Characterization of an alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment culture from production water of an oil reservoir after 274 days of incubation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Characterization of an alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment culture from production water of an oil reservoir after 274 days of incubation

AU - Wang, Li Ying

AU - Gao, Cai Xia

AU - Mbadinga, Serge Maurice

AU - Zhou, Lei

AU - Liu, Jin Feng

AU - Gu, Ji Dong

AU - Mu, Bo Zhong

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41073055 ) and the 863 Program (Grant No. 2009AA063503 ).

PY - 2011/6

Y1 - 2011/6

N2 - Oil reservoirs represent special habitats for the activity of anaerobic microbial communities in the transformation of organic compounds. To understand the function of microbial communities in oil reservoirs under anaerobic conditions, an alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment culture was established and analyzed. Results showed that a net 538 μmol of methane higher than the controls were produced over 274 days of incubation in microcosms amended with alkanes and a decrease in the alkanes profile was also observed. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from the enrichment microcosms indicated that the archaeal phylotypes were mostly related to members of the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales. The bacterial clone library was composed of sequences affiliated with the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Bacteroidetes. However, most of the bacterial clones retrieved from the enrichment cultures showed low similarity to 16S rRNA gene sequences of the cultured members, indicating that the enrichment cultures contained novel bacterial species. Though alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment consortium has rarely been reported from petroleum reservoirs, our results indicated that oilfield production water harbors a microbial community capable of syntrophic conversion of n-alkanes to methane, which sheds light on the bio-utilization of marginal oil reservoirs for enhanced energy recovery.

AB - Oil reservoirs represent special habitats for the activity of anaerobic microbial communities in the transformation of organic compounds. To understand the function of microbial communities in oil reservoirs under anaerobic conditions, an alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment culture was established and analyzed. Results showed that a net 538 μmol of methane higher than the controls were produced over 274 days of incubation in microcosms amended with alkanes and a decrease in the alkanes profile was also observed. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from the enrichment microcosms indicated that the archaeal phylotypes were mostly related to members of the orders Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales. The bacterial clone library was composed of sequences affiliated with the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Deferribacteres, and Bacteroidetes. However, most of the bacterial clones retrieved from the enrichment cultures showed low similarity to 16S rRNA gene sequences of the cultured members, indicating that the enrichment cultures contained novel bacterial species. Though alkane-degrading methanogenic enrichment consortium has rarely been reported from petroleum reservoirs, our results indicated that oilfield production water harbors a microbial community capable of syntrophic conversion of n-alkanes to methane, which sheds light on the bio-utilization of marginal oil reservoirs for enhanced energy recovery.

KW - Methanogenesis

KW - Microbial community

KW - N-alkanes

KW - Oil reservoir

KW - Production water

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79953105507&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ibiod.2010.12.010

DO - 10.1016/j.ibiod.2010.12.010

M3 - 文章

AN - SCOPUS:79953105507

SN - 0964-8305

VL - 65

SP - 444

EP - 450

JO - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation

JF - International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation

IS - 3

ER -