Microbial Enhancement of Oil Recovery: Recent Advances : Proceedings of the 1990 International Conference on Microbial Enhancement of Oil Recovery (Developments in Petroleum Science, 31)

This Conference Was Instituted To Examine Field Activities In Microbial Enhancement Of Oil Recovery. The U.s. Department Of Energy Has Sponsored Several Field Projects And The Details From Some Of These Were Presented, As Well As A Few From Industry. The Balance Of The Program Was Concerned With New Developments In Research. Today's Oil Production Technology Leaves One Third To One Half Of The Original Oil In Place In The Reservoir At Abandonment Of Secondary Recovery (waterflooding). This Leaves A Very Large Target For Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Which Was Shown By The Research Papers Of This Conference To Be Capable Of Producing Up To 50% Of The Residual Oil. The Field Trials Show That The Normal Projected Oil Production Decline Curve Can Be Reversed, Or Leveled Off By Microbial Enhancement Of Oil Recovery. This Conference Has Shown That A Variety Of Applications Are Possible To Correct Oilfield Problems As Well As To Enhance Oil Recovery. Among These Is The Suppression Of Hydrogen Sulfide Production Which Alone Is A Tremendous Advance Because Of The Large Quantity Of Sour Oil Production. If Hydrogen Sulfide Production Can Be Curtailed It Would Increase The Value Of The Produced Oil, Decrease It Toxicity, And Largely Decrease It Corrosiveness. All Of These Would Be Welcome Both In The Field And At The Petroleum Refinery Where Special Precautions Must Be Taken To Process Sour Crude Oil. Another Very Important Discovery Is The Ability Of Certain Bacteria To Eliminate Paraffin Deposition Around The Producing Well And In The Tubulars. This Is A Welcome Improvement For Many Producers Who Have Considerable Difficulty In Controlling Paraffin Deposition. Content: Advisory Editor Page ii Edited by Page iii Copyright page Page iv Dedication Page v Preface Pages 1-3 Erle C. Donaldson Introduction Page 5 Ch. I-1 Address by the Director of the Department of Energy, Bartlesville Project Office Original Research Article Pages 7-9 Thomas C. Wesson Ch. I-2 Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery—The Time is Now Original Research Article Pages 11-20 D.O. Hitzman Ch. I-3 MEOR in the Field: Why so Little? Original Research Article Pages 21-28 V. Moses Ch. I-4 A Brief Introduction to the Progress of MEOR in China Original Research Article Pages 29-34 Qin Tong Luo, Yang Guang Hua Research Page 35 Ch. R-1 Microbial Physiology and Enhanced Oil Recovery Original Research Article Pages 37-44 A.J. Sheehy Ch. R-2 Analysis of Biomass in Rock Cores Following Nutrient Stimulation Original Research Article Pages 45-59 D. Gevertz, R.M. Solis, W.A. Wood Ch. R-3 Bacteria-Mineral Surface Interactions in a Laboratory Model Reservoir Environment Original Research Article Pages 61-77 F.K. Hiebert, R.L. Folk, C.H. Oppenheimer, L.W. Lake Ch. R-4 Investigations of Microbial Mechanisms for Oil Mobilization in Porous Media Original Research Article Pages 79-94 K.L. Chase, R.S. Bryant, T.E. Burchfield, K.M. Bertus, A.K. Stepp Ch. R-5 Mechanisms of Oil Displacement by Microorganisms Original Research Article Pages 95-113 S.A. Kianipey, E.C. Donaldson Ch. R-6 Isolation and Characterization of Anaerobic Halophilic Bacteria From Oil Reservoir Brines Original Research Article Pages 115-129 D. Gevertz, J.R. Paterek, M.E. Davey, W.A. Wood Ch. R-7 Isolation and Characterization of Novel Halophilic Anaerobic Bacteria from Oil Field Brines Original Research Article Pages 131-143 V.K. Bhupathiraju, P.K. Sharma, M.J. McInerney, R.M. Knapp, K. Fowler, W. Jenkins Ch. R-8 Anaerobic Microbial Degradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons Original Research Article Pages 145-161 D. Grbic-Galic Ch. R-9 Strict Anaerobic Bacteria and their Possible Contribution to the Enhancement of Oil Recovery Original Research Article Pages 163-172 Sergey S. Belyaev, Irene A. Charakchian, Veronika G. Kuznetsova Ch. R-10 A Method to Determine the Number of Hydrocarbon Degrading Bacteria in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Original Research Article Pages 173-182 Ada Lichaa, Car l. Oppenheimer Ch. R-11 Effects of Sodium Chloride on Growth and Metabolism of Two Strains of Clostridium Original Research Article Pages 183-206 M.M. Grula, H.H. Russell, S.M. Janloo, T. Conway Ch. R-12 Effects of High Pressure and High-Pressure Gases on Microorganisms Original Research Article Pages 207-218 Robert E. Marquis Ch. R-13 Production of Biosurfactant by Bacillus Licheniformis Strain JF-2 Original Research Article Pages 219-226 S.C. Lin, J.C. Goursaud, P.J. Kramer, G. Georgiou, M.M. Sharma Ch. R-14 Enhanced Oil Recovery at Simulated