Biodegradation of petroleum constituents by indigenous bacteria isolated from petroleum reservoirs
- Dynamac Corporation, Ada, OK (United States)
The objectives of the work described in this paper were to isolate microorganisms indigenous to petroleum reservoirs, with special emphasis on anaerobic degradation of petroleum constituents and production of emulsifiers. Seven cores from reservoir depths of 805 to 14,492 feet were examined for microorganisms. Of a large number of pure culture isolates obtained, 37 were characterized for thir ability to use nitrogen (NO{sub 3} ions, NH{sub 4} ions, and urea) and carbon (crude oil, n-hexadecane, and acetate) sources. Experiments demonstrated that anaerobic microbial growth on crude oil was possible when a nitrogen source and a phosphorus source (mineral salt medium) were added. However, very little gas production was observed for the anaerobic cultures as compared to the aerobic tests. Chromatography fdata indicated that the more easily degraded compounds were attacked first, and that degradation also seemed to be dependent on the molecular weight and concentration of constituents rather than the crude type. The range of concentrations of emulsifier produced by the isolates is presented in the paper. The experiments indicated that all of the 37 culture isolates examined grew anaerobically and produced product such as emulsifiers which have the potential for bioremediation of petroleum contaminated aquifers.
- OSTI ID:
- 210367
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9509139--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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