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Characterization of Pseudomonas sp. TMB2 produced rhamnolipids for ex-situ microbial enhanced oil recovery

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Abstract

The present study describes the ex-situ production of a biosurfactant by Pseudomonas sp. TMB2 for its potential application in enhancing oil recovery. The physicochemical parameters such as temperature and pH were optimized as 30 °C and 7.2, respectively, for their maximum laboratory scale production in mineral salt medium containing glucose and sodium nitrate as best carbon and nitrogen sources. The surface activity of the resulting culture broth was declined from 71.9 to 33.4 mN/m having the highest emulsification activity against kerosene oil. The extracted biosurfactant was characterized chemically as glycolipid by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy analyses. The presence of mono-rhamnolipids (Rha-C8:2, Rha-C10, Rha-C10-C10, and Rha-C10-C12:1) and di-rhamnolipids (Rha-Rha-C12-C10, Rha-Rha-C10-C10, and Rha-Rha-C10-C12:1) congeners were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy analysis. The thermostability and degradation pattern of the candidate biosurfactant were tested by thermogravimetry assay and differential scanning calorimetry studies for its suitability in ex-situ oil recovery technology. The rhamnolipid based slug, prepared in 4000 ppm brine solution reduced the interfacial tension between liquid paraffin oil and aqueous solution to 0.8 mN/m from 39.1 mN/m at critical micelle concentration of 120 mg/L. The flooding test was performed using conventional core plugs belonging to oil producing horizons of Upper Assam Basin and recovered 16.7% of original oil in place after secondary brine flooding with microscopic displacement efficiency of 27.11%.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are gratefully acknowledged the financial assistance extended in the form of a project Junior Research Fellowship (entitled “Strengthening of Biotechnology Teaching, Training and Research in Universities and Colleges in the North-East”) by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India to Saurav Haloi. The authors are also grateful to Institute Of Biotechnology & Geotectonics Studies (INBIGS)-Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Assam & Assam-Arakan Basin Eastern Region, Cinnamara, Jorhat, Assam, India for providing us crude oil from Borhola oil field, Jorhat, Assam and ONGC-Centre for Petroleum Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University for providing us laboratory facilities. The authors are also grateful to SAIC, IIT Mumbai (for HR-LCMS), Department of Chemical Sciences (for NMR and TGA–DSC) and Material Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Tezpur University (for Contact angle measurement) for their support. We also like to thank Mr. Rituraj Das, RS of the Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University for the help.

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  1. Applied Biochemistry Lab, Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Tezpur, India

    Saurav Haloi & Tapas Medhi

  2. Department of Petroleum Technology, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, India

    Shilpi Sarmah & Subrata B. Gogoi

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  1. Saurav Haloi
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Haloi, S., Sarmah, S., Gogoi, S.B. et al. Characterization of Pseudomonas sp. TMB2 produced rhamnolipids for ex-situ microbial enhanced oil recovery. 3 Biotech 10, 120 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-2094-9

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