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Microbial coal gasification is of great interest due to the necessity to develop more environmentally friendly methods of energy production. The two main lignite deposits in Poland (Bełchatów and Turów) have been studied for their natural methanogenic potential. The biological origin of gases occurring in the investigated strata was confirmed by carbon stable isotope fractionation. Methanogenesis was examined via long-term anaerobic microcosm incubations which were performed using coal extracted from upper- and lower- most parts of the deposits at 10 to 40 °C. Present-day methane formation was distinguished from physical desorption by application of 2-bromoethane sulphonate (BES), an inhibitor of terminal methane formation steps. Furthermore, glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), were used to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions and explain how the lignite environment affects the …