Print this pageBiocompetitive Exclusion Treatments Remove Sulfides and Prevent Sour Oil and Gas
HITZMAN, DANIEL C.; D. MICHAEL DENNIS, and DONALD O. HITZMAN
Major problems in oil and gas well operations are the result of elevated biogenic H[2]S formation in reservoirs. For the last two years the Department of Energy, BDM Oklahoma, Inc., Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Geo-Microbial Technologies, Inc., Ochelata, Oklahoma have sponsored a series of field test demonstrations to examine a new technology which acts upon H[2]S production in a variety of reservoirs. The presence of H[2]S causes increased corrosion, iron sulfide build-up, higher operating costs, reduced revenues and adds serious environmental and health hazards. The treatments are based on the addition of low concentrations of water soluble nutrient solutions which selectively stimulate the growth of a beneficial indigenous microbial population and consequently inhibiting detrimental Sulfate Reducing Bacteria (SRB) populations which generate H[2]S. No outside microbial cultures are added. Levels of sulfide can be reduced to zero and can be maintained at low levels with periodic treatments. Data from a wide variety of field demonstrations representing different geography and reservoir types will be presented