TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Consortium: The isolated microbial consortium comprises a first microbial consortium that includes Thermacetogenium phaeum to metabolize a complex hydrocarbon substrate into metabolic products comprising an acetate compound; and a second microbial consortium comprising a methanogen to convert the acetate compound into a final product comprising methane. The T. phaeum comprises T. phaeum spores. The complex hydrocarbon substrate is oil, oil shale, tar sands or tat. The complex hydrocarbon substrate is coal, lignite, peat or carbonaceous shale. The complex hydrocarbon substrate comprises a linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon. The hydrocarbon has at least 6 carbon atoms. The methanogen converts the acetate compound directly into the methane and carbon dioxide through acetate fermentation. The acetate compound is first converted into molecular hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and the methanogen converts the molecular hydrogen and the carbon dioxide into the methane through a carbonate reduction. The methanogen is Methanosarcina thermophila or Methanosaeta thermophilaPreferred Method: Increasing production of materials with enhanced hydrogen content comprises: (1) isolating T. phaeum from geologic formation water; (2) culturing the isolated T. phaeum to increase the T. phaeum population; and (3) introducing a consortium comprising the cultured T. phaeum into a hydrocarbon formation containing a complex hydrocarbon substrate. The method comprises causing at least a portion of the cultured T. phaeum to sporulate. The T. phaeum sporulates by heating the T. phaeum to a temperature of about 120degreesC. The T. phaeum sporulates by dehydrating T. phaeum. The method comprises germinating the spores of the cultured T. phaeum that are introduced to the hydrocarbon formation. The geologic formation water is taken from the hydrocarbon formation. Isolating the T. phaeum comprises autoclaving the formation water. The formation water is autoclaved at about 120degreesC for about 20 minutes at about 15 psi. The formation water is autoclaved in at least three successive cycles. The isolated T. phaeum is cultured in an environment comprising a growth stimulant. The growth stimulant is sodium pyruvate. The hydrocarbon formation comprises a mature oil field. The complex hydrocarbon substrate is oil, oil shale, tar sands or tar. The complex hydrocarbon substrate is coal, lignite, peat or carbonaceous shale. Isolating T. phaeum from a native consortium of microorganisms comprises removing formation water from an underground formation, where the formation water comprises the native consortium that includes the T. phaeum; and heating the formation water to about 120degreesC or more, where the T. phaeum survives the heating process. The formation water is heated for about 20 minutes or more. The formation water is heated at a pressure of about 15 psi or more. The formation water is heated in three or more successive heating cycles that take the formation water from room temperature to the heating temperature. The formation water is heated at 120degreesC for 20 minutes at 15 psi in three consecutive heating cycles. At least some of the T. phaeum forms spores during the heating process. The formation water is heated in an atmosphere with substantially no free oxygen. The atmosphere is nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Stimulating biological activity of T. phaeum in a geologic formation comprises: (1) detecting the T. phaeum in the geologic formation; (2) measuring one or more environmental characteristics of the geologic formation, and determining a composition of carbonaceous material in the formation; and (3) adding an amendment to the formation based on the measurements of the environmental characteristics and the composition of the carbonaceous material. The amendment increases a rate at which the T. phaeum metabolizes the carbonaceous material into metabolic products comprising an acetate compound. The amendment increases population growth of the T. phaeum in the geologic formation. The amendment comprises adding a growth stimulant to the formation. The growth stimulant comprises sodium pyruvate. The amendment comprises adding a nutrient to the formation. The nutrient comprises methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, n-butanol, 2,3-butane-diol, ethanolamine, 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate, syringate, vanillate, glycine, cysteine, formate, hydrogen or carbon dioxide. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.