Predominance and Metabolic Potential of Halanaerobium spp. in Produced Water from Hydraulically Fractured Marcellus Shale Wells

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Abstract
Microbial activity in the produced water from hydraulically fractured oil and gas wells may potentially interfere with hydrocarbon production and cause damage to the well and surface infrastructure via corrosion, sulfide release, and fouling. In this study, we surveyed the microbial abundance and community structure of produced water sampled from 42 Marcellus Shale wells in southwestern Pennsylvania (well age ranged from 150 to 1,846 days) to better understand the microbial diversity of produced water. We sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to assess taxonomy and utilized quantitative PCR (qPCR) to evaluate the microbial abundance across all 42 produced water samples. Bacteria of the orderHalanaerobialeswere found to be the most abundant organisms in the majority of the produced water samples, emphasizing their previously suggested role in hydraulic fracturing-related microbial activity. Statistical analyses identified correlations between well age and biocide formulation and the microbial community, in particular, the relative abundance ofHalanaerobiales. We further investigated the role of members of the orderHalanaerobialesin produced water by reconstructing and annotating aHalanaerobiumdraft genome (named MDAL1), using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and metagenomic binning. The recovered draft genome was found to be closely related to the speciesH. congolense, an oil field isolate, andHalanaerobiumsp. strain T82-1, also recovered from hydraulic fracturing produced water. Reconstruction of metabolic pathways revealedHalanaerobiumsp. strain MDAL1 to have the potential for acid production, thiosulfate reduction, and biofilm formation, suggesting it to have the ability to contribute to corrosion, souring, and biofouling events in the hydraulic fracturing infrastructure.IMPORTANCEThere are an estimated 15,000 unconventional gas wells in the Marcellus Shale region, each generating up to 8,000 liters of hypersaline produced water per day throughout its lifetime (K. Gregory, R. Vidic, and D. Dzombak, Elements 7:181–186, 2011,https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.7.3.181; J. Arthur, B. Bohm, and M. Layne, Gulf Coast Assoc Geol Soc Trans 59:49–59, 2009;https://www.marcellusgas.org/index.php). Microbial activity in produced waters could lead to issues with corrosion, fouling, and souring, potentially interfering with hydraulic fracturing operations. Previous studies have found microorganisms contributing to corrosion, fouling, and souring to be abundant across produced water samples from hydraulically fractured wells; however, these findings were based on a limited number of samples and well sites. In this study, we investigated the microbial community structure in produced water samples from 42 unconventional Marcellus Shale wells, confirming the dominance of the genusHalanaerobiumin produced water and its metabolic potential for acid and sulfide production and biofilm formation.
Funding Information
  • NETL-RUA (RES1000027/183U)
  • NETL-ORISE
  • NETL-ORISE

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