Microbial Nitrogen and Sulfur Metabolism and its Relation to Corrosion Risk on Offshore Oil Production Platforms

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dc.contributor.advisorGieg, Lisa Marie
dc.contributor.authorNicoletti, Danika Susianne
dc.contributor.committeememberNg, Kenneth Kai Sing
dc.contributor.committeememberHubert, Casey R. J.
dc.date2020-06
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-09T15:39:11Z
dc.date.available2020-04-09T15:39:11Z
dc.date.issued2020-04-07
dc.description.abstractThe potential for microbiologically-influenced corrosion (MIC) of oilfield produced waters collected from the topsides of two offshore FPSO (floating, production, storage, and offloading) vessels exposed to various sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) chemistries was investigated. Produced water was incubated at high temperature (54 °C) for 154 days with exposure to various nitrate and nitrite injection chemistries under sour and non-sour conditions, and microbial community analysis, N and S transformation monitoring, and corrosion coupon weight loss were used to assess MIC risk. Low concentrations of nitrate or nitrite (0.5 mM) did not effectively inhibit detrimental sulfate reduction by sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM), while 5 mM nitrate and nitrite treatments displayed successful sulfate reduction inhibition. Microbial community compositions did not differ dramatically between topside sampling locations from a single FPSO in response to various nitrate, nitrite, and sulfide treatments determined by microbial community analysis, however the microbial community structures between the two FPSO platforms revealed differences. The highest corrosion rates which may be MIC-attributed based on comparisons with sterile controls were measured in microcosms wherein no nitrate, nitrite or sulfide was added (0.48 mm/year). Despite its successful sulfate reduction inhibition, the addition of 5 mM nitrite into produced water microcosms conferred corrosion rates of up to 0.17 mm/year in sterile controls, indicating a chemical corrosion effect. In related work, the purification of the sulfide utilizing enzyme sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (SQR) from Thiobacillus denitrificans was also performed successfully using a reproducible and scalable method for future use on a previously developed biosensor for sulfide detection. The knowledge gained from this thesis work can be used to inform the MIC risks associated with nitrate and nitrite injection within the topside machinery of offshore oil recovery operations, a previously poorly characterized environment. The efficient enzyme purification method offered in this thesis provides an avenue for continued development of a sulfide biosensor for future use in monitoring sulfidogenesis in produced water samples such as those on offshore oil production facilities.en_US
dc.identifier.citationNicoletti, D. S. (2020). Microbial Nitrogen and Sulfur Metabolism and its Relation to Corrosion Risk on Offshore Oil Production Platforms (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/37671
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/111784
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyScienceen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectmicrobiologically-influenced corrosionen_US
dc.subjectoffshore oil recoveryen_US
dc.subjectproduced wateren_US
dc.subjectFPSOen_US
dc.subjecttopsideen_US
dc.subjectnitrate injectionen_US
dc.subjectnitrite injectionen_US
dc.subjectsouringen_US
dc.subjectsulfideen_US
dc.subjectbiosensoren_US
dc.subject.classificationMicrobiologyen_US
dc.titleMicrobial Nitrogen and Sulfur Metabolism and its Relation to Corrosion Risk on Offshore Oil Production Platformsen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrueen_US
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