High temperature high pressure microbial reactor

A high temperature high pressure microbial reactor comprising:

• a main cylinder having a first end and a second end;
• a reversible piston moveable within said main cylinder, said piston dividing said main cylinder into a first chamber and a second chamber;
• a thermal jacket surrounding at least a portion of said cylinder proximate said first chamber to heat or cool at least said first chamber of said main cylinder;
• a lid removably coupled to said first end of said cylinder to provide high pressure resistant connection and wherein said thermal jacket is removably coupled to said lid;
• and
• an end cap removably coupled to said second end of said cylinder;
• wherein the high temperature high pressure microbial reactor is configured such that the in-situ temperature and pressure of an underground resource reservoir sample is substantially maintained during experiments including a liquid material sample from said reservoir;
• wherein said first chamber is configured to receive said sample and said second chamber is configured to receive a volume of pressurized liquid or gas;
• and
• wherein said piston is configured to prevent intermingling between said sample in said first chamber and said volume of pressurized liquid or gas in said second chamber.

A high temperature high pressure microbial reactor for testing microbes contained in an underground oil reservoir comprising:

• a main cylinder having a first end and a second end;
• a reversible piston moveable within said main cylinder, said piston dividing said main cylinder into a first chamber proximate said first end and a second chamber proximate said second end wherein said first chamber is configured to receive a fluid sample from the underground oil reservoir and said second chamber is configured to receive a volume of pressurized liquid or gas and wherein said piston is configured to prevent intermingling between said sample in said first chamber and said volume of pressurized liquid or gas in said second chamber;
• a thermal jacket surrounding at least a portion of said cylinder proximate said first chamber wherein said thermal jacket transfers heat to said main cylinder to maintain a temperature substantially equal to the temperature of the underground oil reservoir in said first chamber of said main cylinder;
• a lid removably coupled to said first end of said cylinder to provide high pressure resistant connection and wherein said thermal jacket is removably coupled to said lid;
• and
• an end cap removably coupled to said second end of said cylinder;
• and
• wherein said piston floats within said main cylinder and said piston compresses against said sample in said first chamber when said volume of pressurized liquid or gas is received into said second chamber and wherein said piston is configured to maintain a substantially constant pressure during changes in a volume of the liquid in said first chamber.