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PROCESS (MEOR)
BY
EZEANYA, CHINYERE CHARITY (BSc. Hons)
(2010)
Miss Ezeanya, Chinyere Charity
ABSTRACT
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) refers to the recovery of oil that is left
behind after primary and secondary recovery methods have either been
exhausted or no longer economical.
Since 1946 more than 400 patents on MEOR have been issued, but none
has gained acceptance by the oil industry. Most of the literature on
MEOR is from laboratory experiments.
The prime consideration with MEOR is, therefore, how much additional
oil can be produced from reservoirs by stimulating the growth of
indigenous or injected bacteria.
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TABLE OF CONTENT
PAGES
ABSTRACT 1
TABLE OF CONTENT 3
CHAPTER ONE
Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) Process 5
Modes of EOR 7
Chemical Methods 7
Gas Flooding 8
Thermal Process 9
Computer Simulation 10
Oil Recovery Factor 10
CHAPTER TWO
Description And History of MEOR 11
Description 11
History 12
Current Status of MEOR 14
CHAPTER THREE
The Science of MEOR 15
Biotechnology and MEOR 17
CHAPTER FOUR
Classification of MEOR 19
Ventures Working in MEOR 19
Microbial Flooding Recovery 21
CHAPTER FIVE
Mechanisms of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery 25
CHAPTER SIX
Types of MEOR 28
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Titan Process of MEOR 30
Avoiding Complexities 31
No Oxygen Required 32
CHAPTER EIGHT
Advantages of MEOR 35
CHAPTER NINE
Challenges 37
Environmental factors 37
Grounds of Failure 37
CHAPTER TEN 41
Conclusion
CHAPTER ELEVEN
References 44
Profile 48
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CHAPTER ONE
Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) refers to the recovery of oil that is left
behind after primary and secondary recovery methods are either
exhausted or no longer economical. EOR is a highly–individualized
process that is specific to each field’s characteristics.
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
Primary production is the first oil out, the “easy” oil. In primary recovery
process, when a well is been drilled and completed in a hydrocarbon–
bearing zone, the natural pressures at that depth will cause the oil to flow
through the rock or sand formation toward the lower pressure well bore,
where it is lifted to the surface. Primary recovery is the least expensive
method of extraction, since it uses natural forces to “move” the oil.
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Chemical Methods
Gas Flooding
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
flue gas, and enriched natural gas have also shown some beneficial
results by increasing recovery when used to re–pressure reservoirs.
Nitrogen and flue gas may be useful in areas where CO2 is not
economically available for use (Cano Petroleum).
Thermal Processes
Novel Methods
Novel methods include down hole electric heating, microwave heating,
seismic wave stimulation, and wetting ability reversal. Of these, seismic
stimulation has met with success in Russia and is currently being tested
in the U.S. Wetting ability studies to influence oil-wet and water-wet
conditions and to design a brine to reverse wetting ability show promise
for future EOR recovery.
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Computer Simulation
Microbial Processes
Recovering oil usually requires two to three stages, which are briefly
described as follows:
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
Where,
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CHAPTER TWO
DESCRIPTION
• well bore clean up removes mud and other debris blocking the
channels where oil flows through;
• well stimulation improves the flow of oil from the drainage area
into the well bore; and
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
HISTORY
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From 1970s to late 1990s, MEOR research was boosted by the petroleum
crisis and later became a scientific substantiated EOR method. Many
international meetings were periodically organized on the MEOR topic
and proceedings volumes with the advances in the knowledge and
practice of MEOR have been publi
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
The research of MEOR has been done worldwide, and most of oil
producing countries have applied this technology into oil fields for pilot
tests. Recently this technology has been widely used in oilfields of China,
such as Daqing, Shengli, Jilin, Dagang, Liaohe, Henan, Changqing,
Xinjiang, and Qinghai.
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CHAPTER THREE
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
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By inserting genes from one type of bacteria into another, scientists may
combine two desirable genetic traits into one microorganism. For
example, the temperature within an oil well is often too high for most
microorganisms to survive. By inserting a gene that codes for a bacteria's
ability to aid oil recovery into the genome of an existing bacteria that can
survive under high temperatures, scientists may produce microorganisms
that can both survive the heat of an oil well and also help retrieve oil. On
their own, each bacteria lacks a trait necessary for oil recovery
operations, but when combined through genetic engineering, the bacteria
become integral to MEOR.
