New genus of bacteria found living inside hydraulic fracturing wells

[progressoid]

Researchers analyzing the genomes of microorganisms living in shale oil and gas wells have found evidence of sustainable ecosystems taking hold there—populated in part by a never-before-seen genus of bacteria they have dubbed "Frackibacter."

The new genus is one of the 31 microbial members found living inside two separate fracturing wells, Ohio State University researchers and their colleagues report in the Sept. 5 online edition of the journal Nature Microbiology.

Even though the wells were hundreds of miles apart and drilled in different kinds of shale formations, the microbial communities inside them were nearly identical, the researchers discovered.

Almost all the microbes they found had been seen elsewhere before, and many likely came from the surface ponds that energy companies draw on to fill the wells. But that's not the case with the newly identified Candidatus Frackibacter, which may be unique to hydraulic fracturing sites, said Kelly Wrighton, assistant professor of microbiology and biophysics at Ohio State.


Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-09-genus-bacteria-hydraulic-fracturing-wells.html#jCp

[Warpy]

1. If a new environment appears

life will evolve to exploit it.

They've also found bacteria thriving in radioactive contamination.

[Javaman]

2. I, for one, welcome our new Candidatus Frackibacter overlords. nt