LAUSR

Abstract In the present article, ten bacterial strains were isolated from two Campanian bulk shale samples from Abu-Tartur mine of the Western Desert and the Quseir area at the El-Nakheil area of Red Sea, Egypt. The characterization of these two samples was analyzed. Two of the bacterial isolated strains showed a higher growth rate on oil shale and these were selected for the biodegradation process. These bacterial isolates (B1 and B2) were identified using molecular identification performed by 16S rRNA gene sequences. The results indicated that two isolated bacteria belong to Bacillus flexus and Enterobacter cloacae. Gas Chromatographic analysis of the remaining oil shale in different culture medium after one week at 30 oC yielded optimum percentage biodegradation at 35.15% for the Abu-Tartur oil shale sample, while for the El- Nakheil oil shale sample was detected at 32.13%. The bacterial strain (B1) consumed more of the iso-paraffins than n-paraffins of saturates fraction in the Abu-Tartur oil shale sample. The complete utilization of some different polyaromatics membered rings and the highest percentage biodegradation of other polyaromatics were determined with two bacterial strains and different oil shale samples separately. From the results seems to be worthy biodegradation of oil shale samples trend.