NOVELTY - Generating and recovering gas from naturally existing subsurface formations of e.g. coal involves injecting a consortia of microorganisms into fractures of the formation, under anaerobic conditions, for in situ conversion of organic compounds into methane and other compounds. Methane is produced through recovery well(s) extending from the subsurface formation to the surface.    USE - The method is useful for generating methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases.    ADVANTAGE - The method can be applied to coals, carbonaceous shales, organic-rich shales or shales at any level of thermal maturity, temperature and depth and in the presence of fresh or highly saline formation waters because modification and adjustment of the bacterial consortia and/or nutrients maximizes the bacterial degradation of the organic matter and subsequent generation of methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other gases. Conversion of the higher percentage of coal and shales into methane significantly increases natural gas reserves, providing a stable, economically favorable and environmentally clean energy source. The economic benefit of removing methane from coal beds using carbon dioxide lowers the overall cost of carbon dioxide sequestration, potentially adds an additional economic benefit through the in-situ bioconversion of green house gases specifically carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, sequestered into coal beds, into methane or other useful organic compounds. The method offers a mechanism by which green house gases e.g. carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are first sequestered into subsurface coal beds, rather than being emitted into the atmosphere, and are then subsequently converted into methane and other compounds through in-situ bioconversion.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A method of generating and recovering gas from naturally existing subsurface formations of coal, carbonaceous shale or organic rich shales involves injecting a consortia of selected anaerobic biological microorganism, into fractures of a subsurface formation, under anaerobic conditions, for in situ conversion of organic compounds in the formation, into methane and other compounds. Methane is consequently produced through recovery well(s) extending from the subsurface formation to the surface.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows the flowchart illustrating a three step process for bio-conversion of organic matter to methane and other compounds by anaerobic microorganisms.