Novel approaches to microbial enhancement of oil recovery

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.12.019
AuthorSearch for: 1
Name affiliation
  1. National Research Council Canada. Aquatic and Crop Resource Development
FormatText
TypeArticle
Journal titleJournal of Biotechnology
ISSN0168-1656
1873-4863
Volume266
Pages118–123
Subjectbiosurfactant; MEOR; EOR; wettability; interfacial tension; solution gas drive
Abstract
Microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) was shown to be feasible in a number of laboratory experiments and field trials. However, it has not been widely used in the oil industry because necessary conditions cannot always be easily established in an oil reservoir. Novel approaches to MEOR, which are based on newly discovered biosurfactant-mediated MEOR-mechanisms, are discussed in this review. Particularly, the possibility of combining MEOR with chemical enhancement of oil recovery in heterogeneous oil reservoirs, which involves rock surface wettability shifts and emulsion inversions, is discussed. In wider (centimeter/millimeter-scale) rock pores, the activity of (bio)surfactants and microbial cells attached to oil may allow releasing trapped oil blobs through oil-in-water emulsification. After no more oil can be emulsified, the addition of alkali or surfactants, which turn rock surface oil-wet, may help release oil droplets trapped in narrow (micrometer-scale) pores through coalescence of the droplets and water-in-oil emulsification. Experiments demonstrating the possibility of (bio)surfactant-mediated enhancement of immiscible gas-driven oil recovery are also reviewed. Interestingly, very low (bio)surfactant concentrations were shown to be needed for enhancement of immiscible gas-driven oil recovery. Some possible side effects of MEOR, such as unintended bioplugging and microbially influenced corrosion (MIC), are discussed as well.
Publication date
PublisherElsevier
NoteCorrigendum to “Novel approaches to microbial enhancement of oil recovery” [J. Biotechnol. 266 (2018) 118–123] (S0168165617317777) (10.1016/j.jbiotec.2017.12.019))
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NRC numberNRC-ACRD-56311
NPARC number23002775
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