NOVELTY - Increasing rate of production of methane in aqueous environment including carbonaceous material, anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes, and methanogenic organisms, comprises mixing electron transfer mediator into aqueous environment and catalyzing conversion of the substrates to methane performed by methanogenic organisms using reducing equivalents liberated by oxidizing or fermenting microbes. The oxidizing or fermenting microbes liberate source of reducing equivalents through oxidizing carbonaceous material.    USE - The method is useful for producing methane in aqueous environment (claimed) and biogas.    ADVANTAGE - The method: allows increased production of methane in the absence of separate cathodic and anodic half cells; does not require external source of energy to supplement the conversion of the substrates to methane; and and does not include an external supply of electricity to generate methane at an increased rate.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Increasing the rate of production of methane in an aqueous environment including a carbonaceous material, anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes, and methanogenic organisms, comprises mixing an electron transfer mediator into the aqueous environment and catalyzing the conversion of the substrates to methane performed by the methanogenic organisms using the reducing equivalents liberated by the anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes. The anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes liberate a source of reducing equivalents within the aqueous environment through oxidizing the carbonaceous material to substrates including hydrogen and a carbon containing compound comprising alcohols, fatty acids, organic sulfides, carboxylates, organic amines and/or organic acids. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a methane producing aqueous environment including: the carbonaceous materials, anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes and electron transfer mediator to catalyze the conversion of the substrates to methane by the methanogenic organisms using the reducing equivalents liberated by the anaerobic hydrocarbon oxidizing or fermenting microbes; or a source of reducing equivalents liberated from within the aqueous environment, substrates including hydrogen and a carbon containing compound, methanogenic organisms and electron transfer mediator.