| abstract |
A microbial consortia for biogenically increasing the hydrogen content of a carbonaceous source material, where the consortia includes a first microbial consortium to metabolize the carbonaceous source material into one or more first intermediate hydrocarbons, a second microbial consortium, which includes one or more species of Thermotoga microorganisms, to convert the first intermediate hydrocarbons into one or more second intermediate hydrocarbons and oxidized carbon. and a third microbial consortium to convert the second intermediate hydrocarbons into one or more smaller hydrocarbons and water, where the smaller hydrocarbons have a greater mol. % hydrogen than the carbonaceous source material. |