Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column

Reinsel, M

doi:10.1306/64ED8B74-1724-11D7-8645000102C1865D

Title: Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column

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Abstract

Oil reservoir souring is a major problem in industry due to H{sub 2}S toxicity, corrosion, plugging, and sulfide concentrations in natural gas. Reservoir souring was simulated in Berea sandstone columns and cores using native mixed microbial consortia from two oil fields. Similar souring activity was seen with both consortia growing as a biofilm in columns and cores at 60{degrees}C. Most of the souring activity occurred at the beginning of the columns. This simulated injection well souring, in which sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfate and carbon sources, are all available at the well bore. Biomass and precipitated iron sulfide accumulated uniformly along the column length and caused plugging. More plugging was found in systems with lower initial permeabilities, and most of this plugging was due to iron sulfide precipitation. Several novel methods were discovered to inhibit souring in the columns and cores. Addition of 10 ppm nitrate stimulated both native consortia to quickly and completely inhibit active souring, and 5 ppm maintained the inhibition. Nitrite was produced at 80-100% of the nitrate level added through incomplete denitrification by nitrate-reducing bacteria, and nitrite was found to be the inhibitory agent. Direct continuous addition of 10-12 ppm nitrite also inhibited souring; but pulse addition wasmore »« less

Authors:

Reinsel, M ^[1]

Hydrometrics, Inc., Helena, MT (United States)

Publication Date:: Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE

OSTI Identifier:: 272648

Report Number(s):: CONF-9607116-
Journal ID: AABUD2; ISSN 0149-1423; TRN: 96:003409-0057

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: AAPG Bulletin

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 80; Journal Issue: 6; Conference: American Association of Petroleum Geologogists (AAPG) Rocky Mountain section meeting, Billings, MT (United States), 28-31 Jul 1996; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 02 PETROLEUM; PETROLEUM; BIODEGRADATION; SOUR CRUDES; ORIGIN; OIL FIELDS; RESERVOIR ENGINEERING; MICROORGANISMS; POROUS MATERIALS; HYDROGEN SULFIDES; DRILL CORES

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                    Reinsel, M. Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column.  United States: N. p., 1996. 
        Web.  doi:10.1306/64ED8B74-1724-11D7-8645000102C1865D.

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                    Reinsel, M. Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1306/64ED8B74-1724-11D7-8645000102C1865D

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                    Reinsel, M. 1996.  
        "Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1306/64ED8B74-1724-11D7-8645000102C1865D.

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@article{osti_272648,

  title        = {Control of microbial souring of oil in a porous media column},

  author       = {Reinsel, M},

  abstractNote = {Oil reservoir souring is a major problem in industry due to H{sub 2}S toxicity, corrosion, plugging, and sulfide concentrations in natural gas. Reservoir souring was simulated in Berea sandstone columns and cores using native mixed microbial consortia from two oil fields. Similar souring activity was seen with both consortia growing as a biofilm in columns and cores at 60{degrees}C. Most of the souring activity occurred at the beginning of the columns. This simulated injection well souring, in which sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfate and carbon sources, are all available at the well bore. Biomass and precipitated iron sulfide accumulated uniformly along the column length and caused plugging. More plugging was found in systems with lower initial permeabilities, and most of this plugging was due to iron sulfide precipitation. Several novel methods were discovered to inhibit souring in the columns and cores. Addition of 10 ppm nitrate stimulated both native consortia to quickly and completely inhibit active souring, and 5 ppm maintained the inhibition. Nitrite was produced at 80-100% of the nitrate level added through incomplete denitrification by nitrate-reducing bacteria, and nitrite was found to be the inhibitory agent. Direct continuous addition of 10-12 ppm nitrite also inhibited souring; but pulse addition was found to be more effective than continuous addition at the same total addition rate. In the 20-hour residence time of the reactor, 10-20% of the nitrite was consumed. Nitrite addition appeared to decrease plugging in the core system. Removal of nitrate or nitrite allowed souring to resume after it had been inhibited for as long as three months. Nitrite was a more effective and longer lasting inhibitor than was glutaraldehyde, a biocide routinely used in oil fields and other industrial applications.},

  doi          = {10.1306/64ED8B74-1724-11D7-8645000102C1865D},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/272648},
  journal      = {AAPG Bulletin},
number       = 6,

  volume       = 80,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996},

  month        = {Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1996}

}

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