Distribution of Desulfovibrio spp. in Oilfields in the Southeast Anatolian Region of Türkiye

Oilfields harbor subsurface microbial communities, including a wide variety of bacteria. Among these, sulfate-reducing bacteria have been studied most intensely due to their role in causing microbiologically influenced corrosion of equipment and in the souring of crude oil. The most frequently isolated mesophilic sulfate-reducing bacteria from oilfields belong to the genus Desulfovibrio. In this study, the presence, abundance, and distribution of Desulfovibrio spp. were investigated in produced water samples taken from the southeast Anatolian region (Diyarbakır and Batman) in Türkiye by the fluorescent in situ hybridization technique. SRB-687 probe was used for the detection and enumeration of Desulfovibrio spp. The total bacterial population was investigated by fluorescent staining. The results showed that all oil wells (16) were contaminated by Desulfovibrio spp. Among the total bacterial population, 38.67 and 43.18% were identified as Desulfovibrio spp. in Diyarbakır and in Batman, respectively. These findings not only confirm the presence of Desulfovibrio spp. in oil wells, but they also shed light on their diversity and abundance within the total bacterial population inhabiting petroleum environments. The detection of such intense Desulfovibrio spp. contamination in produced water of Diyarbakır and Batman oilfields highlights the necessity of using effective techniques to inhibit these bacteria, which may otherwise cause serious problems in the oil industry.