Induced biochemical conversions of heavy crude oils

Premuzic, E.T.; Lin, Mow S.

doi:10.1016/s0920-4105(98)00066-7

Cited by 40 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…They reported that biodegradation and biotransformation processes lead to 16 % additional oil heavy recovery. Premuzic and Lin (1999) found that crude heavy oil did not show any presence of light components, in comparison heavy oil treated with biocatalysts showed the presence of light chain components in gas chromatography analysis. Mixture of bacterial strains: Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes degraded heavy oil components.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Potential in heavy oil biodegradation via enrichment of spore forming bacterial consortia

Al-Bahry

Al-Wahaibi

Al-Hinai

et al. 2016

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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It is quite challenging to recover heavy crude oil due to its high viscosity and long chain hydrocarbon contents. In this study the isolation of thermophilic bacterial consortia from crude oil contaminated soil samples and their ability to degrade heavy crude oil were investigated. Thermophilic spore forming bacteria were inoculated with heavy oil in minimal salt media. Maximum growth was observed on 21st day of incubation at 40°C. Samples were analyzed for biosurfactant production, where a substantial decrease in surface tension and interfacial tension was not observed. A well-assay was used to check the potential of bacterial consortia for oil-clearing zones on oil agar plate with bacterial cultures and their cell-free filtrates. 16S rRNA sequencing of 27 isolates from oil contaminated soil showed that isolates belonged to three classes: Alphaproteobacteria, gamma-proteobacteria and Bacilli. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the oil utilizing bacteria were rod-shaped with rough surface and fimbria. Gas chromatography analysis of treated oil after 21 days showed that bacterial consortia efficiently degraded heavy crude oil to light hydrocarbons ranging from C11-C27, from initial C37? carbon chain of untreated controls. These bacterial consortia showed potential in heavy crude oil biodegradation by breaking it down to smaller hydrocarbon composition.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Potential in heavy oil biodegradation via enrichment of spore forming bacterial consortia

Al-Bahry

Al-Wahaibi

Al-Hinai

et al. 2016

J Petrol Explor Prod Technol

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“…A limited number of studies have been carried out on biological methods of removing heavy metals such as nickel and vanadium from petroleum distillate fractions, coal-derived liquid shale, bitumens, tars, and synthetic fuels (188,429,487,488,673). In one approach, cytochrome c reductase and chloroperoxidase enzymes have shown potential for metal removal from petroleum fractions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent Advances in Petroleum Microbiology

Hamme¹,

Singh

Ward

2003

Microbiol Mol Biol Rev

1,201

640

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Recent advances in molecular biology have extended our understanding of the metabolic processes related to microbial transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The physiological responses of microorganisms to the presence of hydrocarbons, including cell surface alterations and adaptive mechanisms for uptake and efflux of these substrates, have been characterized. New molecular techniques have enhanced our ability to investigate the dynamics of microbial communities in petroleum-impacted ecosystems. By establishing conditions which maximize rates and extents of microbial growth, hydrocarbon access, and transformation, highly accelerated and bioreactor-based petroleum waste degradation processes have been implemented. Biofilters capable of removing and biodegrading volatile petroleum contaminants in air streams with short substrate-microbe contact times (<60 s) are being used effectively. Microbes are being injected into partially spent petroleum reservoirs to enhance oil recovery. However, these microbial processes have not exhibited consistent and effective performance, primarily because of our inability to control conditions in the subsurface environment. Microbes may be exploited to break stable oilfield emulsions to produce pipeline quality oil. There is interest in replacing physical oil desulfurization processes with biodesulfurization methods through promotion of selective sulfur removal without degradation of associated carbon moieties. However, since microbes require an environment containing some water, a two-phase oil-water system must be established to optimize contact between the microbes and the hydrocarbon, and such an emulsion is not easily created with viscous crude oil. This challenge may be circumvented by application of the technology to more refined gasoline and diesel substrates, where aqueous-hydrocarbon emulsions are more easily generated. Molecular approaches are being used to broaden the substrate specificity and increase the rates and extents of desulfurization. Bacterial processes are being commercialized for removal of H2S and sulfoxides from petrochemical waste streams. Microbes also have potential for use in removal of nitrogen from crude oil leading to reduced nitric oxide emissions provided that technical problems similar to those experienced in biodesulfurization can be solved. Enzymes are being exploited to produce added-value products from petroleum substrates, and bacterial biosensors are being used to analyze petroleum-contaminated environments

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“…The progressive depletion of high-quality light crudes has led to investigate biochemical conversion of heavy crudes into lighter crudes utilising extremophilic bacterial species of Thiobacillus, Achromobacter, Pseudomonas and Sulpholobus (Premuzic and Lin, 1999). The strategy used was to adapt these bacteria to resist high temperatures, pressures and salt and hydrocarbon concentrations, followed by introducing them into the crudes in aqueous solution and incubating at temperatures of 50-65 • C. Generally, the treated crudes became lighter and contained about 24-40% less sulphur, nitrogen, oxygen and heavy metals.…”

Section: Biotransformation Of Heavy Crudes Into Lighter Crudesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems

Whitby¹,

Skovhus²

2011

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Induced biochemical conversions of heavy crude oils

Cited by 40 publications

References 11 publications

Potential in heavy oil biodegradation via enrichment of spore forming bacterial consortia

Potential in heavy oil biodegradation via enrichment of spore forming bacterial consortia

Recent Advances in Petroleum Microbiology

Applied Microbiology and Molecular Biology in Oilfield Systems

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