Microbial Diversity and Dynamics in Hydrocarbon Resource Environments

Hydrocarbon resource environments consist of oil reservoirs, oil sands, coal bed methane, and any other geological environment where fossil fuels are found. These reserves have diverse in situ physicochemical conditions where many indigenous microbial communities are present, if conditions are not too drastic for their growth and survival. The physical, chemical, and microbiological processes that govern the activity of these communities must be understood for optimal and economic exploitation. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the microbial ecology of oil reservoirs, oil sands, and coal bed methane. The diversity of several important groups such as sulfate-reducing and nitrate-reducing bacteria, methanogens, hyperthermophiles, and fermentative bacteria is discussed to illustrate the diverse and dynamic nature of the resident microbes.