TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Composition: The microbial consortia comprises bacteria/archaea. The first, second, and third microbial consortium comprise one or more obligate anaerobic microorganism or facultative anaerobic microorganism Ormicroaerophiles. Preferred Process: The third microbial consortium comprises a first group of microorganisms that convert acetate into carbon dioxide and free hydrogen, and a second group of microorganisms that convert the carbon dioxide and free hydrogen into methane and water. Preferred Components: The second microbial consortium comprises: bacteria of a genus of Pseudomonas, Gelria or Moorella, where the species of Pseudomonas microorganism comprises Pseudomonas stutzeri; and Thermo acetogenium phaeum. The first microbial consortium comprises bacteria of a genus of Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Geobacillus or Clostridia. The third microbial consortium comprises bacteria of: the genus Methanobacter; and Methanobacter thermoautotorophicus or Methanobacter wolfeii. The species of Thermotoga is Thermotoga hypogea, Thermotoga lettingae, Thermotoga subterranean, Thermotoga elfii, Thermotoga martima, Thermotoga neapolitana, Thermotoga thernarum or Thermotogapetrophila.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The molecules comprising oxidized carbon comprise carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The large and/or complex hydrocarbons are those of a carbonaceous source material is coal, or oil (both preferred), kerogen, peat, lignite, oil shale, tar sands, bitumen, or tar. The product comprises: (Ia) contains a molecule of an organic acid, an alcohol, an amine, a straight or branched hydrocarbon or an aromatic hydrocarbon; (Ib) contains a molecule of formate, acetate or benzoate; and smaller organic compounds includes a molecule of formate, acetate, benzoate, an alcohols, or an organic acids. The smaller hydrocarbons comprises methane. The larger hydrocarbon is present in a subsurface geological formation, where the subsurface geological formation is an oil formation, a natural gas formation, a coal formation, a bitumen formation, a tar sands formation, a lignite formation, a peat formation, a carbonaceous shale formation, or a formation comprising sediments rich in organic matter. EXAMPLE - None given.