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A study exploring several fracturing wells located throughout the United States has revealed the presence of several microbial communities producing methane – bacteria and viruses that survive despite living in high pressure environments.
Fracturing or hydraulic fracturing is a well-stimulation technique in which pressurized liquids, sand and other chemical additives are injected deep into the Earth to create crevasses in rock formations to extract oil or water. natural gas.
When a group of researchers from Ohio State University took samples of five of these facilities to analyze these crevices, they found microbial life. Although some scientists have reported similar results in the past, the group has taken a unique approach and provided a detailed overview of the complexity of microbes and their interaction.
"These wells are so deep and difficult to sample – access to the fluid in the wells has provided us with a unique opportunity to understand how these microbes live in these conditions of high temperature and high gloss," said coauthor Michael Wilkins said in a statement.
The group took the samples under controlled laboratory conditions and manipulated the environment in order to attract the microbial community out of hiding. The idea has proven to be more fruitful than regular field experiences and has helped the team rank the diverse range of bacteria and viruses in the fracturing wells. The results of the work indicated that the supply of chemical material injected into the cracks – chemicals, stabilizers and water – contributed to their diversity.
But that is not it. When researchers added a chemical called glycine betaine to chemicals, they found that microbes produced methane. According to the researchers, the discovery indicates that these wells contain much more energy than the fracking industry targets in the first place.
"We have found here that several wells have similar microorganisms, which are capable of producing methane," added Mikayla Borton, co-author of the study: "In theory, this could mean that boosting the microbial community could to increase energy yields, made in shale again, but it is done in other systems, including in coal mines. "
However, in a wider application, the discovery could also inform scientists working to find life beyond the Earth. "Finding life in these rocky, salty and hard-to-survive conditions would not be dissimilar to the discovery of life on another planet," said Kelly Wrighton, the lead author of the study, in his communicated.
"If we want to think about what life would be like if it could exist on Mars, it's probably a good starting point."
That said, it is also interesting to note that researchers believe that further analysis of these microbes might even have implications for human health. Essentially, these bacteria and viruses are quite similar to those found in protein-rich ecosystems like the intestine and the human soil. Thus, a better understanding of the chemistry and interaction of these communities could prove to be essential to address the major issues related to human health such as how plaque is formed when we suffer from pain. a cardiovascular disease.
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