THE MICROBIOLOGY OF DRILL MUD CUTTINGS FROM A NEW OFFSHORE OIL-FIELD IN NIGERIA

Drilling-fluid-utilising microorganisms present in drill mud cuttings collected from the Agbara oilfield were isolated on mineral salts agar plates. Thirty-two isolates were obtained, 26 of which were Gram-posi tive bacteria and six fungi. The isolates were identified as Bacillus sp. (10), Staphylococcus sp. (12), Micrococcus sp. (2.), Corynebacteri um sp. (1), Nocardia sp. (1), and Penicillium sp. (6). Screen tests in dicated that 27 (84.4%) of the isolates did not grow with any of the d rilling fluids One Bacillus and three Staphylococcus spp. were strong primary utilisers of the drilling fluids.