Experts are questioning the feasibility of fracking due to decreased oil prices and lower than forecast recoverable resources. A proposed project analyzes new technologies to recover methane from abandoned oil and natural gas wells using low-cost biological and catalytic processes developed at MIT. These in-situ processes could convert methane in abandoned wells to avoid installation costs, but still need to improve yield and productivity to be economically viable.

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Abstract
Due to the increasing market competition, in US, oil and natural gas extraction have
to overcome various limits. Experts are questioning the feasibility of fracking due to a
sharp decrease in oil prices and large decreases in the forecast recoverable resources. The
reneries have to increase the process eciency and waste recover to meet new economic
and environmental requirements for the future.
The following project analyzes new technologies to recover methane that today is
unused for the high cost in handling such gas. The proposed technology will exploit bio-
logical and catalytic technologies that are being developed in MIT Chemical Engineering
Department by prof. Gregory Stephanopoulos and collaborators. The main source of
methane to be exploited are the abandoned wells. Low pressure and ow rate charac-
terized these apparatus. By lling the well with the proper solvent and reactants, the
conversion of methane can be done in situ, avoiding the installation costs of a reactor.
Notwithstanding the high economical advantages of such operational mode, the processes
still have to cope with drawbacks in yield and productivity.