Top-down engineering of oil field microbiomes to limit souring and
control oil composition during extraction operations
Abstract
Microbial processes sour oil, corrode equipment, and degrade
hydrocarbons at an annual global cost to the oil and gas industry of
nearly $2 billion. However, top-down control of these microbial
processes can reduce their damage and enhance oil recovery. Here, we
screened microbial communities from five oil wells in the Illinois basin
and evaluated nutrient injection strategies to control metabolism and
community composition. Molasses and molybdate supplementation stimulated
significant gas and organic acid production while completely suppressing
corrosive H2S formation in samples from two wells. These changes were
accompanied with significant shaping of the microbiome community.
Simulations of field operations via a lab-scale mini-coreflood validated
that oil well microbiomes can be engineered to also shape oil
hydrocarbon composition in situ. These pilot studies validate the
potential of economical and sustainable top-down microbiome engineering
to control microbes in oil extraction and enhance the economic viability
of oil recovery.