Oil-eating bacteria make light work of heavy fuel

Nature News ^ | 12 December 2007 | Katharine Sanderson

[neverdem]

Crude-oil biodegradation via methanogenesis in subsurface petroleum reservoirs

[kinoxi]

They will figure it out. When (while) crude is pushing $100 a barrel they will figure it out well and they will figure it out fast.

[Liaison]

If the greenies thing that playing with animal and plant DNA is bad, too many problems and destruction of oil fields may occur it this bacteria gets out of control. the oil companies that are looking into this process are playing with fire.

[Rudder]

Do you really think that a beast that eats garbage and pisses gasoline could ever get out of control?

[Khepri]

They will figure it out. When (while) crude is pushing $100 a barrel they will figure it out well and they will figure it out fast.

Agreed. Reminds me of when Bush pushed hydrogen and "they" said it wasn't feasible because of the cost.

The same argument was put forth for drilling off our own coasts....

Oh yeah? How about now?

[Klondike]

“Do you really think that a beast that eats garbage and pisses gasoline could ever get out of control?”

Only if it gets flatulent.

[Rudder]

MOAB: A Fuel-Air biggie!

[kinoxi]

When Bush pushed hydrogen platinum went through the roof. It hasn’t dropped in prominence. I don’t understand your comment.

[Rudder]

I just recalled this. I used to hang out in central Pennsylvania. One little town had this smoke hanging over it all day everyday.

So I asked, "Where's all the smoke coming from?"

"Coal vein," was the reply from this old geezer, "been burning nigh on to 40 years now."

[r9etb]

Do you really think that a beast that eats garbage and pisses gasoline could ever get out of control?

It'd be a serious problem if it did ... you want to be careful when you start messing with things that eat organic molecules. You're made of organic molecules, too.

[unspun]

Now, if they can get those little things to poop gasoline, they’d really have something.

[Rudder]

You're made of organic molecules, too.

Oh, that's right. Excuse me while have another slug of bactericide.

[Khepri]

The Dems pushed for this ethanol alternative and it seemed it took prominence...at the same time the Dems were attacking hydrogen as not being feasible...and hydrogen took a back seat...

Personally I wasn't happy about that as our crops are just as susceptible to terrorism as our forests are....not a good solution in my mind....

Haven't followed too closely, I could be wrong...:)

[norraad]

Nitrogen purge in the vein would put it out.

Common practice in other industries.

[Rudder]

Well, it’s still burning. I’ll find more detail about this.

[null and void]

They will figure it out. When (while) crude is pushing $100 a barrel they will figure it out well and they will figure it out fast.

It costs Our Dear Friends, the Saudis, less than $1 to pump a barrel out of the ground.

Any new technology that costs more than that can be bankrupted by a temporary drop in OPEC prices.

[kinoxi]

There do seem to be a few legitimate logistical hesitations towards using our food supply as one of our energy sources.

[kinoxi]

I don’t think the saudis are willing and or able to bankrupt all inevitable advancements before they reach production capacity. These prices are driving the need for energy research and experimentation to a level that has never been seen before in human history. I think they can delay it, but I don’t think that they can stop it.

[null and void]

Especiaally when ‘islamic lightning’ is cheaper.

[Mike-o-Matic]

Some Wikipedia articles for the curious...

1. An article about Centralia, Pennsylvania, the site of one such long burning fire, and
2. One on the general subject of mine fires.

An interesting quote from the end of that second one, regarding extinguishing efforts (bolding is mine):

Successes include the 2004 mine fire at the Liuhuanggou colliery near Urumqi in China's Xinjiang province. It had been burning since 1874.