Injection of nitrate into an oil field can significantly reduce the concentration of sulfide
produced by endogenous sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Although much is known of the effects of
nitrate in relatively high temperature reservoirs (60-80 oC), flooded with seawater, its effectiveness in
lower temperature reservoirs (30-40 oC) subjected to produced water reinjection (PWRI) is less well
understood. The nitrate-reducing, sulfide-oxidizing bacterium (NR-SOB) Thiomicrospira sp. strain
CVO, was isolated from such a reservoir. This organism converts sulfide and nitrate into sulfate and
nitrite or into sulfur and nitrogen, depending on whether the initial nitrate to sulfide (N/S) ratio is high or
low, respectively. The presence of iron minerals in reservoir rock (e.g. siderite FeCO3) can delay the
onset of souring by immobilizing SRB-produced sulfide as FeS (FeCO3 + HS- ? FeS + HCO3
-). Strain
CVO appeared incapable of oxidizing ferrous sulfide (FeS) with nitrate, indicating that it does not
mobilize precipitated sulfides.