ABSTRACT
In recent years, the increasing trends in renewable energy generation and sustainability have driven oil and gas operators to focus on the general carbon footprint and environmental impact of their operations. Initiatives to create solutions to improve the efficiency of the processes, minimize the discharge of produced fluids, and avoid oil spills into the environment have become a focus of operators. Control of microorganisms in oil and gas operations has become an area that can fundamentally increase the sustainability aspects of the process. For example, control of microbial contamination in pipelines can deter the occurrence of oil leaks and spills and maintain proper containment of fluids. Inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria activity in reservoirs during secondary recovery can minimize the need to treat sour fluids. Moreover, methane release due to methanogenic Archaea activity in oil production wells can directly increase the carbon footprint of production. Finally, control of microorganisms in oilfields involves careful management of biocides, which requires a profound knowledge of the chemistries, the environmental impact of discharge, and governmental regulations. In this chapter, we will describe numerous strategies to control microbial activity and management of biocides, and discuss their impact on increasing sustainability of oil and gas operations.
