TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Process: The identifying step comprises testing in vitro substrate(s), reactant(s) or cofactor(s) at more than one concentration to monitor and optimize methane production in a culture system comprising microorganism isolated from hydrocarbon-bearing formation, where culture system provides coal as sole carbon source; or comprising defined microbial assemblage, where defined microbial assemblage combines a culture of single strain of microorganism from hydrocarbon-bearing formation with other defined culture(s) of another single strain of microorganism, such that members of defined microbial assemblage act synergistically to produce methane, and where culture system provides coal as sole carbon source. The enzyme is introduced into hydrocarbon-bearing formation, and is introduced by introducing a microorganism expressing the enzyme into hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The method further comprises providing a substrate, reactant or cofactor to defined microbial assemblage that increases methane production. Preferred Component: The microorganisms are enriched by selecting for the ability to grow on coal as sole carbon source. The microorganism is a bacterial species or archaeal species capable of converting a hydrocarbon to a product consisting of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, acetate, formate, methanol, methylamine or methanogenic substrate; methanogenic bacterial species; or methanogenic archaeal species. The microorganism is a species of bacteria consisting of, or the defined microbial assemblage comprises greater than or equal to 2 species of microorganisms consisting of, Pseudomonas, Arcobacter, Desulfuromonas, Pelobacter, Desulfovibrio, Spirochaeta, Erysipelothrix, Thauera, Clostridium, Acholeplasma, Magnetospirillum or Sulfurospirillum; or a species of archaea consisting of Methanolobus, Methanocalculus or members of phylum Crenarcheaota. The enzyme is peroxidases, phenol oxidases, alcohol oxidases, laccases, hydrolases, glycosyl hydrolases, esterases, etherases, oxidases, nitrogenases, cellulases, amylases, glucanases, pullanases, reductases, dismutases, catalases, hydrogenases, carboxylases, or preferably oxygenases, monooxygenases or dioxygenases. The enzyme is present in existing microorganism in hydrocarbon-bearing formation. The microorganism expressing the enzyme is a recombinant microorganism prepared by modifying a microorganism derived from hydrocarbon-bearing formation; or is a synthetic microorganism.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The substrate, reactant or cofactor is oxygen.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The hydrocarbon-bearing formation is peat, lignite, oil shale, oil formation, traditional black oil, viscous oil, oils sands or tar sands, or preferably coal. The substrate, reactant or cofactor is a sulfur-containing compound, nitrogen-containing compound, phosphorus-containing compound, trace element, electron acceptor, electron donor, halogen, metal, alcohol, organic acid, alkane, alkene, alkyne, aromatic compound, amine, ether, aldehyde, ketone, thiol, acetate, aromatic hydrocarbon, or gas. Preferred Process: The process comprises introducing oxygen into hydrocarbon-bearing formation. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.