Project aims to remove bacterial blight from oil production

Research funded with £985,943 from EPSRC and led by Newcastle University is investigating ways to tackle the problems linked to sulphate-reducing bacteria in offshore oil deposits.

Sulphate-reducing bacteria are said to thrive in oxygen-free, watery environments. With the ability to lie dormant for very long periods, sulphate-reducing bacteria take in sulphates but release toxic, corrosive hydrogen sulphide (H2S) when they are activated.

Known as ‘reservoir souring’, this increases the oil’s sulphur content, which reduces its market value. Hydrogen sulphide is also highly toxic, posing a potential hazard to workers on offshore platforms, while its corrosiveness can damage pipelines and rigs.

Working with a range of private sector, public sector and academic partners from the UK and overseas, the Newcastle-led team is considering a number of easy-to-implement, cost-cutting measures, such as adjusting the water temperature used during oil production.

As part of its work to understand how sulphate-reducing bacteria become activated in oil reservoirs, the team is investigating the widespread practice of pumping seawater into an oil reservoir to reduce temperatures and make extraction easier but which poses problems from a reservoir souring perspective.