Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA
Microorganisms have contributed significantly to subsurface energy resources by converting organic matter in hydrocarbon reservoirs into methane, the main component of natural gas. In this study, we consider environmental controls on microbial populations in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin...
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doaj-f9523b10ed214cbbb8f8bbedd39efc8a2020-11-24T22:19:05ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2015-11-01610.3389/fmicb.2015.01287164679Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USAMatthew F Kirk0Brien H Wilson1Brien H Wilson2Kyle A Marquart3Lydia H Zeglin4David S Vinson5Theodore M Flynn6Kansas State UniversityKansas State UniversityChesapeake EnergyKansas State UniversityKansas State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteArgonne National LaboratoryMicroorganisms have contributed significantly to subsurface energy resources by converting organic matter in hydrocarbon reservoirs into methane, the main component of natural gas. In this study, we consider environmental controls on microbial populations in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, an unconventional natural gas resource in southeast Kansas, USA. Pennsylvanian-age strata in the basin contain numerous thin (0.4-1.1 m) coalbeds with marginal thermal maturities (0.5-0.7 %Ro) that are interbedded with shale and sandstone. We collected gas, water, and microbe samples from 16 commercial coalbed methane wells for geochemical and microbiological analysis. The water samples were Na-Cl type with total dissolved solids (TDS) content ranging from 34.9 to 91.3 g L-1. Gas dryness values [C1/(C2+C3)] averaged 2640 and carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of methane differed from those of carbon dioxide and water, respectively, by an average of 65‰ and 183‰. These values are thought to be consistent with gas that formed primarily by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Results from cultivation assays and taxonomic analysis of 16S rRNA genes agree with the geochemical results. Cultivable methanogens were present in every sample tested, methanogen sequences dominate the archaeal community in each sample (avg 91%), and few archaeal sequences (avg 4.2%) were classified within Methanosarcinales, an order of methanogens known to contain methylotrophic methanogens. Although hydrogenotrophs appear dominant, geochemical and microbial analyses both indicate that the proportion of methane generated by acetoclastic methanogens increases with the solute content of formation water, a trend that is contrary to existing conceptual models. Consistent with this trend, beta diversity analyses show that archaeal diversity significantly correlates with formation water solute content. In contrast, bacterial diversity more strongly correlates with location than solute content, possibly as a result of spatial variation in the thermal maturity of the coalbeds.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01287/fullNATURAL GASunconventional reservoiracetoclastic methanogenesisHydrogenotrophic methanogenesisCoal biodegradationCherokee basin |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Matthew F Kirk Brien H Wilson Brien H Wilson Kyle A Marquart Lydia H Zeglin David S Vinson Theodore M Flynn |
spellingShingle |
Matthew F Kirk Brien H Wilson Brien H Wilson Kyle A Marquart Lydia H Zeglin David S Vinson Theodore M Flynn Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA Frontiers in Microbiology NATURAL GAS unconventional reservoir acetoclastic methanogenesis Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis Coal biodegradation Cherokee basin |
author_facet |
Matthew F Kirk Brien H Wilson Brien H Wilson Kyle A Marquart Lydia H Zeglin David S Vinson Theodore M Flynn |
author_sort |
Matthew F Kirk |
title |
Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA |
title_short |
Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA |
title_full |
Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA |
title_fullStr |
Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA |
title_full_unstemmed |
Solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, USA |
title_sort |
solute concentrations influence microbial methanogenesis in coal-bearing strata of the cherokee basin, usa |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Microbiology |
issn |
1664-302X |
publishDate |
2015-11-01 |
description |
Microorganisms have contributed significantly to subsurface energy resources by converting organic matter in hydrocarbon reservoirs into methane, the main component of natural gas. In this study, we consider environmental controls on microbial populations in coal-bearing strata of the Cherokee basin, an unconventional natural gas resource in southeast Kansas, USA. Pennsylvanian-age strata in the basin contain numerous thin (0.4-1.1 m) coalbeds with marginal thermal maturities (0.5-0.7 %Ro) that are interbedded with shale and sandstone. We collected gas, water, and microbe samples from 16 commercial coalbed methane wells for geochemical and microbiological analysis. The water samples were Na-Cl type with total dissolved solids (TDS) content ranging from 34.9 to 91.3 g L-1. Gas dryness values [C1/(C2+C3)] averaged 2640 and carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios of methane differed from those of carbon dioxide and water, respectively, by an average of 65‰ and 183‰. These values are thought to be consistent with gas that formed primarily by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Results from cultivation assays and taxonomic analysis of 16S rRNA genes agree with the geochemical results. Cultivable methanogens were present in every sample tested, methanogen sequences dominate the archaeal community in each sample (avg 91%), and few archaeal sequences (avg 4.2%) were classified within Methanosarcinales, an order of methanogens known to contain methylotrophic methanogens. Although hydrogenotrophs appear dominant, geochemical and microbial analyses both indicate that the proportion of methane generated by acetoclastic methanogens increases with the solute content of formation water, a trend that is contrary to existing conceptual models. Consistent with this trend, beta diversity analyses show that archaeal diversity significantly correlates with formation water solute content. In contrast, bacterial diversity more strongly correlates with location than solute content, possibly as a result of spatial variation in the thermal maturity of the coalbeds. |
topic |
NATURAL GAS unconventional reservoir acetoclastic methanogenesis Hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis Coal biodegradation Cherokee basin |
url |
http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2015.01287/full |
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