On his way to earn a Ph.D. in petroleum microbiology, Abdulmohsen A. Al-Humam of the Research and Development (R&D) Center completed some research that could have far-reaching effects on Saudi Aramco oil production. His thesis, “Effects of Nitrate on Mixed Bacterial Communities in an Oilfield Water Distribution System,” sheds light on the processes that control microorganisms at oil facilities. “Unfortunately, for years, industries disregarded the concept of biological souring of oil field reservoirs,” said Al-Humam. “This resulted in production facilities being designed and built without consideration of the long-term effects that microorganisms might have on the operation and maintenance of these facilities.” The study was conducted in two parts: laboratory experiments and a field trial at Saudi Aramco's Hawtah oil field. The trial showed that injecting nitrate into the water distribution system limited SRB activity and H2S production, was 43 percent more cost-efficient than other methods and improved well operation by 12 percent to 15 percent. Al-Humam's research was presented at the Reservoir Microbiology Forum, held by the British Energy Institute in London, and at the Corrosion Conference held by NACE International, according to a press release of Saudi Aramco. Al-Humam first joined Saudi Aramco in 1993 after receiving his bachelor's degree in microbiology from King Saud University in Riyadh. He began working in the R&D Center, where he studied microbiology found in petroleum facilities. He is with the Biotechnology Group, where he works on methods to control microorganisms that cause problems in water injection systems and oil field reservoirs.
