A review on microbial metabolism to increase coalbed methane generation and coal pretreatment to improve its bioavailability

Yang LI, Shuheng TANG, Jian CHEN, Songhang ZHANG

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Front. Earth Sci. ›› 2023, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (1) : 218-229. DOI: 10.1007/s11707-022-1041-y
REVIEW ARTICLE

A review on microbial metabolism to increase coalbed methane generation and coal pretreatment to improve its bioavailability

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Abstract

Abundant unminable coal in deep strata and abandoned mines are also precious sources of clean gas energy, under which biotransformation is a potential path. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in laboratory research on coal degradation to produce methane by microbial metabolism. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of microbial enhancement and microbial stimulation of coal, physicochemical pretreatments of coal, and environmental factors affecting coal biotransformation. The research idea of coal biotransformation should aim at field production increase and gradually clarify the microbial mechanism of coal degradation and the regional distribution and functional composition of microbial communities on the block scale. The research on coal biotransformation helps improve the development level of coalbed methane and the sustainable development of unconventional natural gas resources.

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Keywords

coal biotransformation / methanogens / microbial mechanism / in situ environment / carbon cycle

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Yang LI, Shuheng TANG, Jian CHEN, Songhang ZHANG. A review on microbial metabolism to increase coalbed methane generation and coal pretreatment to improve its bioavailability. Front. Earth Sci., 2023, 17(1): 218‒229 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-022-1041-y

Yang LI received the Ph.D. Degree from China University of Geosciences, Beijing in 2020. Dr. Li is currently a postgraduate tutor at Anhui University of Science and Technology. His research interests include biogenic coalbed methane, coal and coalbed methane geology, coal geochemistry, coal measure strategic minerals, coal mine environmental geochemistry, and carbon neutral geological technology. He has presided over and participated in National Natural Science Foundation projects, National Major Science and Technology Projects, et al. He has rich experience in the field of coal reservoir biogeochemistry and coal-bed methane bioengineering, and has made rich achievements. He has published more than 10 papers and 1 academic monograph. Email: liyang@aust.edu.cn

Shuheng TANG is a professor at China University of Geosciences, Beijing. His research interests include coal and coalbed methane geology, oil and gas field development geology, and unconventional oil and gas development theory and technology. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals and various academic conferences. Email: tangsh@cugb.edu.cn

Jian CHEN is a professor at Anhui University of Science and Technology. His research interests include coal geochemistry, coal-related rare element resources, and environmental geochemistry of coal mining areas. He is a member of the Geochemical Society, the Society for Organic Petrology, and the Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health. He has rich experience in the research of coal geochemistry and environmental geochemistry and has obtained plenteous achievements. He has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles. Email: cscchenjian@163.com

Songhang ZHANG is an associate professor at China University of Geosciences, Beijing. His research interest is coalbed methane geology and development, coal and coalbed methane geology. He is a member of the sixth Youth Working Committee of the China Coal Society. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles. Email: zhangsh@cugb.edu.cn

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42102216 and 41972173), the NSFC-Shanxi Coal-based Low Carbon Joint Fund of China (No. U1910205), the Scientific Research Foundation for Young Teachers of Anhui University of Science and Technology (No. XCZX2021-04), the University-level key projects of Anhui University of science and technology (No. xjzd2020-05), the Scientific Research Foundation for High-level Talents of Anhui University of Science and Technology.

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