On the Radar…

Luca Technologies, Inc announced that it was notified by the US Patent and Trade office that one of its key patents has been allowed. Based in Golden, Colorado, Luca is developing technology to harvest natural gas from underground hydrocarbon deposits using microorganisms that process the large hydrocarbons into methane in the absence of oxygen. The allowed patent entitled “Biogenic Fuel Gas Generation in Geologic Hydrocarbon Deposits” (US 12/136,728) relates to collecting the relevant microorganisms, placing them in hydrocarbon deposits, and harvesting the resulting methane gas. The company has been issued a similar patent in New Zealand. Luca is currently field testing its methods and technology in coal beds in Wyoming.