Bacteria Attacking Petroleum and Oil Fractions

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Abstract
Bacterial cultures capable of attacking crude oil, lubricating oils, vaseline, asphalt, and all other petroleum fractions used were isolated from soil by an enrichment technique using a mineral-salts-oil medium. The organisms found were all gram-negative rods including Pseudomonas and many white-mucoid types. Light to medium wt. fractions were more subject to attack than the heavy viscous portions and the paraflinic fractions even more readily broken down than aromatic oil of similar viscosity. The breakdown of oil was accompanied by an uptake of oxygen, high bacterial count, emulsification and sometimes a decrease in pH. The CO2/O2 ratio for the dissimilation of light oils was approx. 0.65. In heavy oils the ratio dropped to a much lower figure.

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