Removal of heteroatoms and metals from heavy oils by bioconversion processes

Abstract

Biocatalysts, either appropriate microorganisms or isolated enzymes, will be used in an aqueous phase in contact with the heavy oil phase to extract heteroatoms such as sulfur from the oil phase by bioconversion processes. Somewhat similar work on coal processing will be adapted and extended for this application. Bacteria such as Desulfovibrio desulfuricans will be studied for the reductive removal of organically-bound sulfur and bacteria such as Rhodococcus rhodochrum will be investigated for the oxidative removal of sulfur. Isolated bacteria from either oil field co-produced sour water or from soil contaminated by oil spills will also be tested. At a later time, bacteria that interact with organic nitrogen may also be studied. This type of interaction will be carried out in advanced bioreactor systems where organic and aqueous phases are contacted. One new concept of emulsion-phase contacting, which will be investigated, disperses the aqueous phase in the organic phase and is then recoalesced for removal of the contaminants and recycled back to the reactor. This program is a cooperative research and development program with the following companies: Baker Performance Chemicals, Chevron, Energy BioSystems, Exxon, Texaco, and UNOCAL. After verification of the bioprocessing concepts on a laboratory-scale, the end-product will be a demonstration of the technology at an industrial site. This should result in rapid transfer of the technology to industry.