Microbial Control of Hydrogen Sulfide Production in Oil Reservoirs

Sunde, Egil; Torsvik, Terje

doi:10.1128/9781555817589.ch10

Cited by 42 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…However, the effects of temperature decreases in marine oil reservoirs caused by the introduction of sulfate-rich sea-water have been studied in detail. Several studies showed that the injection of sea-water in oil production systems altered the physical and chemical conditions in the reservoir, and favored the growth of mesophilic sea water bacteria, particularly SRB, near the injection well (Sunde and Torsvik 2005;Vance and Thrasher 2005). Subsequently, the activity of SRB caused severe economic problems due to the produced H 2 S, leading to microbiologically influenced corrosion, reservoir souring, and decreasing efficiency of oil production due to plugging by SRB biomass and precipitated metal sulfides.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer

et al. 2013

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The microbial diversity of a deep saline aquifer used for geothermal heat storage in the North German Basin was investigated. Genetic fingerprinting analyses revealed distinct microbial communities in fluids produced from the cold and warm side of the aquifer. Direct cell counting and quantification of 16S rRNA genes and dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrA) genes by real-time PCR proved different population sizes in fluids, showing higher abundance of bacteria and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) in cold fluids compared with warm fluids. The operation-dependent temperature increase at the warm well probably enhanced organic matter availability, favoring the growth of fermentative bacteria and SRB in the topside facility after the reduction of fluid temperature. In the cold well, SRB predominated and probably accounted for corrosion damage to the submersible well pump, and iron sulfide precipitates in the near wellbore area and topside facility filters. This corresponded to lower sulfate content in fluids produced from the cold well as well as higher content of hydrogen gas that was probably released from corrosion, and maybe favored growth of hydrogenotrophic SRB. This study reflects the high influence of microbial populations for geothermal plant operation, because microbiologically induced precipitative and corrosive processes adversely affect plant reliability.2

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer

et al. 2013

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“…However, fieldwide injection of nitrate into the reservoir (Sunde and Torsvik 2005;Voordouw et al 2009) may be ineffective, when only a minor fraction of sulfide is generated in the NIWR (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Often, the injection water contains sulfate originating from the makeup water (Voordouw et al 2009). Injection of this water causes contact of sulfate and oil organics downhole in the near-injection wellbore region (NIWR), which can then become a hotspot for the souring process (Ligthelm et al 1991;Lysnes et al 2009;Sunde and Torsvik 2005;Voordouw 2011). Reservoir souring can be prevented or reversed by injection of nitrate, which stimulates the growth of heterotrophic nitrate-reducing bacteria (hNRB) or sulfide-oxidizing NRB (soNRB), as discussed elsewhere (Sunde and Torsvik 2005;Voordouw et al 2009;Youssef et al 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Souring in low-temperature surface facilities of two high-temperature Argentinian oil fields

Agrawal

Cavallaro

et al. 2014

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

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Produced waters from the Barrancas and Chihuido de la Salina (CHLS) fields in Argentina had higher concentrations of sulfate than were found in the injection waters, suggesting that the formation waters in these reservoirs had a high sulfate concentration and that sulfate-reducing bacteria were inactive downhole. Incubation of produced waters with produced oil gave rapid reduction of sulfate to sulfide (souring) at 37 °C, some at 60 °C, but none at 80 °C. Alkylbenzenes and alkanes served as electron donor, especially in incubations with CHLS oil. Dilution with water to decrease the ionic strength or addition of inorganic phosphate did not increase souring at 37 or 60 °C. These results indicate that souring in these reservoirs is limited by the reservoir temperature (80 °C for the Barrancas and 65-70 °C for the CHLS field) and that souring may accelerate in surface facilities where the oil-water mixture cools. As a result, significant sulfide concentrations are present in these surface facilities. The activity and presence of chemolithotrophic Gammaproteobacteria of the genus Thiomicrospira, which represented 85% of the microbial community in a water plant in the Barrancas field, indicated reoxidation of sulfide and sulfur to sulfate. The presence of these bacteria offers potential for souring control by microbial oxidation in aboveground facilities, provided that formation of corrosive sulfur can be avoided.

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“…Sulfate-reducing prokaryotes, which include sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and sulfate-reducing archaea, are a focus of attention in the oil and gas industry, because of their ability to couple reduction of sulfate to sulfide (souring) with the oxidation of oil organics [1][2][3][4]. Sulfate-reducing archaea occur mostly in highertemperature environments (e.g., the genus Archaeoglobus) [5] and are less widespread than SRB.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primers for dsr Genes and Most Probable Number Method for Detection of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Oil Reservoirs

Shen

Voordouw

2015

Springer Protocols Handbooks

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Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) cause souring (the reduction of sulfate to sulfide) and associated corrosion in oil and gas fields. SRB monitoring involves the use of most probable number (MPN) methods in which a sample (1 ml) is subjected to serial dilution in glass vials with 9 ml of anaerobic medium, containing lactate and sulfate. This assay can be conducted on-site by field personnel and is routinely used to determine, for instance, the efficacy of a biocide application. In the laboratory, MPNs are best determined by using microtiter plates, which are incubated in an anaerobic hood. Because the dsrAB genes for dissimilatory sulfite reductase, which catalyzes the final step in the sulfate reduction pathway, are highly conserved, conserved primers have been designed to amplify the dsr genes by PCR. These primers (DSRp2060F and DSR4R) are able to generate mixed PCR products reflecting the diversity and/or numbers of SRB in environmental samples. Although routinely used for research purposes, these methods are not yet used widely in the oil and gas industry to assess the presence of SRB and the success of mitigation measures.

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Microbial Control of Hydrogen Sulfide Production in Oil Reservoirs

Cited by 42 publications

References 31 publications

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer

Thermal effects on microbial composition and microbiologically induced corrosion and mineral precipitation affecting operation of a geothermal plant in a deep saline aquifer

Souring in low-temperature surface facilities of two high-temperature Argentinian oil fields

Primers for dsr Genes and Most Probable Number Method for Detection of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in Oil Reservoirs

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