Specialist microbiology media
NCIMB offers a range of commonly required oilfield microbiology media and can prepare bespoke formulations to order. Our range includes media formulations from NACE standard TMO194-2014, as well as our own recipes.

Why use NCIMB for specialist microbiology media?
- NCIMB houses the UK's major reference culture collection of environmental bacteria and has more than 70 years' experience in production of culture media required to grow microorganisms from a hugely diverse range of environments including freshwater and marine environments, as well as oil and gas facilities.
- We have worked closely with the energy industry for decades, tailoring our products and services to meet their requirements.
- We operate a well established quality management system certified to ISO 9001:2015.
Our range of media
Our range includes media formulations from NACE standard TMO194-2014, as well as our own recipes. NCIMB houses the UK's major reference culture collection of environmental bacteria and has more than 70 years' experience in production of culture media required to grow microorganisms from a hugely diverse range of environments including freshwater and marine environments, as well as oil and gas facilities. We have worked closely with the oil and gas industry for decades, tailoring our products and services to meet their requirements.
We supply media for enumeration of:
- Sulphate reducing prokaryotes
- Thermophilic sulphate reducing prokaryotes
- General heterotrophic bacteria
- Acid-producing general heterotrophic bacteria
- Nitrite reducing bacteria
- Nitrogen-utilising bacteria
- Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria
- Thiosulphate-reducing bacteria
Media is supplied in boxes of 12 vials, with freshwater and seawater formulations available. We can also produce bespoke formulations for the specific salinity requirements of the test environment and store stocks of specific media for customers.
Other sampling sundries such as needles, syringes and thermometers are also available and can be supplied along with media in kits.
If you require media for groups of microorganisms that are not listed above please contact us.
Media for | Media name | Referenced in NACE TMO194-2014? | Supplied from stock? |
---|---|---|---|
Sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) | Modified Postgate B (MPB) | Yes | Yes - seawater and freshwater salinities |
General heterotrophic bacterial (GHB) | Phenol Red Dextrose broth (PRD) | Yes | Yes - seawater and freshwater salinities |
Acid-producing general heterotrophic bacteria (APB or APGHB) | Phenol Red Dextrose broth (PRD) | Yes | Yes - seawater and freshwater salinities |
Nitrite-reducing bacteria | NRB | No | Yes - freshwater salinity |
Nitrogen-utilising bacteria | Denitrifying medium (DNB) | Yes | No - made to order |
Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria | Bushnell-Haas | No | No - made to order |
Thiosulphate-reducing bacteria (TRB) | TRB | No | No - made to order |
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