Life in the deep terrestrial subsurface: microbial metabolism before and after shale gas extraction
EMSL Project ID
49615
Abstract
Black shales underlay much of the continental U.S., and are a critical component of current and future energy resources. To extract hydrocarbons from these formations, shales are hydraulically fractured, via injection of sand, water, and chemical additives. Our studies are focused on the microbiology of pristine black shales, and biogeochemical changes in these subsurface habitats during energy extraction. Through industrial (Baker Hughes, Dow Chemical) and academic (West Virginia University) partnerships, we have unprecedented access to both time series samples from hydraulically fractured environments, and Appalachian Basin pristine shale core collected with the appropriate controls for microbiological analyses. Through JGI support, we are performing metagenomic analyses on these materials to understand (1) the dynamic microbial communities that are present, (2) how community members interact, and (3) optimal strategies for isolation of key species. A critical component of this work is validating these genomic inferences via EMSL resources, including shotgun proteomics, and proton-NMR such that we can determine the impacts of microbial activity in both pristine and fractured black shales. A prior joint EMSL-JGI award to our research team enabled the linkage of genomic and geochemical data from shale environments, and was additionally used to identify mechanisms that allow microorganisms to persist under extreme conditions (high pressure, salinity, and temperature) found in shale environments. Under a future award, EMSL resources would be used to continue the study of key microbial isolates and consortia to determine their role in both pristine and fractured subsurface systems, to measure biogeochemical species in temporal fluid samples, and track the degradation of injected chemical additives. Such tasks address key EMSL and DOE focus areas that aim to better understand geochemical and biological processes driving C dynamics in subsurface environments, and mechanisms that control the fate and transport behavior of biogeochemical critical elements such carbon in subsurface environments. Given the paucity of data related to both pristine and fractured shale environments, we posit that this proposed research is critical for informing the scientific community, industry, and the general public.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2016-10-24
End Date
2017-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Team Members
Related Publications
Booker A.E., E.K. Eder, A.R. Wong, D.W. Hoyt, and M.J. Wilkins. 06/22/2019. "Deep Subsurface Pressure Stimulates Metabolic Versatility in Shale-Colonizing Halanaerobium." Abstract submitted to American Society for Microbiology Conference, San Francisco, California. PNNL-SA-140940.
Borton M., D.W. Hoyt, S. Roux, R. Daly, S. Welch, C.D. Nicora, and S.O. Purvine, et al. 2018. "Coupled laboratory and field investigations resolve microbial interactions that underpin persistence in hydraulically fractured shales." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 115, no. 28:E6585-E6594. PNNL-SA-134972. doi:10.1073/pnas.1800155115
Borton M., R. Daly, B. O'Banion, D.W. Hoyt, S. Welch, S.S. Hastings, and T. Meulia, et al. 2018. "Comparative genomics and physiology of the genus Methanohalophilus, a prevalent hydraulically fractured shale methanogen." Environmental Microbiology 20, no. 12:4596-4611. PNNL-SA-138432. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.14467
Daly R., S. Roux, M. Borton, D.M. Morgan, M.D. Johnston, A.E. Booker, and D.W. Hoyt, et al. 2018. "Viruses control dominant bacteria colonizing the terrestrial deep biosphere after hydraulic fracturing." Nature Microbiology. PNNL-SA-134613. doi:10.1038/s41564-018-0312-6