Reservoir Conditions Original Research Article Pages 227-245 Erle C. Donaldson, Tawfic Obeida Ch. R-15 High-Temperature, Salt-Tolerant Enzymic Breaker of Xanthan Gum Viscosity Original Research Article Pages 247-255 M.E. Slodki, M.C. Cadmus Ch. R-16 Microbial Ecology of Corrosion and Reservoir Souring Original Research Article Pages 257-263 D.W.S. Westlake Ch. R-17 Degradation of Glucose and Production of H 2 S by a Consortium of Thermophilic Bacteria Under Simulated Reservoir Conditions Original Research Article Pages 265-276 J.T. Rosnes, T. Torsvik, T. Lien, A. Graue Ch. R-18 Prospects for Thermophilic Microorganisms in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) Original Research Article Pages 277-296 E.T. Premuzic, M.S. Lin Ch. R-19 Fate Of Surfactant Vesicles Surviving from Thermophilic, Halotolerant, Spore Forming, Clostridium Thermohydrosulfuricum Original Research Article Pages 297-309 Teh Fu Yen, Joon Kyu Park, Kwang Il Lee, Yueqi Li Ch. R-20 Transient Transport of Bacterial Suspensions in Natural Porous Media: Modeling of the Adsorption Phenomenon Original Research Article Pages 311-329 P. Cheneviere, M. Sardin, P. De Farcy, A. Putz Ch. R-21 Compositional Numerical Simulation of MEOR Processes Original Research Article Pages 331-343 A.K. Sarkar, M.M. Sharma, G. Georgiou Field Applications Page 345 Ch. F-1 Characteristics of the Bacterial Inoculum used in Some Recent MEOR Field Trials in Romania Original Research Article Pages 347-364 I. Lazar, S. Dobrota, M. Stefanescu, V. Velehorschi Ch. F-2 Preliminary Results of Some Recent MEOR Field Trials in Romania Original Research Article Pages 365-385 I. Lazar, S. Dobrota, M. Stefanescu, L. Sandulescu, P. Constantinescu, C. Morosanu, N. Botea, O. Iliescu Ch. F-3 Microbial Enhancement of Oil Recovery from Carbonate Reservoirs with Complex Formation Characteristics Original Research Article Pages 387-398 M. Wagner Ch. F-4 Microbial Enhanced Waterflooding: A Pilot Study Original Research Article Pages 399-419 R.S. Bryant, T.E. Burchfield, D.M. Dennis, D.O. Hitzman, R.E. Porter Ch. F-5 Biotechnology of Enhancement of Oil Recovery Based on the Geochemical Activity of Microorganisms (Field Experiments) Original Research Article Pages 421-432 M.V. Ivanov, S.S. Belyaev Ch. F-6 Microbial Selective Plugging to Control Water Channeling Original Research Article Pages 433-440 T.R. Jack, L.G. Stehmeier, M.R. Islam, F.G. Ferris Ch. F-7 Microbial Control of the Production of Sulfide Original Research Article Pages 441-449 M.J. McInerney, K.L. Sublette, A.D. Montgomery Ch. F-8 Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Treatments and Wellbore Stimulation Using Microorganisms to Control Paraffin, Emulsion, Corrosion, and Scale Formation Original Research Article Pages 451-466 John W. Pelger Ch. F-9 Advances in Research, Production and Application of Biopolymers Used for Eor in China Original Research Article Pages 467-481 Xiu-Yuan Wang Appendix Page 483 Ch. A-1 MEOR Field Trials Carried Out Over the World During the Last 35 Years Original Research Article Pages 485-530 I. Lazar This conference was instituted to examine field activities in Microbial Enhancement of Oil Recovery. The U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored several field projects and the details from some of these were presented, as well as a few from industry. The balance of the program was concerned with new developments in research.

Today's oil production technology leaves one third to one half of the original oil in place in the reservoir at abandonment of secondary recovery (waterflooding). This leaves a very large target for microbial enhanced oil recovery which was shown by the research papers of this conference to be capable of producing up to 50% of the residual oil. The field trials show that the normal projected oil production decline curve can be reversed, or leveled off by microbial enhancement of oil recovery.

This conference has shown that a variety of applications are possible to correct oilfield problems as well as to enhance oil recovery. Among these is the suppression of hydrogen sulfide production which alone is a tremendous advance because of the large quantity of sour oil production. If hydrogen sulfide production can be curtailed it would increase the value of the produced oil, decrease it toxicity, and largely decrease it corrosiveness. All of these would be welcome both in the field and at the petroleum refinery where special precautions must be taken to process sour crude oil.

Another very important discovery is the ability of certain bacteria to eliminate paraffin deposition around the producing well and in the tubulars. This is a welcome improvement for many producers who have considerable difficulty in controlling paraffin deposition.