3179 EI Research Report: An investigation of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) as a routine tool to monitor sulphate-reducing bacteria in oil field systems

Overview:

The Energy Institute's Microbiology Committee commissioned a study to determine whether the molecular technique fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) is a suitable and practical method for use in the oil industry.

Identification and enumeration of many oil field microorganisms using traditional cultivation methods has its challenges. FISH targets genetic material, which is inherent in every living cell, and so allows the quantitative determination of the composition of complex microbial communities. FISH is a valuable tool in oil field microbiology and several research groups and service companies already routinely apply FISH to oil field samples.

The report of this study is divided into three parts:

Part 1 - General information and guidance on the application of FISH and a discussion of the relative benefits as compared to traditional methods

Part 2 - Detailed technical information, supported by existing relevant scientific literature and data from laboratory trials.

Part 3 - An example a general method for total cell enumeration using FISH

This report will be useful to practitioners by providing detailed technical information on methodologies and to non-microbiologists who would like to learn the principles and application of FISH, particularly in relation to oilfield microbiology.