Microbial degradation of fossil organic matter has long been observed in subsurface oil reservoirs despite the extreme environmental conditions therein. Through various ecological roles, microbial communities are thriving and influencing the physical and chemical features of oil reservoir ecosystems. However, due to the regular injections of fluids comprising allochthonous microorganisms and new electron acceptors/donors during oil production, the in-situ microbial communities and their abiotic parameters are severely affected. Unfortunately, we are lacking knowledge on the extents of these anthropogenic perturbations in such ecosystems.

Thus, the goal of this project is to provide more insights into the consequences of oil production on the reservoir’s microbiome, metabolic potential, and the abiotic parameters through the combination of next-generation sequencing technologies and statistical analyses.