XNRG - Turning TAR SANDS - into Methane !!
Dr. Larter was the keynote speaker June 17 for the 2010 Goldschmidt Conference hosted by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In his presentation, “Can Studies of Petroleum Biodegradation Help Fossil Fuel Carbon Management,” Larter discussed microbes in the environment and their role in breaking down oil and generating natural gas.
Over two years ago Dr. Larter showed how crude oil in some oil deposits around the world — including in oil sands — are naturally broken down by microbes in the reservoir. Larter is working on understanding how crude oil biodegrades into methane, or natural gas, opening the door to being able to recover the clean-burning methane directly from deeply buried, or in situ, oil sands deposits.
Larter says the petroleum industry already has expressed interest in trying to accelerate biodegradation in a reservoir.
Petroleum hydrocarbons will be needed for centuries in declining amounts. Natural gas isn’t particularly good as a motor fuel, but would certainly be useful for light transport substitution. But for making heat whether for a home on to producing steam, natural gas is a very desirable product.
The clean motive – less CO² also has a friend in natural gas. The single carbon atom in methane (CH4) with the four-atom hydrogen set makes for a lot of heat for a minimum of carbon reaction with oxygen. Methane also could have a big role in high efficiency fuel cells.
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