Oil-field Bacteria Research Articles

The antioxidant potential of copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized from a new bacterial strain

Abstract. Alshami HGA, Al-Tamimi WH, Hateet RR. 2023. The antioxidant potential of copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized from a new bacterial strain. Biodiversitas 24: 2666-2673. Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) have recently gained much attention due to their potential in various fields. The present study aimed to screen nine bacterial strains (Klebsiella quasipneumoniae KP18-31, K. pneumoniae IOB-L, K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae 2437, Bacillus cereus DBA1, B. thuringiensis MSP51, Neobacillus drentensis ROA042, Enterococcus faecalis 2674, Exiguobacterium mexicanum AB201, and Acinetobacter lwoffii K34) isolated from produced water of oil field reservoirs for their ability to biosynthesize CuONPs, as well as characterize and evaluate the antioxidant potential of the manufactured CuONPs. Biosynthesized CuONPs were characterized using XRD, TEM, AFM, and zeta potential analysis. In addition, the DPPH method was used to analyze the antioxidant activity of CuONPs. The results revealed that five of the nine isolates could synthesize CuONPs. B. thuringiensis MSP5 was the best and most productive among them, and it was used for the first time in this present study as an oil field bacteria for the biosynthesis of CuONPs. The results showed that CuONPs have a spherical shape with an average size of 20, 33, and 75 nm based on XRD, TEM, and AFM analysis, respectively. The zeta potential value of the synthesized CuONPs was -12.4 mV. The antioxidant results demonstrated that CuONPs have a remarkable scavenging activity with an IC50 value of 141.68 ?g/mL. This study concluded that CuONPs were excellent free radical scavengers.

Investigation on the Impact of an Enhanced Oil Recovery Polymer towards Microbial Growth and Microbial Induced Corrosion Rates

Some of the enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques involve injection of polymer brine in the formation. Addition of polymer increases the viscosity causing improved sweep efficiency owing to favorable mobility factor. Microbial induced corrosion (MIC) is caused by growth of certain bacterial species in the pipeline system and the reservoir. There is possibility of MIC to occur along the water injection schemes. Sea water is considered bereft of nutrients not allowing much bacterial activity but some sessile consortia may grow on internal line surface and cause corrosion. When the sea water is injected into the formation some anaerobic consortia dominated by sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) grow in the formation. These bacteria use oxygen present in sulfate for respiration and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as carbon source. But after some time of water injection the formation may get depleted of VFAs thwarting bacterial growth. This study was taken up to understand impact of EOR polymer on growth of bacterial consortium. A bacterial consortia labelled as consortia II from ATCC which is tough oilfield bacteria consortia was allowed to grow with VFA (lactate or acetate), in absence of VFA and in presence of 1000 ppm of HPAM polymer. Planktonic and sessile counts were monitored over 40 days period. Results from this study showed, microbes utilized the polymer as their secondary nutrient, whenever their preferred nutrient was depleted or insufficient. SRB sessile count which was 102 cells/cm2 in nutrient depleted medium picked up a value of 106 cells/cm2 in presence of polymer. It was observed that the bacteria first utilize the available VFA source, after that a period of lull for about 5 days followed before the growth being picked up.

Lipids of Dietzia sp. A14101. Part I: A study of the production dynamics of surface-active compounds