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
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CHAPTER FOUR
CLASSIFICATION OF MEOR
MODELS
Developing mathematical models for MEOR is very challenging since
physical, chemical and biological factors need to be considered.
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
solution is then pumped out through production wells. The figure below
diagrammatizes this technology.
Microbial growth can be either within the oil reservoir (in situ) or on the
surface where the byproducts from microbes grown in vats, are
selectively removed from the nutrient media, and then injected into the
reservoir.
The prime consideration with MEOR is how much additional oil can be
produced from reservoirs by stimulating the growth of indigenous or
injected bacteria. This is accomplished by adding nutrients to injection
water.
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The graph of IFT versus time shows that the bacteria induced a 6,000-
fold exponential reduction in the IFT.
Since they occur in the water, the bacteria need to penetrate the oil/water
interface to access the carbon.
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CHAPTER FIVE
The mechanisms by which the bacteria can improve the oil recovery are
as follows:
(b) Gas Production: The bacterially produced gases (such as CO2, N2,
H2, and CH4) improve the oil recovery in 2 ways:
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
CHAPTER SIX
fascines
Pseudomonas
rubescens
Biopolymers Bacillus polymyxa Injectivity profile
(alginate, xanthan, Brevibacterium modification, mobility
dextran, pullulan) viscogenes control
Leuconostoc
mesenteroides
Xanthomonas
campestris
Solvents (n- Clostridium Oil dissolution,
butanol, acetone, acetobutylicum viscosity reduction
ethanol)
Clostridium
pasteurianum
Zymomonas mobilis
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
CHAPTER SEVEN
Other MEOR technologies past and present are very different from the
Titan Process. These technologies almost all either inject microbes into
existing oil fields or inject a glucose food source (eg. molasses) to feed
resident microbes. The goal is to have the microbes excrete a by-product
referred to as a biometabolite. These microbial produced by-products are
gas, polymers, acids and surfactants.
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The Titan Process, by contrast, changes the microbes’ “activity,” and the
feeding process is much less frequent, usually once every three to six
months.
The Titan Process is radically different and only uses resident microbes
and injects a non-glucose nutrient formula which induces the microbes to
become “active” in the reservoir by changing the characteristics of their
skin. The microbes then seek and surround oil droplets in the sandstones
and carbonate strata. This activity dislodges and breaks up oil droplets,
which significantly increases oil recovery.
AVOIDING COMPLEXITIES
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
that there are microbes in the reservoir and this scientifically always has
been the case.
NO OXYGEN REQUIRED
Because the Titan Process does not inject new microbes into oil fields
and only uses resident microbes, problems and complex solutions dealing
with reservoir pressure, saline content and temperature are not
encountered, since the microbes have already adapted to their
environment. Also the Titan Process does not require an extensive
feeding and excretion cycle. It relies on the microbes' skin characteristic
changes to induce superior oil recovery activity.
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
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CHAPTER EIGHT
ADVANTAGES OF MEOR
Advantages of MEOR
• The costs of the injected fluids are not dependent on oil prices
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
b. Disadvantages of MEOR
• Lack of talents.
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CHAPTER NINE
CHALLENGES
ENVIROMENTAL FACTORS
GROUNDS OF FAILURE
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CHAPTER TEN
CONCLUSION
4. Trace elements (As, Se, Ni, Hg) less than 10-15 ppm
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
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Advantages
(2) The use of microbes is not dependent on the price of crude oil, as
Disadvantages
(1) The microbial enhanced oil recovery process may modify the
immediate reservoir environment by damaging the production
hardware or the formation itself. Certain sulphate reducers can
produce hydrogen sulphide, which can corrode pipeline and other
components of the recovery equipment.
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CHAPTER ELEVEN
REFERENCES
.
Beckman J. W (1926), The Action of Bacteria on Mineral Oil, pp.
3.
Industrial Engineering Chemical News, November
10,1926.
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Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)
PROFILE
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