Responses of Microbial Communities to Light-Hydrocarbon Microseepage and Novel Indicators for Microbial Prospecting of Oil/Gas in the Beihanzhuang Oilfield,Northern Jiangsu,China |
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Authors: | Xiao-Ying Wu Xiao-Ming Xu Chou-Fei Wu Shao-Ying Fu Mao-Cheng Deng Lei Feng |
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Institution: | 1. Guangdong Provincial Education Department Key Laboratory of Marine Petroleum Exploration and Development, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China;2. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China;3. Guangzhou Marine Geological Survey, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China |
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Abstract: | Previous studies on microbial prospecting of oil/gas only focused on the anomalies of light hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbes as main exploratory indicators and their exploration applications. In this study, we investigated the responses of microbial communities to light-hydrocarbon microseepage in the Beihanzhuang Oilfield, eastern China using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and by comparing the difference of two-type areas with high- and low-flux light-hydrocarbon seepages. The results showed that the high-flux light-hydrocarbon seepage favored the growth of Nocardioides, Aciditerrimonas, sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) related to Desulfosporosinus and Desulfovibrio, and Chloroflexi bacteria (b-7), implying that their anomalies might be adopted as novel subsidiary indicators for microbial prospecting of oil/gas in the Beihanzhuang Oilfield. Based on the newly obtained results, we have proposed a general strategy for microbial prospecting of oil/gas, i.e., to determine the anomalies of light hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbes, to select subsidiary indicators for microbial prospecting of oil/gas based on an assessment of the responses of microbial communities to light-hydrocarbon microseepage, to quantitatively measure subsidiary indicators and delimit their anomalies, to comprehensively interpret all microbial anomalies, and to make a suggestion for oil/gas prospecting. This general strategy with novel indicators may provide a more comprehensive evaluation for light-hydrocarbon microseepage and the corresponding anomalies, thereby reducing the exploration risk of oil/gas. |
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Keywords: | actynomyces Beihanzhuang Oilfield indicators for microbial prospecting of oil/gas light hydrocarbon-oxidizing microbes microbial communities sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRBs) |
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