A recent study has solved the mystery of where methanol comes from deep underground.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
A recent study has solved the mystery of where methanol comes from deep underground. The breakthrough was made by a research team from the Chengdu Biogas Science Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with Japan's National Institute for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Hokkaido University, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), and Peking University. The findings were published on January 30 in the journal Nature.
The team identified two previously unknown microorganisms in underground oil reserves: Methanobacterium Zhaoii, a bacteria that converts formic acid into methanol, and Thermococcus methanotrophicus, an archaea that consumes methanol and produces methane. These two microbes work together to produce natural gas.
"Methanobacterium Zhaoii can convert formic acid into methanol, but it can't tolerate high levels of methanol," said Cheng Lei, the lead scientist. "As methanol increases, its production process slows down." In contrast, Thermococcus methanotrophicus consumes methanol and produces methane. This discovery of how methanol is transferred between species to create methane is a new understanding of microbial interactions. This research expands our understanding of the carbon cycle in deep underground ecosystems and provides new insights for developing technologies to reduce carbon emissions and advance underground biogas projects in the future.