In this study, quartz substrates were incubated in sulfate-reducing
bacteria (SRB) culture for 21 days at room temperature. Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
were used to quantify the bacterium effect, i.e., organic metabolite
acids on the wetting behavior of the mineral surface. We examined
the wettability of the quartz substrate before and after microorganism
effects under reservoir conditions, i.e., 0 to 27 MPa pressures and
50 °C temperature. Nevertheless, there is no study reported to
date for real geologic conditions, including for hydrogen–bacteria–rock
wettability, which is proven to determine storage capacities, withdrawal
rates, and containment security. Our findings reveal that the pH value
of quartz dipped in the nutrient solution without SRB did not change
meaningfully for 21 days. However, it significantly reduced from 7.58
to 5.98 with SRB. These microorganisms produce H2S, release
the organic metabolite acids, and change the wettability of the mineral.
The wettability of quartz surface changes from 4.2° to 14.4°,
i.e., a 10.2% increase at 27 MPa and 50 °C after the bacterium
effect. FTIR indicates the hydroxyl, amine, and carboxyl group (i.e.,
acetic acid) spectra in the microorganism solution. Inductively coupled
plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) shows that the concentrations of
sulfate (
normalS
normalO
4
2
−
), aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca),
and magnesium (Mg) have significantly reduced after the SRB effect.
Overall, strong water-wet quartz shifted to less water-wet quartz
after the microorganism effect under the reservoir conditions. SRB
slightly reduce the residual trapping effect. Hence, this process
might have enhanced the withdrawing efficiency of H2 in
high brine-saturated sandstone reservoir rock under the microbial
activity.
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