Biocorrosive Thermophilic Microbial Communities in Alaskan North Slope Oil Facilities
Corrosion of metallic oilfield pipelines by microorganisms is a costly but poorly understood phenomenon, with standard treatment methods targeting mesophilic sulfatereducing bacteria. In assessing biocorrosion potential at an Alaskan North Slope oil field, we identified thermophilic hydrogen-using methanogens, syntrophic bacteria, peptideand amino acid-fermenting bacteria, iron reducers, sulfur/thiosulfate-reducing bacteria and sulfate-reducing archaea. These microbes can stimulate metal corrosion through production of organic acids, CO2, sulfur species, and via hydrogen oxidation and iron reduction, implicating many more types of organisms than are currently targeted. Micromolar quantities of putative anaerobic metabolites of C1-C4 n-alkanes in pipeline fluids were detected, implying that these low molecular weight hydrocarbons, routinely injected into reservoirs for oil recovery purposes, are biodegraded and provide biocorrosive microbial communities with an important source of nutrients.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Genomics Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 985935
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-3758E
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Science&Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science&Technology Journal Issue: 43; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ALASKAN NORTH SLOPE
Alaska
Archaea/genetics
Archaea/isolation&purification
Archaea/metabolism
BACTERIA
Bacteria/genetics
Bacteria/isolation&purification
Bacteria/metabolism
Bacterial/chemistry
COMMUNITIES
CORROSION
Corrosion
Extraction and Processing Industry/instrumentation
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN
IRON
METABOLITES
MICROORGANISMS
MOLECULAR WEIGHT
NUTRIENTS
OIL FIELDS
ORGANIC ACIDS
OXIDATION
PIPELINES
PRODUCTION
RNA
SULFUR
Seawater/microbiology