Desulfurization of Mexican heavy oil by sulfate-reducing bacteria

Twenty-five mixed cultures of sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were isolated from sediment and anaerobic digestors samples, collected at southeast Gulf of Mexico, Pacific Ocean, and wastewater treatment plant, Mexico. The isolated SRB mixed cultures were tested for desulfarization of Mexican heavy oil. Desulfurization activity of SRB was not affected by high level of vanadium in heavy oil. Sediment samples gave better sulfur removal performance than anaerobic digestors samples. The difference in removal efficiency of the two samples is possibly related to the different quantity of SRB strains causing degradation of organic sulfur in heavy oil.