Microbial Enhanced Oil

Recovery

Introduction
Fossil Fuel still remains key
energy source

Oil
Production

Primary Oil Recovery: 510% of total reserve

Use of natural pressure
drive of reservoir

Secondary Oil Recovery:

10-40%

Injection of fluids into wells

(water-flooding)

US Energy Information Administration:

http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/perspectives.cfm

Introduction
Residual Oil: 67% of total oil reserves

Enhanced Oil
Recovery
Aims at recovery of the residual

oil
Chemically Enhanced Oil
Recovery
Injection of polymers, surfactants,
etc.

Thermally Enhanced Oil

Recovery
Injection of steam, in-situ

Introduction: Microbial Enhanced Oil

Recovery

Array of techniques that utilize microorganisms and

the metabolic products to increase the recovery of oil
from depleted and marginal reservoirs, thereby
extending the life of oil wells
Proposed in 1926 by Beckman, but results from ZoBell led to interes
Exploit microorganism
which produce chemicals
like biopolymers,
biosurfactants, etc.
R. Sen/ Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 34 (2008) 714-724

MEOR: Application Strategies &

Techniques
Two Broad Categories:
Injection of microorganisms and nutrients into the reservoirs
Stimulation of indigenous microorganisms by injection of
nutrients

Techniques
Cyclic Microbial Recovery
Microbial Flooding
Selective Plugging

MEOR: Mechanism
Mechanism is identified based on the end products
generated from bacteria metabolism
Main targets:
viscosity reduction
rock dissolution
permeability reduction

selection of mechanism depends on reservoir requirement

Mechanism:
Role of biosufractants
Decrease interfacial tension
Increase the capillary number
Altering the wettability of reservoir rock for
water flood

R. Sen/ Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 34 (2008)

714-724

Mechanism:
Role of biopolymer and biofilms:
Selective plugging of oil depleted zone by producing
biomass
Redirect the water flood to oil-rich channels

R. Sen/ Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 34 (2008) 714-724

Mechanism
Use of gas and solvents as MEOR agent:
reservoir re-pressurization
Reducing viscosity
Carbonate rock dissolution

MEOR Constrains
physical and chemical condition of the reservoir:
Salinity
Temperature
Pressure
PH
Pore size
Nutrients

From Lab to Field

Dynamic Environment of
reservoir
Complexity of microorganisms
growth kinetics
Extremely challenging mathematical
models

Explaining success or failure of field

applications of microbial technology is
often hindered by the absence of specific
and quantitative understanding of
microbial activity

Economic Evaluation
WHO is using
MEOR?

Source: R. Sen, "Biotechnology in petroleum recovery: The

microbial EOR," Progress in Energy and Combustion Science

Economic evaluation

HOW COSTLY it
is?
Surfactant flooding

MEOR

Incremental Cost of EOR Techniques

Source: R. Sen, "Biotechnology in petroleum recovery: The

microbial EOR," Progress in Energy and Combustion Science

Economic evaluation

Oil Price 19702016

Is it
BENEFICIAL?

Source: US National Energy Adviso

Economic Evaluation

What is the
PROSPECTIVE?

Take to home massage

Different Microorganisms can enhance oil recovery by
producing different metabolites to decreasing viscosity,
re-pressurizing the reservoir ,decrease interfacial
tension, rock dissolution and selective plugging.
Modeling and simulating of process is extremely
challenging; however, there has been a lot of progress
lately!
The profitability of the technique is highly dependent on
the oil price in the market.