Patent ID: 6905870

Claim:
A method for treating a composition comprising one or more alkanes to enhance volume of the composition, the method comprising the steps of: (a) introducing into the composition one or more microorganisms selected from the group consisting of aerobic microorganisms, facultative microorganisms, and combinations thereof, and maintaining reaction conditions between the microorganisms and composition effective to carboxylate a substantial amount of the alkanes via terminal and beta oxidation and thus forming an intermediate composition comprising terminal carboxylic acids; (b) introducing one or more anaerobic microorganisms into the intermediate composition; creating and maintaining anaerobic reaction conditions between the anaerobic microorganisms and intermediate composition effective to decarboxylate a substantial amount of the terminal carboxylic acids and thus forming a second composition; and (c) sequentially repeating steps (a) and (b) at least once such that the treated composition is of enhanced volume.