The Comparative Analysis of Indigenous Soil Bacteria and Their Oil-Degrading Potential in Certain Areas of the “Jarkurgan-Neft” Oil Fields
Abstract
This article investigates the oil-degrading potential of indigenous bacterial strains isolated from various oil-contaminated soils and products in the Jarkurgan and Kumkurgan districts of Surkhandarya region. Based on the analysis of the quantity and quality of microorganisms present in collected samples of soil, oil sludge, crude oil, and water, 24 pure bacterial isolates—predominantly occurring species—were isolated. These strains were comparatively characterized in terms of their growth and oil-degrading activity in a minimal medium supplemented with crude oil as the sole carbon source. Additionally, nine bacterial isolates exhibiting high oil-degrading potential were studied under conditions of Raimondo synthetic medium containing 1.0–2.0% crude oil, focusing on their morphological characteristics and hydrocarbon utilization efficiency.