ABSTRACT
The microbial response to produced water reinjection (PWRI) in a North Sea oil field was investigated by a combination of cultivation and culture-independent molecular phylogenetic techniques. Special emphasise was put on the relationship between sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB), and results were used to evaluate the possibility of nitrate treatment as a souring management tool during PWRI. Samples were collected by reversing the flow of the injection water, which provided samples from around the injection area. The backflowed samples were compared to produced water from the same platform and to backflowed samples from a biocide-treated seawater injector, which was the previous injection water treatment of the PWRI well. Results showed that reinjection of produced water promoted growth of thermophilic SRB. Thermophilic fatty acid oxidising NRB and potential nitrate-reducing sulphide-oxidising bacteria were also found. The finding of thermophilic NRB makes nitrate treatment during PWRI possible, although higher nitrate concentration will be necessary to compensate for the increased SRB activity.
Subject(s)
Bacteria/classification , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Mineral Oil , Soil Microbiology , Water Microbiology , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/growth & development , Cluster Analysis , DNA, Bacterial/chemistry , DNA, Bacterial/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal/genetics , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Molecular Sequence Data , Nitrates/metabolism , North Sea , Oxidation-Reduction , Phylogeny , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sulfates/metabolismABSTRACT
Reservoir souring in offshore oil fields is caused by hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) produced by sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB), most often as a consequence of sea water injection. Biocide treatment is commonly used to inhibit SRB, but has now been replaced by nitrate treatment on several North Sea oil fields. At the Statfjord field, injection wells from one nitrate-treated reservoir and one biocide-treated reservoir were reversed (backflowed) and sampled for microbial analysis. The two reservoirs have similar properties and share the same pre-nitrate treatment history. A 16S rRNA gene-based community analysis (PCR-DGGE) combined with enrichment culture studies showed that, after 6 months of nitrate injection (0.25 mM NO(3) (-)), heterotrophic and chemolithotrophic nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) formed major populations in the nitrate-treated reservoir. The NRB community was able to utilize the same substrates as the SRB community. Compared to the biocide-treated reservoir, the microbial community in the nitrate-treated reservoir was more phylogenetically diverse and able to grow on a wider range of substrates. Enrichment culture studies showed that SRB were present in both reservoirs, but the nitrate-treated reservoir had the least diverse SRB community. Isolation and characterisation of one of the dominant populations observed during nitrate treatment (strain STF-07) showed that heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria affiliated to Terasakiella probably contributed significantly to the inhibition of SRB.
Subject(s)
Bacteria/classification , Ecosystem , Nitrates/pharmacology , Petroleum/microbiology , Seawater/microbiology , Bacteria/genetics , Bacteria/growth & development , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Colony Count, Microbial , Culture Media , DNA, Bacterial/analysis , Industrial Microbiology , Molecular Sequence Data , Nitrates/metabolism , North Sea , RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/classification , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/genetics , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/growth & development , Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria/isolation & purificationABSTRACT
Biogenic production of hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) is a problem for the oil industry as it leads to corrosion and reservoir souring. Continuous injection of a low nitrate concentration (0.25-0.33 mM) replaced glutaraldehyde as corrosion and souring control at the Veslefrikk and Gullfaks oil field (North Sea) in 1999. The response to nitrate treatment was a rapid reduction in number and activity of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in the water injection system biofilm at both fields. The present long-term study shows that SRB activity has remained low at < or =0.3 and < or =0.9 microg H(2)S/cm(2)/day at Veslefrikk and Gullfaks respectively, during the 7-8 years with continuous nitrate injection. At Veslefrikk, 16S rRNA gene based community analysis by PCR-DGGE showed that bacteria affiliated to nitrate-reducing sulphide-oxidizing Sulfurimonas (NR-SOB) formed major populations at the injection well head throughout the treatment period. Downstream of deaerator the presence of Sulfurimonas like bacteria was less pronounced, and were no longer observed 40 months into the treatment period. The biofilm community during nitrate treatment was highly diverse and relative stable for long periods of time. At the Gullfaks field, a reduction in corrosion of up to 40% was observed after switch to nitrate treatment. The present study show that nitrate injection may provide a stable long-term inhibition of SRB in sea water injection systems, and that corrosion may be significantly reduced when compared to traditional biocide treatment.
