Microbial diversity in petroleum reservoirs

Buried hydrocarbon deposits, such as liquid petroleum, represent an abundant source of reduced carbon for microbes. It is not surprising therefore that many organisms have adapted to an oily, anaerobic life deep underground, often at high temperatures and pressures, and that those organisms have had, and in some cases continue to have, an effect on the quality and recovery of the earth’s diminishing petroleum resources. There are three key microbial processes of interest to petroleum producers: reservoir souring, hydrocarbon degradation and microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR).