Microbes could solve energy crisis
Microbes could solve energy crisis
2008-04-30Newsfeed
Scientists believe that the global energy crisis could be solved by hungry microbes.
Scientists believe that the global energy crisis could be solved by hungry microbes.
Trials are due to begin which will aim to discover whether the tiny organisms, that are invisible to the naked eye, can unlock the vast amount of energy trapped in unrecoverable heavy oil deposits.
An estimated six trillion barrels of oil remains underground because it has become either solid or too thick to be brought to the surface economically.
But extraction would be possible if the oil was converted into natural gas by microbes.
Researchers from Newcastle University hope by feeding the microbes, which occur naturally underground, a cocktail of nutrients they can speed up the rate at which the oil is broken down and capture a valuable new energy resource.
The price of oil and natural gas has soared amid fears of an economic recession in the United States, making oil and gas exploration companies increasingly interested in new technologies.
Environmental microbiologist Professor Ian Head, of Newcastle University, said: "The discovery... may be able to extend the 20-30 year operating lifespan of a typical oil reservoir."
Microbes usually take tens of millions of years to break down solidified oil into gas, but the process could speed up the process from geological to human time.
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
