BASF Venture Capital America Inc., Fremont, CA, is investing $3 million in LUCA Technologies LLC, Golden, Colorado. LUCA develops biotechnology that uses microorganisms to reactivate or intensify the production of methane (natural gas) from finite fuels such as coal or oil.
This methane production is the result of indigenous populations of microorganisms that, in the absence of oxygen, metabolize the large hydrocarbon molecules present in coal and oil into smaller hydrocarbons, principally methane. The company describes these naturally occurring methane factories as "Geobioreactors(TM)".
To leverage this discovery, LUCA has undertaken a program to understand and manipulate these microorganisms in order to ultimately maximize methane production in existing Geobioreactors, and hopefully stimulate its production in currently non-reactive hydrocarbon deposits. Methane is the least polluting and most energy efficient of all the available hydrocarbon fuels. LUCA believes that, if developed and managed properly, methane-producing Geobioreactors have the potential to meet U.S. energy needs for the foreseeable future.
Luca has found that the United States has enormous amounts of buried hydrocarbon reserves, many of which cannot be extracted in an economical or environmentally benign fashion with current technologies and practices. These include deeply buried coal beds, organic-rich shales, and previously tapped oil reservoirs. Any of these settings, given the right set of conditions has the potential to produce biogenic methane in a long-term, recoverable fashion.
LUCA employs genomics, molecular biology and other tools of biotechnology to detect, classify and study these naturally occurring consortia of ancient, anaerobic microorganisms and the underground "Geobioreactors(TM)" in which they act. Company scientists are also developing methods of managing specific consortia's gas production capabilities in situ for the large-scale production of natural gas and potentially, hydrogen.
Could these bacteria change tar sands or other hard to extract fossil fuels into natural gas underground?
Natural gas is a great backup fuel for renewable grid energy and the CO2 from running it through a fuel cell/turbine power plant can be used in algae solar collector biofuel systems.
Posted by: amazingdrx | November 17, 2006 at 06:33 AM
Interesting. I hadn't heard this claim before, but I would be interested to hear any evidence which suggests it does. Technology truly works remarkably in so many ways.
Angie of www.coalportal.com
Posted by: Coal Portal | July 30, 2011 at 03:13 PM
Coal Statistics shows that there are many companies answers to the call of a cleaner coal to help the environment preserve it's purity and as well as the coal industries longevity. Both must work hand in hand to see the sky rocket success in the coal market news and green house effect.
Posted by: Coal Portal | July 30, 2011 at 03:13 PM
The investment into alternative power generating technologies such as nuclear energy may need to be measured against the potential cost when things turn against you as unfortunately happened this year in Japan. Coal prices and coal statistics show developing economies are more likely to increase their investment into & their use of coal mining in coming years because of coal's affordability and ability to quickly meet increasing demands for electricity and steel. www.coalportal.com
Posted by: coalportal | November 27, 2011 at 03:47 AM