NOVELTY - Method (I) for enhancing methanogenesis in an oil reservoir comprises: (a) identifying a reservoir comprising petroleum components suitable for methanogenesis, formation water and methanogenic microbial consortia; (b) identifying a set of nutrients based on the formation water and endogenous microbes present in reservoir; (c) adding a first solution comprising methanogenic nutrients based on the identification in step (b); (d) maintaining the reservoir under conditions so as to produce a second rate of methane production at the well head of at least 0.7 methane conversion factor (MCF) per day.    USE - The method is useful for enhancing methanogenesis in an oil reservoir.    ADVANTAGE - The method: provides the enhanced methanogenesis at commercially viable rates; and utilizes minimum amount of water containing nutrients at the maximum safe concentration, which avoids the deactivation of key organisms.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Method (I) for enhancing methanogenesis in an oil reservoir comprises: (a) identifying a reservoir comprising petroleum components suitable for methanogenesis, formation water and methanogenic microbial consortia, where the reservoir is endogenously produces a first rate of methane as measured in methane conversion factor (MCF) methane production at a well head per day of less than 0.02 MCF; (b) identifying a set of nutrients based on the formation water and endogenous microbes present in the reservoir, where the nutrients includes endogenous and/or exogenous nutrients; (c) adding a first solution comprising methanogenic nutrients based on the identification in step (b), where the nutrients comprise at least nitrogen and phosphate ions and the amount of the nutrients in the first solution is sufficient to enhance the rate of methanogenesis in the reservoir at its final dilution without being lethal to the methanogenic microbial consortia and the concentration of nutrients in the solution added facilitates dispersion of the nutrients from the first solution into the formation water; (d) maintaining the reservoir under conditions so as to produce a second rate of methane production at the well head of at least 0.7 MCF methane per day. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for: (1) a method (II) for increasing the rate of methanogenesis in a petroleum reservoir comprising: (a1) evaluating the petroleum components in the reservoir, methanogenic microbial consortia present, endogenous stimulants/inhibitors, pressure and temperature, and salinity of formation water in the reservoir; (b1) evaluating the nature and amount of stimulants and/or inhibitors to be added based on the evaluation in (a1), where the stimulants and/or inhibitors are endogenous and/or exogenous stimulants and/or inhibitors; (c1) injecting through a well head a solution of stimulants to the reservoir in an amount so that their concentration in the reservoir is above the critical concentration to effect enhanced methanogenesis but below a lethal dosing to the methanogenic microbial consortia; and (d1) maintaining the reservoir under conditions so that the rate of methanogenesis is increased to the point that methane production at the well head of at least a 20 MCF incremental increase in methane production at the well head per day prior to the injection of the solution; and (2) a method (III) for increasing the rate of methanogenesis in a reservoir, comprising: (a2) evaluating petroleum components in the reservoir, methanogenic microbial consortia present, endogenous stimulants/inhibitors, pressure and temperature, and salinity of formation water in the reservoir; (b2) confirming the presence of at least one of the microbes that comprise a methanogenic consortium including the Methanomicrobiales (e.g. Methanocalculus sp., Methanogenium sp. and Methanoculleus sp.), or the Methanosarcinales and anaerobic hydrocarbon fermenting bacteria e.g. Syntrophus sp., Smithella sp., Syntrophobacter sp., Syntrophomonas sp. and Marinobacter sp.; (c2) evaluating the nature and amount of stimulants to be added based on the evaluation in steps (a2) and (b2), where the stimulants at least one member of the methanogenic microbial consortium as in step (b2); (d2) evaluating the nature and amount of optional inhibitors to be added based on the evaluation in steps (a2) and (b2), where the inhibitors are those that inhibit at least one non-methanogenic pathways, and the inhibitors are either endogenous and/or exogenous inhibitors; (e2) injecting a solution of stimulants into the reservoir through a well head such that after injection the total concentration in the reservoir of stimulants is above the critical concentration to effect enhanced methanogenesis but below a lethal dosing for the methanogenic microbial consortia as in step (b2), where the amount of solution employed facilitates dispersion of the nutrients from the aqueous solution into the formation water; (f2) optionally injecting a solution comprising inhibitors into the reservoir through the well head so that after injection the total concentration in the reservoir of inhibitors is above the critical concentration to effect inhibition of non-methane producing competing reactions but below a lethal dosing for the methanogenic microbes, where the amount of solution employed facilitates dispersion of the nutrients into the formation water; and (g2) maintaining the reservoir under conditions so that the rate of methanogenesis is increased to the point that methane production at a well head is at least a 20 MCF incremental increase in methane generation at the well head per day prior to the injection of the solution of nutrients and the optional solution of inhibitors.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows the various microbial mediated pathways that convert hydrocarbons to methane via an acetate intermediate.