium metabolize the first hydrocarbon into a metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content compared with the first hydrocarbon species.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first hydrocarbon comprises an alkane or a monoaromatic compound.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first hydrocarbon comprises a phenol.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the surfactant comprises 2-butoxyethanol.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the method comprises having the microorganism consortium metabolize a second hydrocarbon from the carbonaceous material that has not been moved by the surfactant.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the carbonaceous material comprises coal or shale.
21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the second hydrocarbon comprises a portion of a macromolecule in the coal.
22 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the metabolic product with enhanced hydrogen content comprises methane.