Dietzia sp. A14101 belonging to the genus Dietzia (Gram-positive bacteria, Actinomycetes, high G+C content of DNA) was isolated from an oil reservoir model column inoculated with oil-field bacteria (Bødtker et al., 2009). Low interfacial tension (IFT) values were obtained by studying intact strain cells grown on water-immiscible hydrocarbons (HC) (Kowalewski et al. (2004), Kowalewski et al. (2005). Further investigations showed that the adaptation mechanism of Dietzia sp. A14101 to toxic water-immiscible HC involved changes both on the level of fatty acids content and in the physical properties of the cellular surface (development of the negative cellular surface charge and an increased in hydrophobicity) (Hvidsten et al., 2015b). However, these changes could not explain the low IFT values observed in earlier studies of this strain. Generally, low IFT imply a production of surface active compounds of low MW that are lipids by structure (Rosenberg and Ron, 1999).In this paper, it is shown that Dietzia sp. A14101 produces a range of glycolipids on all substrates. The amount of trehalose-containing lipids increases when the strain is grown on hydrocarbons. The production peak seems to coincide with the exponential growth phase, and such increased glycolipid synthesis continues throughout the stationary phase. The results indicate that only low amounts of the hydrocarbon substrate is incorporated directly into the glycolipids produced. Most of the hydrocarbon substrate seems to be employed for the biosynthesis of the neutral lipids and higher amounts of biomass were generated on HC substrates compared to incubations on non-HC substrates.The lipid content of the cell was determined as the total lipid extract (TLE), and was further fractionated (SPE). The hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties of the isolated surface active compounds were determined (GC–MS, TLC, DART, LC–MS). The changes in the lipid content during the culture development were monitored by 1D and 2D TLC, emulsification and oil-spreading tests.

Hydrocarbon degradation by Dietzia sp. A14101 isolated from an oil reservoir model column

The hydrocarbon-degrading strain Dietzia sp. A14101 was isolated from an oil reservoir model column inoculated with oil-field bacteria. The column was continuously injected with nitrate (0.5 mM) from the start of water flooding, which lead to a gradual development of nitrate reduction in the column. Strain A14101 was able to utilize a range of aliphatic hydrocarbons as sole carbon and energy source during aerobic growth. Whole oil gas chromatography analysis of the crude oil phase from aerobic pure cultures showed that strain A14101 utilized the near complete range of aliphatic components and aromatic components toluene and xylene. Longer n-alkanes >/=C(17) were utilized simultaneously with the shorter C(10) and C(15). After 120 days aerobic incubation, the whole oil gas chromatography profile of the crude oil phase was similar to that of heavily biodegraded oils. Anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons with nitrate was not observed. Nitrate reduction was, however, observed during anaerobic growth on propionate, which suggests that strain A14101 grows on fatty acids in the column rather than on hydrocarbons.

Transformation of iron sulfide to greigite by nitrite produced by oil field bacteria

Nitrate, injected into oil fields, can oxidize sulfide formed by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) through the action of nitrate-reducing sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB). When reservoir rock contains siderite (FeCO(3)), the sulfide formed is immobilized as iron sulfide minerals, e.g. mackinawite (FeS). The aim of our study was to determine the extent to which oil field NR-SOB can oxidize or transform FeS. Because no NR-SOB capable of growth with FeS were isolated, the well-characterized oil field isolate Sulfurimonas sp. strain CVO was used. When strain CVO was presented with a mixture of chemically formed FeS and dissolved sulfide (HS(-)), it only oxidized the HS(-). The FeS remained acid soluble and non-magnetic indicating that it was not transformed. In contrast, when the FeS was formed by adding FeCl(2) to a culture of SRB which gradually produced sulfide, precipitating FeS, and to which strain CVO and nitrate were subsequently added, transformation of the FeS to a magnetic, less acid-soluble form was observed. X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive spectrometry indicated the transformed mineral to be greigite (Fe(3)S(4)). Addition of nitrite to cultures of SRB, containing microbially formed FeS, was similarly effective. Nitrite reacts chemically with HS(-) to form polysulfide and sulfur (S(0)), which then transforms SRB-formed FeS to greigite, possibly via a sulfur addition pathway (3FeS + S(0) --> Fe(3)S(4)). Further chemical transformation to pyrite (FeS(2)) is expected at higher temperatures (>60 degrees C). Hence, nitrate injection into oil fields may lead to NR-SOB-mediated and chemical mineral transformations, increasing the sulfide-binding capacity of reservoir rock. Because of mineral volume decreases, these transformations may also increase reservoir injectivity.

