JOINT CONVENTION 2003

Indonesian Geologists Association and Indonesian Geophysicists Association

Mulia Hotel, December 15-17, 2003, Jakarta

BIOGENIC GAS LABORATORY EXPERIMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE

ORIGIN OF BIOGENIC GAS FROM FIELD INVESTIGATION
Hananto Kurnio, Agus Setiya Budhi, Riza Rahardiawan, Rina Zuraida,
Yuniar P. Hutagaol, BudhyDharmawan, Irsan M. Pasaribu, Catur Purwanto,
Yudicara and Novi Sutisna

Marine Geological Institute of Indonesia (MGI)

Research and Development Agency for Energy and Mineral Resources
Department of Energy and Mineral Resources
Jl. Dr. Junjunan 236 Bandung 40174
E-mail: mgidesdm@melsa.net.id, Fax: 62-22-601887

Abstract
Field investigation for gas charged sediment in Juwana Waters medio 2001 had found out that gas distributed in
the youngest sediment sequence of subseafloor was derived from an older sediment sequence immediately
below the youngest sequence. Bor control of these sequences showed that the youngest consisted of marine mud
of loose behaviour while the older composed of organic clay or peat of very dark gray color and rather
compacted condition. Based on this investigation it was concluded that the gas occurred in the marine sediment
derived from peat layers and references study showed that the gas can be assumed as methane (CH4) of
biogenic origin

The authors also based on this field investigation developed biogenic gas experiment in the laboratory. The
experiment basically tried to trap biogenic gas in an anaerobic environment or chamber through fermentation
process. The equipment used three bottles of 1000 ml erlenmeyer, 500 ml erlenmeyer and 200 ml scale glass
and all these bottles were connected with plastic pipes of leakproof condition (air tight). Gas was produced in
the 1000 ml erlenmeyer as reactor using organic clay mixed with water (50 by 50 volume concentration) and the
resulted gas was piped through the 500 ml erlenmeyer contained of water. In the second bottle the gas pushed
down water column and the pushed water through connecting pipe was flowed into the third 200 ml scale glass.
Using two equipments: with and without methanogenic bacteria; the results showed that the organic clay
produced biogenic gas with production rates higher for the methanogenic experiment (app. 7 ml/day) than
without the bacteria experiment (app. 1 ml/day).