Microbial oxidation of soluble sulfide in produced water from the Bakkeen Sands
- Agouron Institute, La Jolla, CA (United States)
- Phillips Petroleum Company, Bartlesville, OK (United States); and others
The presence of soluble sulfide in produced water results in problems for the petroleum industry due to its toxicity, odor, corrosive nature, and potential for wellbore plugging. Sulfide oxidation by indigenous nitrate-reducing bacteria (NRB) present in brine collected from wells at the Coleville Unit (CVU) in Saskatchewan, Canada, was investigated. Sulfide oxidation took place readily when nitrate and phosphate were added to brine enrichment cultures, resulting in a decrease in sulfide levels of 99-165 ppm to nondetectable levels (< 3.3 ppm). Produced water collected from a number of producing wells was screened to determine the time required for complete sulfide oxidation, in order to select candidate wells for treatment. Three wells were chosen, based on sulfide removal in 48 hours or less. These wells were treated down the backside of the annulus with a solution containing 10 mM KNO{sub 3} and 100 {mu}M NaH{sub 2}PO{sub 4}. Following a 24- to 72-hour shut-in, reductions in pretreatment sulfide levels of greater than 90% were observed for two of the wells, as well as sustained sulfide reductions of 50% for at least two days following startup. NRB populations in the produced brine were observed to increase significantly following treatment, but no significant increases in sulfate-reducing bacteria were observed. These results demonstrate the technical feasibility of stimulating indigenous populations of NRB to remediate and control sulfide in produced brine.
- Research Organization:
- BDM Oklahoma, Inc., Bartlesville, OK (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 270490
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9509173-; ON: DE96001220; TRN: 96:002616-0018
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: International conference on microbial enhanced oil recovery and related biotechnology for solving environment problems, Dallas, TX (United States), 11-14 Sep 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]; Related Information: Is Part Of The fifth international conference on microbial enhanced oil recovery and related biotechnology for solving environmental problems: 1995 Conference proceedings; Bryant, R. [ed.]; PB: 619 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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