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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jan DolfingORCiD
Deep subsurface formations (for example, high-temperature oil reservoirs) are candidate sites for carbon capture and storage technology. However, very little is known about how the subsurface microbial community would respond to an increase in CO2 pressure resulting from carbon capture and storage. Here we construct microcosms mimicking reservoir conditions (55 °C, 5 MPa) using high-temperature oil reservoir samples. Methanogenesis occurs under both high and low CO2 conditions in the microcosms. However, the increase in CO2 pressure accelerates the rate of methanogenesis to more than twice than that under low CO2 conditions. Isotope tracer and molecular analyses show that high CO2 conditions invoke acetoclastic methanogenesis in place of syntrophic acetate oxidation coupled with hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis that typically occurs in this environment (low CO2 conditions). Our results present a possibility of carbon capture and storage for enhanced microbial energy production in deep subsurface environments that can mitigate global warming and energy depletion.
Author(s): Mayumi D, Dolfing J, Sakata S, Maeda H, Miyagawa Y, Ikarashi M, Tamali H, Takeuchi M, Nakatsu CH, Kamagata Y
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Nature Communications
Year: 2013
Volume: 4
Print publication date: 13/06/2013
Date deposited: 29/11/2013
ISSN (electronic): 2041-1723
Publisher: Macmillan Publishers Limited
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2998
DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2998
PubMed id: 23759740
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