Abstract
One of the most severe problems at any oil field producing paraffin oils is the wax content and paraffin deposition. The microbial treatment, which is based on the activity of the naturally occurring selected isolated bacteria, proved to be an effective alternative method to the conventional chemical methods in preventing and removing wax deposition in oil field facilities and pipelines.
Various bacterial species were isolated from different local sea water sediments contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons. The isolated consortia were found to have the ability of producing biosurfactant in the form of biological molecules. The produced biosurfactant showed higher surface activities, capable of reducing surface and interfacial tension at the interfaces between liquids and solids. This phenomenon allows the mixing and dispersion in water and other liquids.
Experimental tests of specific growth rate (μmax), emulsification stability and degradation strategies with GC assay for Sarir crude oil were performed before and after treatment. Results showed that biodegradation had minimized the paraffin contents with further expansion in light fraction of the hydrocarbon sequences, in particular the normal alkanes.
The bacterial isolates, responsible for these changes, were successfully isolated and nominated as PRCW B1 , E1 , A1 , and B2 . These isolates will be further tested on several types of paraffinic crude oils in order to verify such findings and support their application in the field to prevent and control paraffin deposition in oil field facilities and pipelines.