Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields
Summary Petrochemical and geological evidence suggest that petroleum in most reservoirs is anaerobically biodegraded to some extent. However, the conditions for this metabolism and the cultivation of the requisite microorganisms are rarely established. Here, we report on microbial hydrocarbon metabo...
Published in: | Environmental Microbiology |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1462-2920.2010.02282.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x/fullpdf |
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crwiley:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x 2024-09-15T18:25:04+00:00 Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields Gieg, Lisa M. Davidova, Irene A. Duncan, Kathleen E. Suflita, Joseph M. 2010 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1462-2920.2010.02282.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x/fullpdf en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Environmental Microbiology volume 12, issue 11, page 3074-3086 ISSN 1462-2912 1462-2920 journal-article 2010 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x 2024-08-27T04:27:04Z Summary Petrochemical and geological evidence suggest that petroleum in most reservoirs is anaerobically biodegraded to some extent. However, the conditions for this metabolism and the cultivation of the requisite microorganisms are rarely established. Here, we report on microbial hydrocarbon metabolism in two distinct oilfields on the North Slope of Alaska (designated Fields A and B). Signature anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolites were detected in produced water from the two oilfields offering evidence of in situ biodegradation activity. Rate measurements revealed that sulfate reduction was an important electron accepting process in Field A (6–807 µmol S l −1 day −1 ), but of lesser consequence in Field B (0.1–10 µmol S l −1 day −1 ). Correspondingly, enrichments established at 55°C with a variety of hydrocarbon mixtures showed relatively high sulfate consumption but low methane production in Field A incubations, whereas the opposite was true of the Field B enrichments. Repeated transfer of a Field B enrichment showed ongoing methane production in the presence of crude oil that correlated with ≥ 50% depletion of several component hydrocarbons. Molecular‐based microbial community analysis of the methanogenic oil‐utilizing consortium revealed five bacterial taxa affiliating with the orders Thermotogales , Synergistales , Deferribacterales (two taxa) and Thermoanaerobacterales that have known fermentative or syntrophic capability and one methanogen that is most closely affiliated with uncultured clones in the H 2 ‐using family Methanobacteriaceae . The findings demonstrate that oilfield‐associated microbial assemblages can metabolize crude oil under the thermophilic and anaerobic conditions prevalent in many petroleum reservoirs. Article in Journal/Newspaper north slope Alaska Wiley Online Library Environmental Microbiology 12 11 3074 3086 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Summary Petrochemical and geological evidence suggest that petroleum in most reservoirs is anaerobically biodegraded to some extent. However, the conditions for this metabolism and the cultivation of the requisite microorganisms are rarely established. Here, we report on microbial hydrocarbon metabolism in two distinct oilfields on the North Slope of Alaska (designated Fields A and B). Signature anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolites were detected in produced water from the two oilfields offering evidence of in situ biodegradation activity. Rate measurements revealed that sulfate reduction was an important electron accepting process in Field A (6–807 µmol S l −1 day −1 ), but of lesser consequence in Field B (0.1–10 µmol S l −1 day −1 ). Correspondingly, enrichments established at 55°C with a variety of hydrocarbon mixtures showed relatively high sulfate consumption but low methane production in Field A incubations, whereas the opposite was true of the Field B enrichments. Repeated transfer of a Field B enrichment showed ongoing methane production in the presence of crude oil that correlated with ≥ 50% depletion of several component hydrocarbons. Molecular‐based microbial community analysis of the methanogenic oil‐utilizing consortium revealed five bacterial taxa affiliating with the orders Thermotogales , Synergistales , Deferribacterales (two taxa) and Thermoanaerobacterales that have known fermentative or syntrophic capability and one methanogen that is most closely affiliated with uncultured clones in the H 2 ‐using family Methanobacteriaceae . The findings demonstrate that oilfield‐associated microbial assemblages can metabolize crude oil under the thermophilic and anaerobic conditions prevalent in many petroleum reservoirs. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gieg, Lisa M. Davidova, Irene A. Duncan, Kathleen E. Suflita, Joseph M. |
spellingShingle |
Gieg, Lisa M. Davidova, Irene A. Duncan, Kathleen E. Suflita, Joseph M. Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
author_facet |
Gieg, Lisa M. Davidova, Irene A. Duncan, Kathleen E. Suflita, Joseph M. |
author_sort |
Gieg, Lisa M. |
title |
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
title_short |
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
title_full |
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
title_fullStr |
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
title_full_unstemmed |
Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot Alaskan oilfields |
title_sort |
methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation in hot alaskan oilfields |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1462-2920.2010.02282.x http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x/fullpdf |
genre |
north slope Alaska |
genre_facet |
north slope Alaska |
op_source |
Environmental Microbiology volume 12, issue 11, page 3074-3086 ISSN 1462-2912 1462-2920 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02282.x |
container_title |
Environmental Microbiology |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
3074 |
op_container_end_page |
3086 |
_version_ |
1810465478516146176 |