| Summary: | A novel hyperthermophilic archaeon, termed strain T7324<sup>T</sup>, was isolated from a mixed sulfate-reducing consortium recovered from hot water produced from a deep North Sea oil reservoir. The isolate is a strict anaerobic chemo-organotroph able to utilize yeast extract or starch as a carbon source. The genes for a number of sugar degradation enzymes and glutamate dehydrogenase previously attributed to the sulfate reducing strain of the consortium (<i>Archaeoglobus fulgidus</i> strain 7324) were identified in the nearly completed genome sequence. Sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene placed the strain in the <i>Thermococcus</i> genus, but with an average nucleotide identity that is less than 90% to its closest relatives. Phylogenomic treeing reconstructions placed the strain on a distinct lineage clearly separated from other <i>Thermococcus</i> spp. The results indicate that the strain T7324<sup>T</sup> represents a novel species, for which the name <i>Thermococcus bergensis</i> sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is T7324<sup>T</sup> (=DSM 27149<sup>T</sup> = KCTC 15808<sup>T</sup>).
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