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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbiological Chemistry and Geomicrobiology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1435037
This article is part of the Research Topic Subsurface Microbiology within Hydrocarbon Resources or Stored Gases View all 6 articles

Molecular Identification of Methane-Consuming Bacteria in the Persian Gulf: A Study for Microbial Gas Exploration

Provisionally accepted
Mahsa Harirforoush Mahsa Harirforoush 1Mahmoud Shavandi Mahmoud Shavandi 2*Mohammad Ali Amoozegar Mohammad Ali Amoozegar 3Parvaneh Saffarian Parvaneh Saffarian 1*Shabnam Hasrak Shabnam Hasrak 4*
  • 1 Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
  • 2 Chemical Polymeric and Petrochemical Technology Development Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Alborz, Iran
  • 3 University of Tehran, Tehran, Tehran, Iran
  • 4 National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Iran), Tehran, Tehran, Iran

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The seepage of gaseous compounds from underground reservoirs towards the surface causes abnormalities in the population of microbial communities that consume light hydrocarbons on the surface of the reservoir. This microbial population can serve as indicators for determining the location of gas reservoirs prior to drilling operations. In this study, the simulation of methane gas leakage in the sediments of the Persian Gulf was conducted using a laboratory model. The objective of this simulation was to identify the microbial population consuming methane within the sediments of the Persian Gulf, aiding in the exploration of gas reserves. Continuous injection of methane gas into the system was performed for a period of three months to enrich the microbial consortia consuming methane. Subsequently, the microbial population was identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. The results indicated that, based on the 16S rRNA sequencing dataset, aerobic methanotrophs, including genera Methylobacter, Methylomarinum, Methylomicrobium, Methylomonasm, and Methylophage, were the dominant microbial group on the surface of the sediments. Additionally, anaerobic methane oxidation archaea in sediments were performed by ANME-2 and ANME-3 clades. The findings demonstrate that these microbial communities are capable of coexistence and thrive in long-term exposure to methane in the sediments of the Persian Gulf. Identifying this microbial pattern, alongside other geophysical and geological data, can increase the success rate of gas reservoir exploration.Microbial prospecting, Methanotrophs, NGS, Biodiversity, Sediments of the Persian Gulf, Gas reserves• Laboratory simulation of methane gas leakage in Persian Gulf sediments.• Identification of key microbial groups: aerobic methanotrophs and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea.• Microbial indicators enhance gas reservoir exploration success.

    Keywords: microbial prospecting, methanotrophs, NGS, Biodiversity, Sediments of the Persian Gulf, Gas reserves

    Received: 19 May 2024; Accepted: 18 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Harirforoush, Shavandi, Amoozegar, Saffarian and Hasrak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Mahmoud Shavandi, Chemical Polymeric and Petrochemical Technology Development Research Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Alborz, Iran
    Parvaneh Saffarian, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
    Shabnam Hasrak, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Iran), Tehran, Tehran, Iran

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