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Microbial Degradation Rates of Natural Bitumen.

Mark Pannekens1, Lisa Voskuhl1, Sadjad Mohammadian1

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microorganisms in tiny water droplets within bitumen significantly drive oil biodegradation. This study quantifies these microbial processes in natural conditions, revealing their crucial role in deep reservoir environments.

Keywords:
anaerobic biodegradationasphaltbiofilm formationisotope dilutionmicro habitatsoil reservoirspetroleum mineralizationwater droplets

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Area of Science:

  • Geomicrobiology
  • Petroleum Geochemistry
  • Environmental Science

Background:

  • Microorganisms are ubiquitous in oil reservoirs, but studying their deep reservoir processes is challenging due to low metabolic rates.
  • Artificial cultivation methods often yield unreliable estimates of in-situ microbial activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of microorganisms within microscale water droplets on bitumen biodegradation.
  • To quantify low mineralization rates in bitumen under near-natural conditions.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized reverse stable isotope labeling for precise measurement of low mineralization rates (ng range).
  • Employed computed tomography to analyze the 3D distribution of water droplets in bitumen.
  • Incubated bitumen samples with artificial brackish water for 945 days.

Main Results:

  • Identified a substantial bitumen-water interface (1134 cm² per liter bitumen) due to water inclusions.
  • Measured average mineralization rates of 9.4-38.6 mmol CO₂ per liter bitumen per year.
  • Characterized a stable, biofilm-forming microbial community, primarily fermenting and sulfate-reducing bacteria.

Conclusions:

  • Microscale water droplets within bitumen significantly increase the effective bitumen-water interface area.
  • These water inclusions play a major role in the overall oil degradation process in reservoirs.
  • The findings highlight the importance of geomicrobiology in understanding deep subsurface hydrocarbon fate.