Optimization of Biodesulfurization of sour heavy crude oil

by Wisam Mohammed Kareem Al-khazaali, Seyed Ahmad Ataei

Biodesulfurization of fossil fuels is a promising method for treating the sour oil due to its environmental friendliness and ability to get rid of the recalcitrant organosulfur compounds. In this study, many types of microorganisms such as Ralstonia eutropha, Rhodococcus erythropolis, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans applied on a sour heavy crude oil (sulfur content was 4.4%). Also, a colony isolated from the crude oil and oil concentrate was examined by supplying it with PTCC 106. The various official and famous mediums were significantly evaluated such as (PTCC 2, PTCC 105, PTCC 106 (9K), PTCC 116, PTCC 123, PTCC 132), sulfur-free MG-medium, basal salts medium, and mineral salts. It was found that Rhodococcus erythropolis and Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans from microorganisms and SFM and the medium PTCC 105 were selected as the higher desulfurization efficiencies of crude oil equaling 47 and 19.74% respectively. The bioreactions depend on the treated fluid, targeting sulfur compounds as these represent the environmental status (amounts and types of nutrients), and the type of biotreaters whether microorganism are septic, semiseptic, or aseptic. The optimum operation conditions have been designed by using Definitive method such as mixing speed, temperature, surfactant dose, OWR, acidity. The optimum efficiencies obtained here are better than the previous efforts even though those gained by bioengineering. Biodesalination was a simultaneous process with the BDS.