Growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL-B523 in an alkaline medium: Suboptimal pH growth inhibition of a lactic acid bacterium

Bacterial profile modification (BPM), a form of tertiary oil recovery, diverts water from the water‐flooded high‐permeability zone into the oil‐bearing low‐permeability zone. During field use, exopolymer‐producing bacteria plug the high‐permeability zone only in the immediate vicinity of the injection point (the near‐well bore region). For effective BPM the plug must penetrate far into the formation. Slowing the specific growth rate, lengthening the lag phase, and slowing the polymerization rate are techniques that can prolong the onset of biopolymer gelation and extend the depth of the biological plug. In batch experiments, the growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides NRRL‐B523 was inhibited by the synergistic effects of high substrate loading and an alkaline pH. Exponential growth was delayed up to 190 h. It was observed that cell division was significantly retarded until the medium pH, reduced by the acid byproducts of fermentation, reached a critical value of 6.79 ± 0.06. A mathematical model was developed to describe the relationship between specific growth rate, lag time, and medium pH. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.