Microbial Treatment of Oil and Gas Production Water in Petrochad's Mangara Field (Badila)

Microbial isolates RPG14, RPG18, and RPG20, selected after a screening test, were subjected to optimization of physicochemical and nutritional parameters. Subsequently, a 3-liter extraction for each culture medium was initiated. The optimal yields after 20 days of incubation were 68.62 g/l for RPG14, 60.42 g/l for RPG18, and 69.85 g/l for RPG20. Five graduated tubes, each containing 150 mL of oil and gas production water, were supplemented with 25, 30, and 50 mL of the supernatant from each isolate (RPG14, RPG18, and RPG20). The tubes were placed on a MPW-260RH centrifuge heater, running at 300 rpm for 15 minutes. Each centrifugation was performed at temperatures of 55°C, 70°C, and 75°C. The tubes were then transferred to a mini-decanting unit (SIMOP 6016-SIM) for water separation, and the volume of oil in the tube was measured after 20, 40, and 60 minutes of decantation. The purification efficiency was calculated. The results indicated that biosurfactants could purify the oil and gas production water (EPP) up to 100%. However, the quantity of biosurfactants did not influence purification significantly. Notably, longer exposure time of biosurfactants in the EPP led to higher purification rates. The purified EPP were analyzed and found to comply with the IFC 2007, WHO, and FAO discharge standards.