Compositions and methods for identifying and modifying carbonaceous compositions

A composition comprising:

• a) at least two microorganism strains of Consort-ABS1;
• or
• b) a synthetic consortium comprising at least two different microorganism strains, each strain comprising at least one 16S rRNA gene having 90% sequence identity to a nucleic acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID N0:1, SEQ ID N0:2, SEQ ID N0:3, SEQ ID N0:4, SEQ ID N0:5, SEQ ID N0:6, SEQ ID N0:7, SEQ ID N0:8, SEQ ID N0:8, SEQ ID NO:
• 10, SEQ ID NO:
• 11 and SEQ ID NO:
• 12.

A method of creating a synthetic microbial composition to enhance methanogenic degradation of a carbonaceous substrate comprising:

• a) obtaining a sample from a subsurface carbonaceous substrate;
• b) inoculating an enrichment culture with the sample, wherein the enrichment culture comprises as a carbon source a carbonaceous material of interest or a chemical analogue;
• c) incubating the enrichment culture until growth of an organism is detected, wherein the organism is a member of a methanogenic community;
• and
• d) introducing the organism into a subsurface formation.

A method for optimizing subsurface biogas generation from a subsurface organic matter-rich formation comprising:

• a) collecting a microbe from a deep microbial community and a cultured isolate of a key living microorganism;
• b) identifying a specific target microbial association capable of rapidly transforming organic matter to biogas, wherein the identifying comprises using an empirical correlation of a microbial profiling data to a key geochemical parameter using an integrated multi-disciplinary data-set;
• c) identifying a negative correlation to subsurface biogas generation comprising a simultaneous unfavorable endemic microbe or condition;
• d) identifying a specific active microbe critical to subsurface biogas generation from the specific target microbial association of b);
• e) characterizing an indigenous organic carbon-rich substrate and an inorganic mineralogy affecting a water-injectate recipe composition for enhanced subsurface biogas generation and a selection of a substrate rock;
• f) optimizing the water-injectate recipe composition using a matrix of laboratory enrichment experiments that promote subsurface biogas generation without activating a deleterious microbial effect at a reservoir temperature of a target field and a subsequent flow-through core experiment using the water-injectate recipe composition on a targeted rock core;
• g) modeling of a solution stability to account for an undesired precipitation of minerals due to interactions between an in-situ formation water, the water-injectate recipe composition and an in-situ mineral phase;
• h) modeling a fluid transport within a reservoir structure and a delivery mechanism to successfully spread a water-soluble amendment and a cultured microbe to a target formation;
• i) modeling of a transport of a newly generated microbial methane within the reservoir structure towards a gas column and a producing well;
• j) implementing a biogas generation process in a field;
• and
• k) monitoring biogas generation and collateral microbial or water changes in the field.

A method of transforming a carbonaceous substrate using a synthetic microbial consortia comprising:

• a) providing a plurality of samples, wherein each sample comprises a carbonaceous substrate and a microbial community;
• b) determining the composition of the microbial community in each sample;
• c) identifying a consortium of microbes whose abundance correlates with a transformation of the carbonaceous substrate;
• d) assembling a synthetic consortium by combining individual pure cultures into a strain collection;
• and
• e) combining the synthetic consortium with a carbonaceous substrate to convert the carbonaceous substrate to a higher value and a lower molecular weight product.