Sulfur cycling in mixed cultures of sulfide-oxidizing and sulfate- or sulfur-reducing oil field bacteria

Thiomicrospira strain CVO and Arcobacter strain FWKO B are two nitrate-reducing, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (NR-SOB) isolated from the Coleville field in western Canada. Analysis by reverse sample genome probing (RSGP) indicates that both can be enriched from Coleville produced water samples by addition of nitrate. Neither could be enriched from waters produced from oil fields with a high resident temperature (40-60°C). In co-cultures of the two microorganisms, CVO dominated at lower and FWKO B at higher sulfide concentrations. Sulfide concentrations of up to 15 mM (480 ppm) could be controlled (i.e., reduced to lower values) by the co-culture. Mixed cultures of a sulfate-reducing bacterium (Desulfovibrio strain Lac6) and CVO or FWKO B produced considerably less sulfide than cultures of Lac6 alone, indicating that these NR-SOB can efficiently oxidize sulfide generated by sulfate reduction provided nitrate is present. The same observations were made for mixed cultures of a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium (Desulfuromonas acetoxidans) and CVO. The results indicate that successful nitrate-mediated conversion of sulfide to oxidized forms (sulfur, sulfate) in oil field production waters by NR-SOB requires the absence of high concentrations of electron donors (e.g., lactate, acetate) that can reverse the nitrate-mediated oxidation reaction.

Sulfur cycling in mixed cultures of sulfide-oxidizing and sulfate- or sulfur-reducing oil field bacteria

Sulfur cycling in mixed cultures of sulfide-oxidizing and sulfate- or sulfur-reducing oil field bacteria

Effects of two diamine biocides on the microbial community from an oil field

The effects of diamine (R1-NH-R2-NH2) biocides A and B on the microbial population from an oil field were investigated with reverse sample genome probing (RSGP), a technique designed to track multiple oil field bacteria in a single assay. RSGP studies of sessile microbial populations scraped from corrosion coupons obtained from biocide-treated oil field installations indicated dominance of Desulfovibrio spp. Lac6 and Eth3, or of selected heterotrophs. RSGP of planktonic production water samples indicated a broad distribution of microorganisms that changed with the addition of medium for the growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria, containing different organic acids as electron donors for sulfate reduction. Use of lactate, propionate, or acetate enriched Desulfovibrio spp., Desulfobulbus sp. Pro4, or Desulfobacter spp., respectively. Treatment of lactate- or mixed organic acid-fed planktonic populations with biocides indicated resistance of Lac6 and Eth3 to 400 ppm of biocide B and 40 ppm of biocide A. The dominance of these two Desulfovibrio spp. in many sessile field samples is, therefore, likely caused by biocide selection.Key words: Desulfovibrio, sulfate reduction, microbial corrosion, souring, biocide.

Effects of two diamine biocides on the microbial community from an oil field

The effects of diamine (R1-NH-R2-NH2) biocides A and B on the microbial population from an oil field were investigated with reverse sample genome probing (RSGP), a technique designed to track multiple oil field bacteria in a single assay. RSGP studies of sessile microbial populations scraped from corrosion coupons obtained from biocide-treated oil field installations indicated dominance of Desulfovibrio spp. Lac6 and Eth3, or of selected heterotrophs. RSGP of planktonic production water samples indicated a broad distribution of microorganisms that changed with the addition of medium for the growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria, containing different organic acids as electron donors for sulfate reduction. Use of lactate, propionate, or acetate enriched Desulfovibrio spp., Desulfobulbus sp. Pro4, or Desulfobacter spp., respectively. Treatment of lactate- or mixed organic acid-fed planktonic populations with biocides indicated resistance of Lac6 and Eth3 to 400 ppm of biocide B and 40 ppm of biocide A. The dominance of these two Desulfovibrio spp. in many sessile field samples is, therefore, likely caused by biocide selection.Key words: Desulfovibrio, sulfate reduction, microbial corrosion, souring, biocide.

Characterization of 16S rRNA genes from oil field microbial communities indicates the presence of a variety of sulfate-reducing, fermentative, and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria.

