I.A Jimoh, Rudyk S.N and Sgaard E.

G
Section of Chemical Engineering,
Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Chemical Engineering,
Aalborg University, Campus Esbjerg
Denmark






2
Introduction


Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods and why are they needed?


Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery


Experimental Study (Objectives)


Results of Laboratory Investigations


Conclusions/Further Works



Currently global energy production from
fossil fuels is about 80-90% with oil and
gas representing about 60 %

During oil production, primary oil
recovery can account for between 30-40
% oil productions

While additional 15-25% can be
recovered by secondary methods such as
water injection leaving behind about 35-
55 % of oil as residual oil in the
reservoirs

This residual oil is usually the target of
many enhanced oil recovery technologies
and it amounts to about 2-4 trillion
barrels (Hall et al., 2003)


3
www.energyinsights.net



4
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods aimed to recover additional oil after primary recovery
or natural drives in the reservoirs

Water flooding (water injection)

Gas injection (not miscible)

Carbon dioxide flooding (miscible)

Steam injection and in-situ burning

Surfacants or foams injection

Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Methods


5
Use of microbes to improve oil recovery, established by Beckman 1926

How much additional oil can be produced? Up to 60% oil in place after primary
recovery
6
7
Bioproduct Effect
Acids


Biomass







Gases (CO
2
, CH
4
, H
2
)




Solvents


Surface-active agents

Polymers
Modification of reservoir rock
Improvement of porosity and permeability

Reaction with calcareous rocks and CO2 production
Selective or non selective plugging
Emulsification through adherence to hydrocarbons
Modification of solid surfaces
Degradation and alteration of oil
Reduction of viscosity and oil pour point
Desulfurization of oil

Reservoir repressurization
Oil swelling
Viscosity reduction
Increase permeability due to solubilization of carbonate rocks by
CO
2


Dissolving of oil
Lowering of interfacial tension

Emulsification

Mobility control
Selective and non-selective plugging

After Janshekar, 1985

Average size of microbe is one micron, 10,000th of cm. More
than 27,000 species of bacteria have been identified.

The bacteria, which can be mobile or non-mobile, have three
basic shapes: round (coccus), rod (bacillus) and spiral (spirillum).

Microbes are the most primitive earth's single celled
organisms.

Their basic role in life is to recycle the components of living
organisms, converting them to the nutrient chemicals used by
plants in photosynthesis & chemosynthesis.
Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) is a technology using micro-organisms to
facilitate, increase or extend oil production from reservoir.

Shape of Microbes
During last 15 years some countries began to develop and apply MEOR methods
successfully again such as USA, Russia, Romania, Germany, Malaysia, China,
India, Norway, UK, Venezuela, Iran, Trinidad among others.

More than 300 cases of MEOR methods application mostly
of single well stimulation were reported.

1. Selective Plugging
2. Hydrocarbon Chain Degrading Bacteria
3. Cyclic Microbial Recovery
Znamenskiy Field, Russia:

Microbes of activated sludge and
bio-stimulators application on the last
stage of carbonate rock field
development.

Totally during 1996-2002, 68
injectors were treated.

1 t of bio-product gave up to 756 t of
oil.



Microbes plug the washed out tunnel forcing
water to flow through yet unwashed areas.
Stimulating naturally occurring bacteria that feed on
oil to create conditions that release residual oil from
the reservoir.

The interfacial tension between water and oil is
lowered resulting in easier oil recovery.

Statoil
Applying an aerobic MEOR technique to the
development of Norne field.

Considers that the technique will produce about 32
million incremental barrels; about 6% above what
would otherwise have been recovered.
Carbon hungry bacteria are injected by Statoil
into the Norne field to free oil clinging to the
reservoir rock and enhanced recovery
The microbes degrade hydrocarbons to the
following components



A large group of bacteria is able to cut hydrocarbon
chains thus decreasing the viscosity of oil.
Viscous Oil
(Bokor Field Malaysia)
Before Treatment After Treatment Over
past 5 months
(post MEOR)
Production rate 152 b/d 334 b/d
Water cut 75 % 45 %
Heavy oil field in
Western Siberia, Russia,
January, 2006
Before Treatment After Treatment For a
Period 3 Months
Production rate 5 - 7 m3/h 15 -19 m3/h (mostly 16-
17 m3/h)
Water cut 48 % 25 %
Quality of oil - improved
Lazar et al., 2007:Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery
Microbes replicate -process is self
sustaining

Eliminates logistical hassle

Find their own carbon source in the
reservoir

Create recovery enhancing chemicals
where needed

A Rather cheap method compared to
CO2 injection




15
Self-
propagating
Self- directing
High salinity

High temperature

High pressure in oil reservoirs

pH

Pore geometry

The big question is how to find the right candidate!





