Oil eating microbes make natural gas

Greenbang has eaten her fair share of grease but never thought there could be an environmental benefit in it. In fact, Greenbang would swear kebabs never had a positive effect on emissions, but then again, she’s not a microbe.

Scientists have apparently managed to persuade the tiny blighters to eat heavy oil and produce methane within a couple of years, and not over the thousands the process takes out in the wild..

National Geographic tells it like this:

“You’re talking a very substantial amount of energy,” said study co-author Steve Larter, a University of Calgary petroleum geologist. “It’s potentially a game-changer if it can be demonstrated.” […]

Larter said it was hard to come up with just how much energy they could produce, but he speculated it could be near the equivalent of the world’s conventional oil reserves.