A preliminary study of the effect of two polyacrylamide polymers and formaldehyde on certain strains of oil field related bacteria was performed. Since at this stage of the development of planning the proposed North Sea polymer flood field samples of native bacteria populations and fluid samples were not available, the preliminary study was made using pure strains of bacteria associated with the oiltield environment. The tests were run using ideal growth conditions of
temperature and culture media. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of proposed polyacrylamide polymer flooding materials on the growth of selected strains of bacteria belonging to families common to the oilfield environment. The effect of 100 ppm of formaldehyde on these organisms also was investigated. The results of the tests showed that these bacteria responded differently to exposure to formaldehyde, polyacrylamide polymers and mixtures of both. These results indicate another possible mechanism for the occurrence of high bacteria related corrosion rates reported to occur on the producing side of polymer floods.