16



17
Self- directing
1). Can the selected bacterium Cloostridium Tyrobutyricum produce desired
metabolites needed for enhanced oil recovery?

2). Can the selected bacterium Clostridium Tyrobutyricum survive at high salinities and
perform its metabolism to a certain extent?

3). How will pH, gas production and acid production change as a function
increasing salinity? What about the creation of biopolymers?

4). What is the influence of chalk exposed for microbial metabolism?

5). Can we have improved recovery from residual oil using this strain ?

All experiments are performed at temperature 37
o
C and ambient pressure





18
Self- directing
Salinity effect on bacteria morphology : Note the round shaped bacteria

19
Cumulative gas production at different salinity and gas composition

0
1000
2000
3000
4000
10 30 50 90 100
C
u
m
m
u
l
a
t
i
v
e

g
a
s

v
o
l

(
m
l
)

Salinity (g/l)
Pure culture
Adapted strain
Component % Composition
Carbon dioxide 83.66
Hydrogen 16.23
Nitrogen 0.11
Total 100.0

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Rate of absorption of CO
2
in the fermentation media

0
0.00015
0.0003
0 20 40 60 80 100
R
s

m
o
l
/
l
i
t
r
e
/
h
o
u
r

Salinity (g/l)
24 Hours
72 Hours
120 Hours
21
Acid production at different salinity with Clostridium tyrobactericum
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0 40 80 120
n
-
b
u
t
y
r
i
c


a
c
i
d

(
m
g
/
L
)

Time (Hours)
40 g/L
50 g/L
60 g/L
70 g/L
80 g/L
90 g/L
100 g/L
22
Acid production and pH variation at different salinity

0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7
n
-
b
u
t
y
r
i
c

a
c
i
d


(

m
g
/
L
)

pH
24 HOURS
72 HOURS
120 HOURS
23
Porosity modification of 14 chalk samples immersed in bacteria media

30
35
40
45
50
55
60
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7
P
o
r
o
s
i
t
y

(
%
)

Time (weeks)
Pre-treat porosity Post-treat porosity
24
Carbonate rock matrix in microbial media

25
Biofilm formation at oil water interface

0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
0 30 60 90 120 150
B
i
o
f
i
l
m

t
h
i
c
k
n
e
s
s

(
c
m
)

Salinity (g/L)
10 days 20 days 30 days 40 days
26
Oil recovery from packed sandstone column

Parameters Value
Initial Oil Saturation 120 ml
Residual Oil Saturation after
Water Flooding
33 ml
Nutrient Injected 0.4 PV (I PV=170ml)
Inoculums 0.2 PV
Incubation 37
o
C for 7 Days
Secondary Water Flooding 7 PV
Oil Displaced after Secondary
Water Flooding
13 ml
% Oil Recovery after Microbial
Treatment
39%




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1). The selected bacterium (Clostridium tyrobuyticum) can produced desired
metabolites needed for residual oil recovery thus eliminating use of harsh
chemicals.

2). The microbes can survive and become adapted to conditions with high
salinities. however, their metabolism is decreasing with increasing salinity.

3). Gas production shows a mixture of CO
2
and H
2
which amounts are decreasing
with increasing salinities. Biofilms are createdup to 100 g/L of salinity.

4). The porosity of chalk increases as a function of time probably because of the
acidic dissolution of the chalk.

5). Residual oil recovery greater than 30% was achieved.

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Contact Address: Room B115, Niels Bohrs Vej 8
Esbjerg, DK 6700, Denmark
iaj@bio.aau.dk

Thank you for your attention!