1. A process of stimulating the activity of microbial consortia in a hydrocarbon-bearing, subterranean formation to convert the hydrocarbons to methane, comprising the acts of: (a) analyzing one or more components of the formation to determine characteristics of the formation environment; (b) detecting the presence of microbial consortia within the formation; (c) determining one or more characterizations of one or more microorganisms of the consortia, at least one of the characterizations being of at least one methanogenic microorganism, and comparing the one or more characterizations with at least one known characterization derived from at least one known microorganism having one or more known physiological and ecological characteristics; (d) using information obtained from acts (a) and (c) for determining an ecological environment that promotes in situ microbial degradation of hydrocarbons and promotes microbial generation of methane by at least one methanogenic microorganism of the consortia; and (e) modifying the formation environment based on the determinations of act (d) to stimulate microbial conversion of hydrocarbons to methane.