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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jan DolfingORCiD, Professor Stephen Larter, Professor Ian Head
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Methanogenic degradation of crude oil hydrocarbons is an important process in subsurface petroleum reservoirs and anoxic environments contaminated with petroleum. There are several possible routes whereby hydrocarbons may be converted to methane: (i) complete oxidation of alkanes to H 2 and CO 2, linked to methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction; (ii) oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2, linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis and CO 2 reduction; (iii) oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2, linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction; (iv) oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis and (v) oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction. We have developed the concept of a window of opportunity to evaluate the range of conditions under which each route is thermodynamically feasible. On this basis the largest window of opportunity is presented by the oxidation of alkanes to acetate alone, linked to acetoclastic methanogenesis. This contradicts field-based evidence that indicates that in petroleum rich environments acetoclastic methanogenesis is inhibited and that methanogenic CO 2 reduction is the predominant methanogenic process. Our analysis demonstrates that under those biological constraints oxidation of alkanes to acetate and H 2, linked to syntrophic acetate oxidation and methanogenesis from CO 2 reduction offers a greater window of opportunity than complete oxidation of alkanes to H 2 and CO 2 linked to methanogenic CO 2 reduction, and hence is the process most likely to occur. © 2008 International Society for Microbial Ecology All rights reserved.
Author(s): Dolfing J, Larter SR, Head IM
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: ISME Journal
Year: 2008
Volume: 2
Issue: 4
Pages: 442-452
ISSN (print): 1751-7362
ISSN (electronic): 1751-7370
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2007.111
DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2007.111
PubMed id: 18079730
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