THERMOSPORE: The deep biosphere, microbe dispersal, and novel strategies for geoenergy exploration

THERMOSPORE：深层生物圈、微生物扩散和地能勘探的新策略

• 批准号: 479484-2015
• 负责人: Hubert, Casey
• 金额: $ 10.51万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Strategic Projects - Group
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=641913
• 关键词: THERMOSPORE; deep; biosphere; microbe; dispersal

THERMOSPORE will develop bioassays to quantify marine bacteria to deliver novel tools for offshore oil and gas exploration. Project partners include ExxonMobil Canada and the Geological Survey of Canada.Microorganisms are often discovered in environments that do not support their metabolic activity. It was recently reported that large numbers of thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria are constantly deposited as dormant spores into permanently cold marine Arctic sediments. What is surprising about these "thermo-spores" is their high numbers and steady influx into the sediment, estimated at 100,000,000 spores annually per square meter of the seabed. They must be coming from a warm place somewhere else that has sufficient geographic distribution and source strength to account for the high flux of cells into the seabed.Thermo-spore genomics offers some clues. Closest known relatives come from hot spots in the deep marine biosphere. Most relatives come from deep hot oil reservoirs buried deeply in marine sediments. Petroleum reservoirs are leaky, allowing hydrocarbons to seep up through overlying sediments to the surface. This fluid flow may transport thermo-spores away from warm oil reservoir habitats up into the cold ocean.Microbial activity and gene diversity data will be used to develop sensitive quantification procedures, which will be applied to marine sediments in the Gulf of Mexico and Canadian Arctic, including seeps sampled by ExxonMobil. Of interest is whether thermo-spores can help locate subsurface petroleum deposits. New bioassays will aim to use these bacteria for seabed mapping in areas of hydrocarbon seepage. Seep detection is a routine part of risk evaluations in oil and gas prospective areas, hence thermo-spore assays could underpin new technology for offshore oil exploration in Atlantic Canada and the Canadian Arctic.

THERMOSPORE将开发生物测定来量化海洋细菌，为海上石油和天然气勘探提供新的工具。项目合作伙伴包括加拿大埃克森美孚公司和加拿大地质调查局。微生物经常在不支持其代谢活动的环境中发现。最近有报告称，大量嗜热（喜热）细菌作为休眠孢子不断沉积在永久寒冷的北极海洋沉积物中。令人惊讶的是，这些“热孢子”的数量很大，而且源源不断地涌入沉积物中，估计每年每平方米海底有1亿个孢子。它们一定是来自其他温暖的地方，那里有足够的地理分布和来源强度来解释细胞进入海底的高通量。热孢子基因组学提供了一些线索。已知的近亲来自深海生物圈的热点地区。大部分近缘油来自深埋于海相沉积物中的深部热油储层。石油储层是渗漏的，使得碳氢化合物通过覆盖的沉积物渗透到地表。这种流体流动可能会运输热孢子远离温暖的油藏栖息地到寒冷的ocean.Microbial活动和基因多样性数据将被用来开发敏感的定量程序，这将适用于海洋沉积物在墨西哥湾和加拿大北极，包括渗漏采样埃克森美孚。人们感兴趣的是热孢子是否可以帮助定位地下石油矿床。新的生物测定法旨在利用这些细菌在碳氢化合物渗漏地区进行海底测绘。渗漏检测是油气远景区风险评估的常规部分，因此热孢子分析可以支持加拿大大西洋和加拿大北极地区海上石油勘探的新技术。