Stimulation of biogenic gas generation in deposits of carbonaceous material

Abstract

The invention relates to treating of subterranean formations to increase the susceptibility (by way of chemical break down or solubilization, but not necessarily limited by these or any other theories) of large carbonaceous molecules therein, such as comprise coal, to bioconversion into methane and other useful hydrocarbon products by indigenous and/or non-indigenous microbial consortia, by introducing into the subterranean formations: (a) a solution containing at least one of an oxoacid ester of phosphorus or a thioacid ester of phosphorus; and (b) one or more other chemical compounds/chemical entities selected from the group consisting of: hydrogen, carboxylic acids, esters of carboxylic acids, salts of carboxylic acids, oxoacids of phosphorus, salts of oxoacids of phosphorus, vitamins, minerals, mineral salts, metals, and yeast extracts. In an additional embodiment the treating of the subterranean formation further comprises introducing into the subterranean formation a microbial consortia (preferably comprised of methanogens).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.