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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Jan DolfingORCiD
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Elsevier Ltd, 2019.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. Methanogenic crude oil degradation is a significant process in subsurface environments and degradation of crude oil n-alkanes has been well documented. However, little is known about the biodegradability of the resulting heavy oil. In this study, a methanogenic consortium enriched from Shengli oilfield generated 1.3–1.9 mmol CH4/g of heavy oil at a rate of 2.9–8.8 μmol CH4/g of oil/day. Four SARA fractions (saturates, aromatics, resins and asphaltenes) of oils experienced a loss in linear aliphatic structures. n-Alkylcyclohexanes, methyl-n-alkylcyclohexanes, n-alkyldecalins, n-alkylbenzenes, n-alkyltoluenes and n-alkylxylenes with alkyl side chains longer than 14 carbons were degraded over 50% compared to the undegraded oil. In addition, the extent of degradation of these hydrocarbons increased with increasing carbon length. Correspondingly, n-fatty acids and naphthenic acids with 1–3 naphthenic rings accumulated over time. 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that aceticlastic Methanosarcina and Methanothrix dominated in the archaeal domain, and bacterial members related to Dehalococcoidia and Soehngenia were consistently present in the successive transfer cultures. However, neither assA/masD-like genes nor alkyl-substituted succinate metabolites were detected, indicating an alternative degradation pathway, rather than addition to fumarate. This study provides novel insights into methanogenic degradation of long-chain alkyl substituted hydrocarbons in heavy oil, which also extends our understanding of anaerobic degradation of crude oil in subsurface sedimentary environments.
Author(s): Cheng L, Shi S-B, Yang L, Zhang Y, Dolfing J, Sun Y-G, Liu L-Y, Li Q, Tu B, Dai L-R, Shi Q, Zhang H
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Organic Geochemistry
Year: 2019
Volume: 138
Print publication date: 01/12/2019
Online publication date: 05/09/2019
Acceptance date: 01/09/2019
Date deposited: 13/11/2019
ISSN (print): 0146-6380
ISSN (electronic): 1873-5290
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orggeochem.2019.103927
DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2019.103927
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