Exploring the influence of deposit mineral composition on biofilm communities in oil and gas systems

Introduction: Inside oil and gas pipelines, native microbial communities and different solid compounds typically coexist and form mixed deposits. However, interactions between these deposits (primarily consisting of mineral phases) and microorganisms in oil and gas systems remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the influence of magnetite (Fe₃O₄), troilite (FeS), and silica (SiO₂) on the microbial diversity, cell viability, biofilm formation, and EPS composition of an oil-recovered multispecies consortium. Methods: An oilfield-recovered microbial consortium was grown for 2 weeks in separate bioreactors, each containing 10 g of commercially available magnetite (Fe₃O₄), troilite (FeS), or silica (SiO₂) at 40°C ± 1°C under a gas atmosphere of 20% CO₂/80% N_2. Results: The microbial population formed in troilite significantly differed from those in silica and magnetite, which exhibited significant similarities. The dominant taxa in troilite was the Dethiosulfovibrio genus, whereas Sulfurospirillum dominated in magnetite and silica. Nevertheless, biofilm formation was lowest on troilite and highest on silica, correlating with the observed cell viability. Discussion: The dissolution of troilite followed by the liberation of HS⁻ (H₂S) and Fe²⁺ into the test solution, along with its larger particle size compared to silica, likely contributed to the observed results. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that the EPS of the biofilm formed in silica was dominated by eDNA, while those in troilite and magnetite primarily contained polysaccharides. Although the mechanisms of this phenomenon could not be determined, these findings are anticipated to be particularly valuable for enhancing MIC mitigation strategies currently used in oil and gas systems.