Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
A Research Project
Presented to Dr.
Sicily Tiu
March 2018
Introduction
The use of oil and gas has become a widely need in human’s life. From simple
household items, medical use, and for transportation needs, oil and gas has been
natural gas, oil, gas and gas condensate are among the most important energy
sources in the world. One thing people know for sure is that oil is a necessity -
currently around 90 million barrels of crude oil a day. But, gathering these sources
are not as basic as how people use it. In the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, they
defined Petroleum Engineers as the one who design and develop methods for
extracting oil and gas from deposits below the Earth’s surface. Petroleum engineers
also find new ways to extract oil and gas from older wells. In line with this, they
must insure the safety of the operation and the environmental protection must
always be the forefront of the drilling design. Various techniques and different
technology is being applied in drilling oil and gas to recover a huge percentage of its
portion in wells.
Through the improvement of technology, many paths were opened for the
betterment of oil recovery. To have sustainable source is the foremost goal of oil and
gas industries to maintain the stability of oil supply. Thus, transformation of heavy
oils into light oils helped the industry to turn produce higher quantity, usable oil.
But, processing heavy oil into lighter ones needs to go through several processes
and stages to turn it to more productive oil. Other than that, some oil contains
different materials which are excluded in the process. In this case, removal of these
materials is needed.
Sulfur is the most abundant element in petroleum after carbon and hydrogen. Crude
oils with higher viscosities and higher densities usually contain higher amounts of
more complex sulfur compounds. In a statistical analysis stated in the “23rd edition
of Marsh’s The 100 Largest Losses,” from 1999-2013, about US130$ million loss was
recorded due to explosions from petrochemicals, refineries and blow outs from oil
rigs. These resulted from corroded equipments such as pipe lines and various
mishandled oil containing tanks which caused leakages. This certifies the refining of
probably one of the central conversion requirements in most refineries and the
price of the crude oil is influenced by its sulfur content. Several processes have been
of sulfur removal from lighter refinery cuts, such as naphtha, distillate, and light
vacuum gas oil fractions. Hydro desulfurization (HDS) accounts as one of the most
oil but their carbon footprints are substantial. The said technology involves high
temperature processing. In the sense of refining oil, the cost in these technology
increases as heavier and more sulfur-rich crude oils are being processed. Another
the performance of even the most efficient of the adsorbents is still insufficient for
industrial applications. Thus, this leaded the researchers to step forward into a
Biotechnology branches out into different application through the means and use
petroleum. According to the St. Louis. Energy BioSystems Corp. (EBC) in Houston,
Texas, certain enzymes could remove the sulfur from petroleum as it is the first
increase the flow rate and rate of oil recovery in heavy oil containing wells.
As such, the researchers come up with the research topic “c,” that sought to
Achromobacter. This would be of big help among oil rich countries and industries
that conducts oil refining as projected action plans will be procured or implemented
In the published “23rd edition of Marsh’s The 100 Largest Losses,” with the use of
Nelson-Farrar Petroleum Plant Cost Index, which allows for an easy comparison of
property damage on a constant basis across the period analyzed, it was shown that a
total of accumulated value of the 100 largest losses is over US$34 billion dating
1974-2013. The two highest contributors is the Upstream which covered the 34% of
loss due to explosions from corrosions of pipelines, other equipments, and human
error and 29% comes from the refining industries with the same cause from the
latter part. This does not yet include the loss of oil companies from addressing
The Statement of the Problem suggests the possible questions that could be a
Containing Wells”.
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
Containing Wells,” the researchers could propose specific action plans to lessen loss
of oil refineries from using various techniques to desulfurize heavy oil that would be
researchers could lessen the loss of earnings from different sectors from different
oil companies. The researchers assume that the oil price would decrease as the
process of recovery and refining of oil becomes efficient. Thus, it would positively
the application of the conducted research to the target proponents that would be
an Effective Desulfuring Microbe and Biocatalyst in Heavy Oil Containing Wells.” The
extremophile bacteria.
Conceptual Framework
Collection Effectivity of
Sulfolobus Sulfolobus
acidocaldarius acidocaldarius as a
strain desulfuring
Laborartory microbe and
Determining the tests biocatalyst for
Effectiveness of Sulfolobus Analysis and heavy oils
acidocaldarius as a interpretation of
desulfuring microbe and data
biocatalyst for heavy oils
FEEDBACK
CHAPTER 2
This section will provide the related literatures and related studies that are used
Related Literature
Oil refining comes with the process of desulfurization or the removal of sulfur in
heavy oils to produce more usable oil. Strategies for heavy oil desulfurization is
critically observed for the better recovery and for maximum produce of various oil
(Javadli, 2012). Some of these processes stated above produce a viable or efficient
outcome but literally costly that pushed oil industries to discover other methods for
desulfurization.
Hydrodesulfurization (HDS)
fossil fuels and the subsequent collection of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
(Speight, 2017).
Many countries set sulfur content limits such as in Europe with 10ppm and 15ppm
in US with a goal of <1ppm in the near future (Martinez et. al, 2015). The removal of
sulfur contributes a huge effect in the quality of oil products. In oil refineries,
exposure of equipments in sulfur results from corrosion which in the latter part
usable one. Biocatalysts are capable of selective sulfur removals without significant
processes generate novel useful materials in the petrochemical area (Corredore &
Borote, 2007). With the help of enzymes or microbes, transformation of oil into
usable product would increase its rate. For biocatalysts involves in biological
2017).
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
bacteria that grows from 70 – 80 degree Celsius and a pH of 2-4 from various hot
springs and mud spots. With regards to oil refining, operation of desulfurization
process at high temperature and low ph values reduce the chance of contamination
desulfuring heavy oils. With higher sulfur content from heavy oils, companies must
refineries use HDS which has a lot of disadvantages. From being costly and does not
work well on refractory organosulfur, oil price hikes. Following the trend,
Biodesulfurization method (BDS) has come on its way in the Philippines (Mohebali,
2008). With BDS, it operates at ambient temperature and pressure with high
Related Studies
biotreatment, 84% of the sulfur content of distillation diesel oil, from 666 to 105
ppm, and 94% of that HDS- treated diesel oil, from 198 to 11 ppm, was removed in
two consecutive reactions. These results expressed a positive output with a
desulfurization rate increased by 35% when 0.5% Tween 80 was added. These
results were more noteworthy because the diesel oil had been treated by HDS so
In the “Petroleum biotechnology: Technology trends for the future” review, it has
been stated that up to 2030, an expected of 107 million barrels of oil will be
produced however, there is a decrease of it for the following year because of the
play an important role in bio refining of oil products wth the presence of microbes
and enzymes.
Preliminary results from Oak Ridge national laboratory showed that a certain
sulphur in diesel from two diesel pools containing 2000 and 50ppm sulphur.
Sulfolobus acidocaldarius
sulfur.
SYNTHESIS
produce an efficient outcome when it comes to desulfuring heavy oil with a resulting
of 94% in sulfur reduction but is costly. Similarly, it is stated in the studies that
organosulfur compounds are irremovable in the process of HDS. The literature and
studies showed a similar difference which is BDS is more effective than HDS. With
the use of certain microorganisms, decrease in sulfur in diesel oil was proven
effective. With the literature and studies gathered, the researchers hypothesized
that the S. acidocaldarius used to desulfurize coal, is also an effective biocatalyst and