Methods and materials for degrading xanthan

A method of treating xanthan-containing formation damage present in a wellbore or a subterranean formation penetrated by said wellbore, comprising the step of:

• introducing into said wellbore a well treatment fluid comprising an xanthanase enzyme complex produced by a soil bacterium culture bearing ATCC No. 55941 under conditions such that at least a portion of said xanthan-containing formation damage is degraded.

A method of reducing a viscosity of an xanthan-containing fluid by degrading xanthan molecules contained within said xanthan-containing fluid, comprising the step of combining said xanthan-containing fluid with an xanthanase enzyme complex produced by a soil bacterium culture bearing ATCC No. 55941 under conditions such that said viscosity of said xanthan-containing fluid is reduced.

A method for producing an xanthanase enzyme complex, comprising the steps of:

• culturing a bacterium bearing ATCC No. 55941 in a medium containing xanthan molecules under conditions suitable for the growth of said bacterium and for the production of xanthanase by said bacterium;
• and
• recovering said xanthanase from said medium.

An isolated and biologically pure microbial culture obtained from the bacterium bearing ATCC No. 55941.

An xanthanase contained in, or produced from, a solution comprising a culture of the bacterium bearing ATCC No. 55941.