Technology Foundation
Microbes characterize the subsurface and fluid movement
DNA Subsurface Signature
Microbes are present in the subsurface and exploit local variations in physical and chemical conditions and therefore are very highly associated with specific local subsurface intervals. These differences in microbial communities are brought to light by Biota. We analyze extracted microbial DNA sequences via proprietary bioinformatics methods.
We then look at the presence/absence, abundance, diversity, and evolutionary relationships of specific microbes,which are used to create a database of DNA marker sequences that are highly associated with, and therefore are used to define, different subsurface spatial regions spanning the vertical strata and formations as well as horizontally within the same formation along a lateral well.
Subsurface DNA is Ubiquitous and Resilient
Microbes exist in subsurface pore space, even if that is at the micrometer scale, which is typically seen in oil and gas reservoirs and source rocks. Furthermore, microbes can be found in extreme environments such as very high temperatures, and living bacteria can be found in 100M year old formations. (Science, July 2020)
From DNA to Diagnostic
Stanford Research at Sanford Underground Research Facility, SD (2019), used technology co-developed by Biota’s technology team. They analyzed formation water samples from new boreholes near mine shafts and used microbial fluid signatures to ID well connectivity from natural fractures. The hypothesis supported by analysis of coring run intersecting wells.
