Abstract
Replicating deep subsurface conditions remains a major challenge for advancing subterranean biotechnologies. Microbially enhanced coal bed methane production offers a promising approach to increase biogenic gas recovery from coal seams, yet experimental progress has been limited by the difficulty of simulating in situ conditions. A key question is whether nutrient amendments stimulate coal-dependent methanogenesis or simply convert injected nutrients to methane. Here, we report the use of a large-scale (325 L) reactor to investigate 13C-labeled microalgae amendments on microbially-enhanced coal bed methane production at in situ pressure. Labeled methane was detected only during the initial stimulation phase, while most of the methane produced over five months originated from the coal. These field-relevant results demonstrate that microalgae can accelerate early methanogenesis and enhance coal-derived methane production over time. This study provides a critical proof-of-concept with broad implications for advancing subsurface biotechnologies toward field-scale deployment.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Robert Hyatt and Jay McCloskey from Montana Emergent Technologies, for their help with the coal and coal bed methane water collection from the field site in the Powder River Basin. The authors also acknowledge Rita Park for her help with sampling of the reactor and controls and Abby Thane for her help with microscopy imaging. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. This research was conducted as part of the project Optimization, Scale-up, and Design of Coal-Dependent Methanogenesis in Preparation for in situ Field Demonstration project funded by the US Department of Energy (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1504223) and the project Increasing the Rate and Extent of Microbial Coal to Methane Conversion through Optimization of Microbial Activity, Thermodynamics, and Reactive Transport (https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1417187).
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Meslé, M., Phillips, A., Barnhart, E.P. et al. Meso-scale pressure reactor demonstrates biostimulation of coal-dependent methanogenesis. Commun Earth Environ (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03560-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03560-6
