SPE 27031
Enhanced Oil Recovery by Means of Microorganisms: Pilot Test
J. Buciak - A.Vazquez - R. Frydman - J. Mediavilla - Rebecca Bryant
Copyright 1995, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
Permislon to copy is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words. lIustrations may
not be copied. The abstract should contain conspicuous acknowledgement of where and by
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ABSTRACT
The paper presents the design, implementation and results of
a microbial single-well stimulation test performed at the
Diadema field in Argentina. The purpose of the test was to
achieve increased production by injecting a microbial formu-
lation and nutrients, and to gain experience with this proce-
dure under actual field conditions. Two out of five treated
wells showed excellent oil production response to the mi-
crobial stimulation.
The results suggest that a microbial-enhanced waterflood
could be implemented successfully at the Diadema field.
INTRODUCTION
A microbial single-well stimulation field test was performed
at the Diadema field in Argentina between October 1992 and
March 1993 by the Argentine companies CAPSA (field
owner) and APAC-Flow Technologies (microbial supply
and injection) with the technical support of the National
Institute for Petroleum and Energy Research (NIPER),
Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA.
The purpose of the project was to achieve increased pro-
duction by injecting a microbial formulation and nutrients in
five producer wells, and to test the viability of this procedure
in actual field conditions. Further, the test would allow pre-
liminary conclusions towards implementing in the future a
microbial enhanced waterflood.
MICROBIAL ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY (MEOR)
Microbial methods for improving oil recovery are potentially
cost effective and particularly well suited for today's eco-
nomic climate, since they require little capital expenditure
and are easily implemented in the field. However, careful
design and sound engineering practice is a requisite for a
successful microbial treatment. Microbial formulations can
be used in a variety of methods including single-well stimu-
lation treatments, permeability modification treatments and
microbial enhanced waterflooding.
144
The concept of the use of microorganisms to recover oil
from depleted reservoirs is not new. Beckmann first sug-
gested microbial techniques for enhancing oil production
(1). Field and laboratory research have been performed and
patents have been granted for this technology since the late
1940s. Several literature reviews on MEOR have been pub-
lished (2,3). Recent applications of microbial formulations
to enhancing oil production at an ongoing waterflood in the
USA include NIPER's activities at the Mink Unit (4) and
Phoenix Field Pilots, the latter comprising 19 injection wells
and monitoring of 47 production wells. An increase in oil
production of 19.6% by May 1993 has been reported for the
latter.
Laboratory research has demonstrated that the products
from microbial fermentation of nutrients can change the
interfacial properties between oil and water and increase
wellhead pressure in single-well injections. Some microbial
species can also improve oil production by helping to re-
move suspended debris and paraffins near the wellbore re-
gion.
Microorganisms most commonly used for MEOR tield
processes produce surfactants, gases, alcohols, acids and
solvents. The microbial formulation can be designed to
improve microscopic oil displacement efficiency for a par-
ticular field.
For the Diadema project, a microbial formulation was
designed to produce gas, acids, alcohols and surfactant.
FIELD DATA
The Diadema oil field belongs to the San Jorge Gulf basin
and is located in the Province of Chubut in the southern part
of Argentina (Fig. 1). Oil production as of September 1993
is 883 m3 per day from 202 producing wells. Accumulated
oil production is 23.5 millions m3, with 19.1 million m3
produced from complex I and II. The formation selected for
this pilot test is the Upper Garnet Zone (U.G.Z.) of complex
II.
A comparison of the recommended range of field charac-
teristics for microbial application and those of U.G.Z. is
shown in Table 1, as well as relevant field data. The current
project's characteristics are typical of reservoirs that are
present in most of the fields of the San Jorge basin.
SPE Advanced Technology Series, Vol. 4, No. 1
DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF THE MICROBIAL
SYSTEM
Steps towards application of the microbial system at the
Diadema field included the following:
a) Site selection.
b) Sampling and analysis of well fluids.
c) Selection of microbial formulation and compatibility
tests.
d) Baseline determination of producing wells.
e) Growth of microbial formulation and injection of
microbes and nutrients.
t) Shut-in period.
g) Production follow up.
