A Case Study of the Natural Attenuation of Gas Condensate Hydrocarbons in Soil and Groundwater

Barker, G.W.; Raterman, Kevin T.; Fisher, J. Berton; Corgan, J.M.; Trent, G. L.; Brown, David R.; Kemp, Man; Sublette, Kerry L.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-0223-3_73

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“…Anoxic sediments and ground water used as inocula were obtained from a shallow contaminated aquifer that overlies a natural gas field in the Denver Basin near Fort Lupton, CO, USA as previously described (Barker et al 1996;Gieg et al 1999). Sediments were placed into 1-l mason jars, topped with groundwater, sealed without a headspace, and stored at 4°C until use.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we use samples collected from a shallow anoxic aquifer that overlies a natural gas field in the Denver Basin near Fort Lupton, CO, USA. The aquifer has been chronically contaminated by gas condensate (96% w/w C 5 -C 15 compounds), a by-product of the natural gas recovery process (Barker et al 1996;Gieg et al 1999). Condensate contains many of the hydrocarbons found in automobile gasolines, but in different relative proportions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anaerobic biodegradation of natural gas condensate can be stimulated by the addition of gasoline

Prince

Suflita

2006

Biodegradation

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Biodegradation of a broad range of linear and branched alkanes, parent and alkyl alicyclic hydrocarbons, and benzene and alkyl-substituted benzenes was observed when sediment and groundwater samples collected from a gas condensate-contaminated aquifer were incubated under methanogenic and especially under sulfate-reducing conditions, even though no exogenous nitrogen or phosphorus was added. This finding expands the range of hydrocarbon molecules known to undergo anaerobic decay and confirms that natural attenuation is an important process at this site. The addition of 1 mul of gasoline to the samples (approximately 10 ppm) had minimal impact on the biodegradation of saturated compounds, but substantially increased the diversity and extent of aromatic compounds undergoing transformation. We attribute this to the promotion or induction of biodegradation pathways in the indigenous microflora following the addition of the gasoline components. The promoting compounds are not precisely known, but may have been present in the initial condensate and reduced in concentration by various mechanisms (dissolution, biodegradation, etc.) such that their concentration in the aquifer fell below necessary levels. A variety of aromatic hydrocarbons would appear to be likely candidates.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%