Oil field bacteria were characterized by cloning and sequencing of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes. A variety of gram-negative, sulfate-reducing bacteria was detected (16 members of the family Desulfovibrionaceae and 8 members of the family Desulfobacteriaceae). In contrast, a much more limited number of anaerobic, fermentative, or acetogenic bacteria was found (one Clostridium sp., one Eubacterium sp., and one Synergistes sp.). Potential sulfide oxidizers and/or microaerophiles (Thiomicrospira, Arcobacter, Campylobacter, and Oceanospirillum spp.) were also detected. The first two were prominently amplified from uncultured production water DNA and represented 28 and 47% of all clones, respectively. Growth on media containing sulfide as the electron donor and nitrate as the electron acceptor and designed for the isolation of Thiomicrospira spp. gave only significant enrichment of the Campylobacter sp., which was shown to be present in different western Canadian oil fields. This newly discovered sulfide oxidizer may provide a vital link in the oil field sulfur cycle by reoxidizing sulfide formed by microbial sulfate or sulfur reduction.

Propionate-driven sulphate-reduction by oil-field bacteria in a pressurised porous rock bioreactor

Propionate-driven sulphate-reduction by oil-field bacteria in a pressurised porous rock bioreactor

Propionate-driven sulphate-reduction by oil-field bacteria in a pressurised porous rock bioreactor

The occurrence of high concentrations (up to 4900 mg/l) of anions of acetic, propionic and butyric acids in co-produced water from oil reservoirs represents a large pool of potential electron donors for bacterial sulphate reduction. Enrichment cultures in defined media, isolated from a variety of oil-filed environments demonstrated the wide distribution of acetate-and propionate-utilising sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). A propionate-utilising enrichment culture consisting predominantly of SRB, tentatively identified as species of Desulfobulbus, was used to inoculate a pressurised porous rack bioreator operating under simulated reservoir conditions. Using a flood velocity of 6.3 cm/h with an inlet propionate concentration of 168 mg/l, a sulphide generation rate of 2.5 μg/ml of rock per hour was achieved at 30° C and 20 MPa. This rate indicates that a sphere of reservoir rock 9.3 m in radius, colonised with propionate-utilising SRB, could produce 50 kg sulphide day. The rates of propionate-driven bacterial sulphate reduction observed in the porous rock bioreactor could sustain the H2S production rates observed from wells in souring reservoirs.

Effect of Certain Micro-organisms on the Injection of Water into Sand

Abstract This paper describes briefly some of the common micro-organisms that occurin waters obtained from tanks in the Luling and east Texas oil fields;discusses in some detail the effect of the organisms on the chemical content ofthe waters; describes the bioproducts and precipitates resulting from thegrowth of bacteria and algae; and illustrates by means of experiments theeffect of these organisms and their precipitates on the permeability of oilsands into which contaminated water is introduced. The experiments anddiscussion are designed with special reference to waterflooding andwater-disposal problems. Early Work on Micro-Organisms in Oil-Field Waters It has long been known that microorganisms are present in oil-field waters.Rogers, Bastin, Gahl and Anderson Ginsburg-Karagitscheva, Ginter, and Bushnelland Haas have pointed out their presence and possible chemical effects onoil-field waters. Sanders has found them in oil and Klinkenberg has mentionedthe possible effect of bacteria on the flow of water through sand. However, very little has been published by petroleum engineers on the quantitativeeffect of micro-organisms on the permeability of oil-field fluids or on methodsof counteracting harmful chemical effects of oil-field bacteria or on methodsof sterilizing and purifying oil-field waters on a large scale. Mostpublications on the microorganisms of springs and ponds are by biologists andwritten from a biological point of view, and they do not deal particularly withoil-field waters. Description of Micro-Organisms Four types of organisms are present in oil-field waters and appear to play aprincipal part in producing harmful precipitates; that is, iron bacteria, sulphur-oxidizing bacteria, sulphate-reducing bacteria, and blue-greenalgae. The iron bacteria were discovered by Ehrenberg in 1836. Many kinds occur.One of the commonest forms in Texas waters is Gallionella. This form is longand ribbonlike or tapelike, and under the microscope it looks like evenlytwisted, tiny, spiral threads or bands (Fig. I). The spiral bands may occur assingle filaments or may be twisted together. The filaments are covered withferric hydroxide secreted by the bacterial cell (Fig. 2). The terminal cellstructure, only 1.2 by 0.5 microns in size, consists of two coccuslike cells,0.3 by 0.5 microns in size. T.P. 1678