Biogas (natural gas?) production by anaerobic digestion of oil cake by a mixed culture isolated from cow dung.

Starting with cow dung, a mixed culture capable of producing biogas by the anaerobic digestion of castor cake (oil expelled) has been isolated and stabilized. The biogas so produced contains small quantities of ethane, propane and butane in addition to methane and carbon dioxide which are the major constituents. This suggests that the mixed culture contains organisms hitherto unisolated and unidentified which are capable of synthesizing these hydrocarbons through the mediation of the alkyl derivatives of coenzyme M.