Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Perchlorate Inhibition in a Novel Mesoscale Tank Experiment
Abstract
Typically, microbial sulfate reduction occurs ubiquitously in natural environments. In oil and gas reservoirs, the generation of sulfide (also known as souring) can result in the corrosion of steel infrastructure and downgrading of oil quality, among other environmental and health-related concerns. The complex interplay between hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes during souring is poorly understood, preventing effective treatment and mitigation especially in naturally heterogeneous subsurfaces. In this work, three-dimensional flow tank experiments are utilized as a mesoscale experiment that links well-constrained batch and column experiments to field measurements. The mesoscale tank experiment investigating perchlorate treatment of souring is coupled with reactive transport modeling to understand the effects of heterogeneity on souring and effectiveness of perchlorate treatment. Tracer experiments were performed at the start and end of the experiment to constrain flow pathways and heterogeneities. Isotopic, geochemical, and microbial data revealed that perchlorate effectively inhibited sulfidogenesis and the growth of dominant sulfate reducing Desulfobacteraceae. Perchlorate treatment enriched Desulfobulbaceae, a sulfur-oxidizing group of bacteria, and Sulfurimonas, a potential perchlorate reducer. More organisms, including sulfate reducing bacteria, were observed closer to the influent. Results from the three-dimensional reactive transport model indicate horizontal preferential flows, as a result of the permeability contrast, led tomore »
- Authors:
-
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1567153
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Energy and Fuels
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 32; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 0887-0624
- Publisher:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES
Citation Formats
Cheng, Yiwei, Wu, Yuxin, Wen, Hang, Hubbard, Christopher G., Engelbrektson, Anna L., Tom, Lauren, Li, Li, Piceno, Yvette, Bill, Markus, Andersen, Gary, Coates, John D., Conrad, Mark E., and Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B. Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Perchlorate Inhibition in a Novel Mesoscale Tank Experiment. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01802.
Cheng, Yiwei, Wu, Yuxin, Wen, Hang, Hubbard, Christopher G., Engelbrektson, Anna L., Tom, Lauren, Li, Li, Piceno, Yvette, Bill, Markus, Andersen, Gary, Coates, John D., Conrad, Mark E., & Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B. Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Perchlorate Inhibition in a Novel Mesoscale Tank Experiment. United States. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01802.
Cheng, Yiwei, Wu, Yuxin, Wen, Hang, Hubbard, Christopher G., Engelbrektson, Anna L., Tom, Lauren, Li, Li, Piceno, Yvette, Bill, Markus, Andersen, Gary, Coates, John D., Conrad, Mark E., and Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B. Fri .
"Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Perchlorate Inhibition in a Novel Mesoscale Tank Experiment". United States. doi:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01802. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1567153.
@article{osti_1567153,
title = {Microbial Sulfate Reduction and Perchlorate Inhibition in a Novel Mesoscale Tank Experiment},
author = {Cheng, Yiwei and Wu, Yuxin and Wen, Hang and Hubbard, Christopher G. and Engelbrektson, Anna L. and Tom, Lauren and Li, Li and Piceno, Yvette and Bill, Markus and Andersen, Gary and Coates, John D. and Conrad, Mark E. and Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B.},
abstractNote = {Typically, microbial sulfate reduction occurs ubiquitously in natural environments. In oil and gas reservoirs, the generation of sulfide (also known as souring) can result in the corrosion of steel infrastructure and downgrading of oil quality, among other environmental and health-related concerns. The complex interplay between hydrological, geochemical, and biological processes during souring is poorly understood, preventing effective treatment and mitigation especially in naturally heterogeneous subsurfaces. In this work, three-dimensional flow tank experiments are utilized as a mesoscale experiment that links well-constrained batch and column experiments to field measurements. The mesoscale tank experiment investigating perchlorate treatment of souring is coupled with reactive transport modeling to understand the effects of heterogeneity on souring and effectiveness of perchlorate treatment. Tracer experiments were performed at the start and end of the experiment to constrain flow pathways and heterogeneities. Isotopic, geochemical, and microbial data revealed that perchlorate effectively inhibited sulfidogenesis and the growth of dominant sulfate reducing Desulfobacteraceae. Perchlorate treatment enriched Desulfobulbaceae, a sulfur-oxidizing group of bacteria, and Sulfurimonas, a potential perchlorate reducer. More organisms, including sulfate reducing bacteria, were observed closer to the influent. Results from the three-dimensional reactive transport model indicate horizontal preferential flows, as a result of the permeability contrast, led to faster bacteria growth (sulfate reducing bacteria) and sulfate reduction in fast flow regions. Our work highlights the control that spatial distributions of hydrologic characteristics exert over reservoir souring and treatment.},
doi = {10.1021/acs.energyfuels.8b01802},
journal = {Energy and Fuels},
number = 12,
volume = 32,
place = {United States},
year = {2018},
month = {11}
}
Web of Science