Petroleum microbiology

Abstract

This brief encyclopedia entry provides a succinct but useful definition of the field of study known as petroleum microbiology. This blog provides a good overview of microbial enhanced oil recovery history, methods, successes and needs for further research. Sintef, the largest independent research organization in Scandinavia, provides an excellent resource on the general topic of petroleum microbiology. There are links to original research papers. This site provides elementary information about the different facets of petroleum microbiology. This report is well referenced and contains some general information on enhanced recovery techniques and biosurfactants. This Wikipedia entry is a good starting point for information on oil spills. Parts of it deal with bioremediation and the addition of dispersants. This report, although a bit dated, is a useful compilation of issues relevant to microbiological treatment of oil spills in the oceans. This site is self-described as the ‘Little black book for oil spill contractors’. This booklet is published by the American Academy of Microbiology and contains general information pertaining to oil spills, organized in a frequently-asked-questions format. This page contains photos pertaining to the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in the summer of 2010. This page focuses on microbiological aspects of oil spills. This page maintained by the US Environmental Protection Agency contains broad-based information on oil spills. It provides links to protocols and recommended practices. This page provides information on the microbial biodegradation reactions known for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). Isooctane is an example of a branched, aliphatic hydrocarbon and its biodegradation metabolism is shown at this site. Fluorene is an example of a fused-ring aromatic/aliphatic compound representative of a large group of compounds found in petroleum. Dibenzothiophene is a representative heterocyclic compound. Microbes catalyse an interesting and useful set of reactions with these compounds that result in the removal of the organic sulfur. This page provides a good list of papers relevant to oil spills. Most of the papers focus on microbiological or analytical chemical aspects. This book is a comprehensive resource on the microbiological aspects of well biofouling. This Wikipedia entry provides an excellent overview of microbial enhanced oil recovery. This site emphasizes how microbiology plays a key role in petroleum industry operations. Claude ZoBell was a pioneer in petroleum microbiology and his work laid the groundwork for subsequent studies on hydrocarbon metabolism, biosurfactants and concepts of enhanced oil recovery.