Abstract: Microbial Diversity in the Biogas Production from Coal

The ability of some methanogenic bacteria to use the coal matrix as a source of organic material for biogas production was tested on various coal samples with different compositions and properties. The growth of the methanogenic bacteria depended not only on the coal type, but also on the presence of some heterotrophic microorganisms, mainly bacteria able to degrade coal on the anaerobic conditions.

The growth of these coal degrading bacteria was connected with secretions of some soluble organic metabolites witch were then used by the methanogenic bacteria as a substrate for the methane production.

The bacterial growth was stimulated by addition of some essential nutrients, mainly sources of nitrogen and phosphorus. The most active microbial culture will be used in future experiments for biogas production in anaerobic reactors using coal samples amenable to biodegradation.  

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90940©1997 AAPG Foundation Grants-in-Aid