🔬 Microorganisms in Oil Recovery: A Game Changer?
When you hear the word microorganisms, what comes to mind? Most people associate them with harmful microbes, but in reality, microorganisms are tiny living beings, often single-celled, that can be either beneficial or harmful. Surprisingly, they play a crucial role in the petroleum industry!
Today, we’ll explore a lesser-known Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technique—Microbial EOR (MEOR)—where we use bacteria to enhance oil production. These bacteria can withstand extreme reservoir conditions, and by leveraging their biological activity, we can extract more oil by altering its properties and interaction with surrounding rocks and fluids.
### How Does MEOR Improve Oil Recovery?
1️⃣ Bio-degradation of Crude Oil:
- Bacteria break down heavy oil into lighter fractions, reducing viscosity and improving flowability.
2️⃣ Gas Production Inside the Reservoir:
- Bacteria produce gases like CO₂, N₂, H₂, and CH₄, which increase pressure and act similarly to miscible flooding, further reducing viscosity.
3️⃣ Biosurfactant Production:
- Bacteria produce natural surfactants that lower interfacial tension between oil and water, improving oil displacement and altering wettability.
4️⃣ Organic Acid & Solvent Generation:
- The acids dissolve portions of the rock, enhancing permeability, while solvents help in oil mobilization.
5️⃣ Wax Removal:
- Some bacteria, known as Paraffin-Degrading Bacteria, break down wax deposits that clog production pathways.
6️⃣ Selective Plugging in Reservoirs:
- In water flooding, water tends to flow through high-permeability zones, leaving oil behind in lower-permeability areas. Bacteria can partially block high-perm zones, redirecting water to sweep oil from less permeable zones.
MEOR presents a promising, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional EOR methods. Could this microbial approach revolutionize oil recovery in mature reservoirs?
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-017644250_petroleumengineering-enhancedoilrecovery-activity-7294130698045542400-BzIe?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&utm_campaign=copy_link
When you hear the word microorganisms, what comes to mind? Most people associate them with harmful microbes, but in reality, microorganisms are tiny living beings, often single-celled, that can be either beneficial or harmful. Surprisingly, they play a crucial role in the petroleum industry!
Today, we’ll explore a lesser-known Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) technique—Microbial EOR (MEOR)—where we use bacteria to enhance oil production. These bacteria can withstand extreme reservoir conditions, and by leveraging their biological activity, we can extract more oil by altering its properties and interaction with surrounding rocks and fluids.
### How Does MEOR Improve Oil Recovery?
1️⃣ Bio-degradation of Crude Oil:
- Bacteria break down heavy oil into lighter fractions, reducing viscosity and improving flowability.
2️⃣ Gas Production Inside the Reservoir:
- Bacteria produce gases like CO₂, N₂, H₂, and CH₄, which increase pressure and act similarly to miscible flooding, further reducing viscosity.
3️⃣ Biosurfactant Production:
- Bacteria produce natural surfactants that lower interfacial tension between oil and water, improving oil displacement and altering wettability.
4️⃣ Organic Acid & Solvent Generation:
- The acids dissolve portions of the rock, enhancing permeability, while solvents help in oil mobilization.
5️⃣ Wax Removal:
- Some bacteria, known as Paraffin-Degrading Bacteria, break down wax deposits that clog production pathways.
6️⃣ Selective Plugging in Reservoirs:
- In water flooding, water tends to flow through high-permeability zones, leaving oil behind in lower-permeability areas. Bacteria can partially block high-perm zones, redirecting water to sweep oil from less permeable zones.
MEOR presents a promising, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional EOR methods. Could this microbial approach revolutionize oil recovery in mature reservoirs?
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1-017644250_petroleumengineering-enhancedoilrecovery-activity-7294130698045542400-BzIe?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=android_app&utm_campaign=copy_link
