Professional Documents
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Oil Spill
O.M. Ghazaly and E. Sayed
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE International Conference on Health,
Safety, and the Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production held in Stavanger,
Norway, 26–28 June 2000. Introduction
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
Water and sediments through the world contain
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, and fungi) which utilize and
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any degrade petroleum components.
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at A very large number of species of micro- organisms, which
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper can degrade petroleum, have been identified in open and
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is
prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300
coastal areas. Biodegradation is the most important of the
words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous processes in determining the ultimate fate of oil in the marine
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O.
Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. environment, although it does not immediately decrease the
volume of oil or its impact on the environment after it is
Abstract spilled.
Crude oil and refined petroleum products are mixtures of a Biodegradation is promoted by dispersion of oil slicks into
large numbers of components, each with its own chemical and small particles of high surface area. This applies whether
physical properties. dispersion occurs naturally or is induced by application of
Once oil is spilled, it immediately begins to undergo many dispersants.
natural physical, chemical and biological changes . It is interesting to note that biodegradation enhances the rate of
Oil and oily wastes can sometimes be broken down using natural dispersion of oil. For biodegradation to proceed at
biological process. Biodegradation of oil by microorganisms reasonable rates, nutrines such as nitrogen and phosphorus
can only take at oil–water interface, so that on land the oil must be present.
must be mixed with a moist substrate. Thus, biodegradation proceeds more rapidly in costal waters
The rate of degradation depends upon temperature and (which contain many of these nutrients) than in the open sea.
availability of oxygen and appropriate nutrients containing Microorganism can degrade most components of crude oil, but
nitrogen phosphorous. the lighter, lower molecular weight components are degrated
There are a number of products on the market which contain faster than the heavier ones.
oil degrading bacteria and other micro- organisms. And Higher temperatures accelerate biodegradation, but this
addition of oil soluble nutrients to accelerate the process of process still
natural degradation these nutrients are more likely remain at proceeds at significant rates even in arctic regions .
the oil water interface rather than become dissolved in the sea . Asphaltenes a class of compounds which is usually a small
Although degradation rates can often be increased by regular component of crude oils, are degrated at rates which are so
aeration of the soil and by the addition of fertilizers , such as slow as to be insignificant.
urea and ammonium phosphate. The method is only likely to Fortunately, however it is widely accepted that asphaltenes
be applicable to relatively small spills because of the amount are virtually non- toxic .
of land required. Lighter components are degraded
The contaminated material should not contain more than 20% faster than high molecular weight ones , the most favourable
oil, the oily debris is the spread over the surface to a depth of temperatures for the microbial growth are above 25o C. Below
no more than 0.2 meters , the maximum application rate being 5o C virtually any growth ceases.
about 400 tones of oil per hectare of land the oil should be left Solubility of oxygen in sea water is low (6 to 8 mg per liter)
to weather until it is no longer sticky before being thoroughly compared to quantities required for complete oxidation of
mixed in with the soil using a plough or rotavator mixing hydrocarbons:
should repeated at intervals of 4–6 weeks for the first six 3 to 4 mg of o2 per mg of hydrocarbon for conversion into
months but less frequently thereafter the biodegradation is CO2 and H2O.
suitable to applicable on artificial island at Belayim.
2 O.M. GAZALY AND E. SAYED SPE 61464
Conclusions
We investigated the dependency of microbial oil degradation
on various factors. We identified a mathematical model to
predict the maximum oxygen uptake rate as a function of the
concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, crude oil and
dissolved oxygen and the temperature.
However, since the model is based upon the data obtained by
liquid culture systems , other factors such soild phase must be
taken into as diffusion terms on the surface of account in order
to describe the degradation of attached oil on an actual shore.
Diffusion of dissolved oxygen , nitrogen and /or phosphorus
from liquid phase to soild phase through the laminar film
could be the rate limiting process in the overall degradation
process.
In the experiments by the beach simulator units tidal
movements in actual ocean environment and were able to
demonstrate biologically, chemically and visually the effect of
application of fertilizers and possibly of seeding with oil–
degrading bacteria. It is our wish to accomplish quantitative
understanding of the phenomena actually taking place on an
oil–contaminated shore, and to establish a mathematical model
which is capable of predicting the effects of bioremediation.
4 O.M. GAZALY AND E. SAYED SPE 61464
200
180
160
140
120
mg / 5 gm soil
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
Total Alkanes
Fig-1 Changes of the concentration of total extactable alkanes in oil polluted sand with time.
3000
2500
Numbers * 10 3 / g soil
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Fig. 2 The changes of numbers of two indigenous oil-utilizing strains of Athrobacter in oil-polluted sand with time.
SPE 61464 OIL SPILL 5
1200
1000
Numbers * 10 6 / ml medium
800
600
400
200
0 2 6 12 24 28
3500
3000
Numbers * 10 5 / ml medium
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0 2 6 12 24 28
Fig-4 Growth kinetics of two indigenous Arthrobacher strains on crude oil as a sole carban source
6 O.M. GAZALY AND E. SAYED SPE 61464
3000
2500
Numbers * 10 4 / ml medium
2000
1500
1000
500
0
0 3 6 12 24 28
Fig-5 Growth kinetics of two indigenous Arthbacter strains on n-octadecane as a sole carbon source.
2500
2000
Numbers * 10 4 / ml medium
1500
1000
500
0 2 6 24 28
Fig-6 Growth kinetics of two indigenous Arthrobacter strains on phenanthrene as a sole carbon source.