Injection of 10% H2 in deep aquifer simulated with a pressurized reactor (95 bar)

With the increase of "green"-power-to-gas (with electricity from solar or wind), H2 is injected in the natural gas grid. The objective of the study is to assess the impact of natural gas storage (comprising 10% H2) on the microbial diversity of the deep aquifer and the geological storage. Formation water was collected using a down hole sampler from a deep aquifer used for natural gas storage. This formation water (with indigenous microorganisms) was incubated in a deformable reactor maintaining a pressure of 95 bar. After 21 days of incubation in conditions mimicking the natural gas storage, 10% H2 was injected into the gas phase. Throughout the procedure, microbial diversity from the 16S rRNA genes was monitored via sequencing approaches (Illumina, Miseq).