Patent ID: 8448702

Claim:
A process for enhancing biogenic production of methane in a hydrocarbon-bearing formation, said method comprising determining the presence of one or more gene products of a nucleic acid sequence from one or more microorganisms derived from the hydrocarbon-bearing formation, wherein said gene product is an enzyme in a pathway involved in the conversion of a hydrocarbon to methane selected from the group consisting of: peroxidases, phenol oxidases, alcohol oxidases, laccases, hydrolases, glycosyl hydrolases, esterases, etherases, oxidases, nitrogenases, cellulases, amylases, glucanaeses, pullulanases, reductases, dismutases, oxygenases, monooxygenases, dioxygenases, catalases, hydrogenases, carboxylases, and methyl reductases; or an enzyme involved in homoacetogenesis, methanogenesis, acetoclastic methanogenesis or CO2-reducing methanogenesis; introducing into the formation a substrate, reactant, or co-factor that is a stimulant for the enzyme; thereby enhancing biogenic production of methane in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation in comparison with production in the absence of the stimulant.