Prokaryotic community structure and sulfate reducer activity in water from high-temperature oil reservoirs with and without nitrate treatment.

ABSTRACT: Sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) cause severe problems like microbial corrosion and reservoir souring in seawater-injected oil production systems. One strategy to control SRP activity is the addition of nitrate to the injection water. Production waters from two adjacent, hot (80 degrees C) oil reservoirs, one with and one without nitrate treatment, were compared for prokaryotic community structure and activity of SRP. Bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene analyses revealed higher prokaryotic abundance but lower diversity for the nitrate-treated field. The 16S rRNA gene clone libraries from both fields were dominated by sequences affiliated with Firmicutes (Bacteria) and Thermococcales (Archaea). Potential heterotrophic nitrate reducers (Deferribacterales) were exclusively found at the nit

SUBMITTER: Gittel A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2786513 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature