Pipeline corrosion and reservoir souring are major issues facing the oil industry. Remediation and repair projects result in elevated costs, heightened risks (safety, health, environmental, economic) and a host of operating problems. Many souring and corrosion problems are related to microbial infection. Commercial biocide treatments to avoid corrosion and effects of other bacterial infestations are often only marginally effective, while being inherently dangerous and generally harmful to the environment.

Potential Solutions to be Investigated:

An effective, specific, cheap, safe to handle, natural and environmentally benign bactericide is needed. Such a bactericide may be found in bacteriophage (virus), the families of natural predators of bacteria and other problem microbes. Bacteriophages (or simply, phage) have the ability to destroy cultures of target bacteria, while being completely benign to all other microbes and higher life forms. Indeed phage are used in food preservation and human bacterial infection treatment.