Rawwater Engineering Company Ltd / Rawwater Features in 'The Microbiologist'

Rawwater is proud to announce new findings on the persistence of microbial communities linked to oilfield reservoir contamination. Presented at the Letters in Applied Microbiology ECS Research Symposium by senior research scientist Matt Streets, the study sheds light on a costly issue for the energy sector.

Entitled “Evaluating VFA and Nitrate Utilisation in Complex Microbial Communities from High-Pressure Bioreactor Systems,” the research reveals that oilfield microbial communities can still utilise volatile fatty acids (VFAs) for nitrate and sulfate reduction even after a decade of exposure to hydrocarbons as the sole carbon source.

Oilfield reservoir souring, caused by hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas contamination, has plagued operators globally for decades. Streets explains that during waterflooding operations, cold seawater injected into subsurface formations cools the rock, allowing microorganisms to thrive and convert sulfate into toxic H₂S gas.

Despite over 9 years of exposure to hydrocarbons, problematic microbial communities could rapidly switch to using VFAs and nitrate for sulfide and nitrate reduction.

These discoveries are crucial for improving souring forecasting and modeling, and for understanding the impact of produced water re-injection (PWRI) on sour gas generation. Rawwater continues to explore microbial behavior in oilfield environments to support the energy sector in mitigating these costly challenges.