A two-compartment upflow pilot scale bioreactor system for microbial sulfate reduction control studies

Area of Science:

• Petroleum Engineering
• Microbiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Oil field souring is primarily caused by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB).
• Conventional bioreactors, like packed-bed reactors, inadequately represent the varied conditions near oil field injection wells (void and porous regions).
• Effective SRB management is crucial for oil production integrity and environmental protection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and operate a pilot-scale bioreactor system for investigating SRB activity, inhibition, and control in oil field environments.
• To develop a system that accurately simulates the complex hydrodynamic conditions found in oil fields.
• To provide a platform for testing novel SRB control strategies.

Main Methods:

• A novel two-compartment bioreactor was designed, comprising an empty section and a packed-bed section.
• The system allowed for parallel operation with independent or shared nutrient supply, enabling flexible experimental designs.
• Hydrodynamic behavior was analyzed, comparing the two-compartment system's mixing characteristics against conventional packed-bed reactors.

Main Results:

• The two-compartment bioreactor successfully simulated conditions relevant to oil field injection wells.
• The novel system exhibited mixing behavior largely independent of flow rate, unlike conventional reactors.
• This improved hydrodynamic control facilitates more accurate studies of SRB activity and mitigation.

Conclusions:

• The developed two-compartment bioreactor is a significant advancement for studying SRB in simulated oil field conditions.
• This system offers enhanced control over hydrodynamics, crucial for understanding SRB behavior and developing effective control measures.
• The findings pave the way for improved strategies to combat oil field souring.