In Situ Enhancement and Isotopic Labeling of Biogenic Coalbed Methane.

Subsurface microbial (biogenic) methane production is an important part of the global carbon cycle that has resulted in natural gas accumulations in many coal beds worldwide. Laboratory studies suggest that complex carbon-containing nutrients (e.g., yeast or algae extract) can stimulate methane production, yet the effectiveness of these nutrients within coal beds is unknown. Here, we use downhole monitoring methods in combination with deuterated water (D2O) and a 200-liter injection of 0.1% yeast extract (YE) to stimulate and isotopically label newly generated methane. A total dissolved gas pressure sensor enabled real-time gas measurements (641 days preinjection and for 478 days postinjection). Downhole samples, collected with subsurface environmental samplers, indicate that methane increased 132% above preinjection levels based on isotopic labeling from D2O, 108% based on pressure readings, and 183% based on methane measurements 266 days postinjection. Demonstrating that YE enhances biogenic coalbed methane production in situ using multiple novel measurement methods has immediate implications for other field-scale biogenic methane investigations, including in situ methods to detect and track microbial activities related to the methanogenic turnover of recalcitrant carbon in the subsurface.

Fracture Sealing with Microbially-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation: A Field Study.

A primary environmental risk from unconventional oil and gas development or carbon sequestration is subsurface fluid leakage in the near wellbore environment. A potential solution to remediate leakage pathways is to promote microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) to plug fractures and reduce permeability in porous materials. The advantage of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) over cement-based sealants is that the solutions used to promote MICP are aqueous. MICP solutions have low viscosities compared to cement, facilitating fluid transport into the formation. In this study, MICP was promoted in a fractured sandstone layer within the Fayette Sandstone Formation 340.8 m below ground surface using conventional oil field subsurface fluid delivery technologies (packer and bailer). After 24 urea/calcium solution and 6 microbial (Sporosarcina pasteurii) suspension injections, the injectivity was decreased (flow rate decreased from 1.9 to 0.47 L/min) and a reduction in the in-well pressure falloff (>30% before and 7% after treatment) was observed. In addition, during refracturing an increase in the fracture extension pressure was measured as compared to before MICP treatment. This study suggests MICP is a promising tool for sealing subsurface fractures in the near wellbore environment.

Pre-site characterization risk analysis for commercial-scale carbon sequestration.

This study develops a probability framework to evaluate subsurface risks associated with commercial-scale carbon sequestration in the Kevin Dome, Montana. Limited knowledge of the spatial distribution of physical attributes of the storage reservoir and the confining rocks in the area requires using regional data to estimate project risks during the pre-site characterization analysis. A set of integrated Monte Carlo simulations are used to assess four risk proxies: the CO2 injectivity, area of review (AoR), migration rate into confining rocks, and a monitoring strategy prior to detailed site characterization. Results show a reasonable likelihood of reaching the project goal of injecting 1 Mt in 4 years with a single injection well (>58%), increasing to >70% if the project is allowed to run for 5 years. The mean radius of the AoR, based on a 0.1 MPa pressure change, is around 4.8 km. No leakage of CO2 through the confining units is seen in any simulations. The computed CO2 detection probability suggests that the monitoring wells should be located at less than 1.2 km away from the injection well so that CO2 is likely to be detected within the time frame of the project. The scientific results of this study will be used to inform the detailed site characterization process and to provide more insight for understanding operational and technical risks before injecting CO2.

Engineered applications of ureolytic biomineralization: a review.

Microbially-induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) is a widely explored and promising technology for use in various engineering applications. In this review, CaCO3 precipitation induced via urea hydrolysis (ureolysis) is examined for improving construction materials, cementing porous media, hydraulic control, and remediating environmental concerns. The control of MICP is explored through the manipulation of three factors: (1) the ureolytic activity (of microorganisms), (2) the reaction and transport rates of substrates, and (3) the saturation conditions of carbonate minerals. Many combinations of these factors have been researched to spatially and temporally control precipitation. This review discusses how optimization of MICP is attempted for different engineering applications in an effort to highlight the key research and development questions necessary to move MICP technologies toward commercial scale applications.

Potential CO2 leakage reduction through biofilm-induced calcium carbonate precipitation.

Mitigation strategies for sealing high permeability regions in cap rocks, such as fractures or improperly abandoned wells, are important considerations in the long term security of geologically stored carbon dioxide (CO(2)). Sealing technologies using low-viscosity fluids are advantageous in this context since they potentially reduce the necessary injection pressures and increase the radius of influence around injection wells. Using aqueous solutions and suspensions that can effectively promote microbially induced mineral precipitation is one such technology. Here we describe a strategy to homogenously distribute biofilm-induced calcium carbonate (CaCO(3)) precipitates in a 61 cm long sand-filled column and to seal a hydraulically fractured, 74 cm diameter Boyles Sandstone core. Sporosarcina pasteurii biofilms were established and an injection strategy developed to optimize CaCO(3) precipitation induced via microbial urea hydrolysis. Over the duration of the experiments, permeability decreased between 2 and 4 orders of magnitude in sand column and fractured core experiments, respectively. Additionally, after fracture sealing, the sandstone core withstood three times higher well bore pressure than during the initial fracturing event, which occurred prior to biofilm-induced CaCO(3) mineralization. These studies suggest biofilm-induced CaCO(3) precipitation technologies may potentially seal and strengthen fractures to mitigate CO(2) leakage potential.

Microbially enhanced carbon capture and storage by mineral-trapping and solubility-trapping.

The potential of microorganisms for enhancing carbon capture and storage (CCS) via mineral-trapping (where dissolved CO(2) is precipitated in carbonate minerals) and solubility trapping (as dissolved carbonate species in solution) was investigated. The bacterial hydrolysis of urea (ureolysis) was investigated in microcosms including synthetic brine (SB) mimicking a prospective deep subsurface CCS site with variable headspace pressures [p(CO(2))] of (13)C-CO(2). Dissolved Ca(2+) in the SB was completely precipitated as calcite during microbially induced hydrolysis of 5-20 g L(-1) urea. The incorporation of carbonate ions from (13)C-CO(2) ((13)C-CO(3)(2-)) into calcite increased with increasing p((13)CO(2)) and increasing urea concentrations: from 8.3% of total carbon in CaCO(3) at 1 g L(-1) to 31% at 5 g L(-1), and 37% at 20 g L(-1). This demonstrated that ureolysis was effective at precipitating initially gaseous [CO(2)(g)] originating from the headspace over the brine. Modeling the change in brine chemistry and carbonate precipitation after equilibration with the initial p(CO(2)) demonstrated that no net precipitation of CO(2)(g) via mineral-trapping occurred, since urea hydrolysis results in the production of dissolved inorganic carbon. However, the pH increase induced by bacterial ureolysis generated a net flux of CO(2)(g) into the brine. This reduced the headspace concentration of CO(2) by up to 32 mM per 100 mM urea hydrolyzed because the capacity of the brine for carbonate ions was increased, thus enhancing the solubility-trapping capacity of the brine. Together with the previously demonstrated permeability reduction of rock cores at high pressure by microbial biofilms and resilience of biofilms to supercritical CO(2), this suggests that engineered biomineralizing biofilms may enhance CCS via solubility-trapping, mineral formation, and CO(2)(g) leakage reduction.

Testing carbon sequestration site monitor instruments using a controlled carbon dioxide release facility.

Two laser-based instruments for carbon sequestration site monitoring have been developed and tested at a controlled carbon dioxide (CO(2)) release facility. The first instrument uses a temperature tunable distributed feedback (DFB) diode laser capable of accessing the 2.0027-2.0042 microm spectral region that contains three CO(2) absorption lines and is used for aboveground atmospheric CO(2) concentration measurements. The second instrument also uses a temperature tunable DFB diode laser capable of accessing the 2.0032-2.0055 mum spectral region that contains five CO(2) absorption lines for underground CO(2) soil gas concentration measurements. The performance of these instruments for carbon sequestration site monitoring was studied using a newly developed controlled CO(2) release facility. A 0.3 ton CO(2)/day injection experiment was performed from 3-10 August 2007. The aboveground differential absorption instrument measured an average atmospheric CO(2) concentration of 618 parts per million (ppm) over the CO(2) injection site compared with an average background atmospheric CO(2) concentration of 448 ppm demonstrating this instrument's capability for carbon sequestration site monitoring. The underground differential absorption instrument measured a CO(2) soil gas concentration of 100,000 ppm during the CO(2) injection, a factor of 25 greater than the measured background CO(2) soil gas concentration of 4000 ppm demonstrating this instrument's capability for carbon sequestration site monitoring.

Optical detection of honeybees by use of wing-beat modulation of scattered laser light for locating explosives and land mines.

An instrument is demonstrated that can be used for optical detection of honeybees in a cluttered environment. The instrument uses a continuous-wave diode laser with a center wavelength of 808 nm and an output power of 28 mW as the laser transmitter source. Light scattered from moving honeybee wings will produce an intensity-modulated signal at a characteristic wing-beat frequency (170-270 Hz) that can be used to detect the honeybees against a cluttered background. The optical detection of honeybees has application in the biological detection of land mines and explosives, as was recently demonstrated.

Millisecond long-lived charge separated state at room temperature in a flexibly linked diphenylaminopolyene-C60 dyad.

Long-lived photoinduced charge separation involving one-step electron transfer is achieved in diphenylaminopolyene based C60-donor dyads with a short, flexible linkage.

Polarization lidar measurements of honey bees in flight for locating land mines.

A scanning polarized lidar was used to detect flying honey bees trained to locate buried land mines through odor detection. A lidar map of bee density shows good correlation with maps of chemical plume strength and bee density determined by visual and video counts. The co-polarized lidar backscatter signal was found to be more effective than the crosspolarized signal for detecting honey bees in flight. Laboratory measurements show that the depolarization ratio of scattered light is near zero for bee wings and up to 30% for bee bodies.