Activities under these steps can be summarized as fol-
lows:
a) Site selection: The reservoir was chosen according to
screening criteria given for reservoir evaluation and selec-
tion in MEOR projects (5). The reservoir selected fully met
all of the screening criteria (see Table I). Further, all of the
wells produce from the same formation, presented no previ-
ous operational problems and a waterflood is being planned
for the future in this area. Wells D-4, D-7, D-30, D-47 and
D-51 were treated.
b) Sampling and analysis of well fluids: All wells were
sampled and oil, water and rock samples were taken to
NlPER's laboratory for compatibility testing. In addition,
wells fluids were characterized at the site and followed up
during the project duration. Samples containing microbial
colonies were dry iced and airlifted for evaluation by APAC-
Flow Technologies in Buenos Aires and by NlPER in Bart-
lesville, Oklahoma.
c) Selection of microbial formulation and compatibility
tests: Samples taken in the field and air lifted included oil
samples and brine samples. All samples were inoculated and
several different types of microorganisms were isolated and
determined to be indigenous to the formation.
Compatibility tests were run to evaluate survival of
NIPER microbes in the presence of reservoir brine, rock and
nutrients. All test tubes produced gas, and some produced
surfactant.
Flask tests were conducted to determine surface tension
and microbial growth. Fig 2. shows microbial action in a
flask to be producing surfactant, which correlated with sur-
face tension measurements.
Micromodel tests were conducted to verify that the mi-
crobial formulation could mobilize oil in a simulated porous
medium. An etched-glass micromodel was saturated with
brine and crude oil from the reservoir. The micromodel was
then flooded with water until no more oil came out, giving a
SPE Advanced Technology Series. Vol. 4. No. I
residual oil saturation in the micromodel. The microbial
formulation was then injected and what happened to the
trapped crude oil was observed via a video-enhanced mi-
croscopy apparatus. Crude oil mobilization caused by the
microorganisms producing surfactants and gas was observed
(Fig 3.).
Surface tension tests (an indication of surfactant produc-
tion) were run in the presence of a proprietary nutrient and a
microbial formulation was selected to give good microbial
growth and least surface tension. A combination of strains
NlPER lA and NlPER 7 was found to meet these require-
ments.
d)lBaseline determination of producing wells: Frequent
production measurements were made of the producing wells
during the last month prior to injection.
e) Growth of microbial formulation and injection of mi-
crobes and nutrients: The microbial formulation was grown
by APAC-Flow Technologies at the laboratory in Buenos
Aires to the size of two 201. (5 gal.) containers and airlifted
to the Diadema field. Final inoculation was performed at the
site; typically 160 1. of microbial formulation and 28 m3 of
nutrient solution were injected per well.
t) Shut-in period: After being injected, the wells were
shut-in for 7 days to allow for growth of the bacteria in the
oil-producing formation.
g) Production follow up: After completing the shut-in
period the wells were put back in operation and the produc-
tion increase was recorded until late in March 1993, when
the pilot test was considered to be completed.
SUMMARY OF PROJECT RESULTS
Indications of microbial activity were detected already in the
shut-in phase, showing a slight increase of well-head pres-
sure of about 1 to 2 kg/cm2. Production of C02 was also
detected in wells D-7, D-30, D-47 and D-51; the range of
C02 content was between 0.5 and 2%.
Analysis of water samples showed an increase in car-
bonate ions, which were not detected prior to microbial
injection. The typical range of carbonate ion concentration
found in the wells was between 24 and 54 ppm. Bicarbonate
ion concentration also increased after microbial treatment;
for example, from 450 ppm to 980 ppm in well D-47.
Analysis of oil samples showed no significant change in
oil viscosity and density. Microbial production of surfactant
was revealed by the change in the percent emulsion of the
produced oil.
The oil production behavior of the microbially treated
wells was uneven. Wells D-4, D-30 and D-51 showed al-
most no production increase after treatment.
145
 Wells D-7 and D-47 showed excellent response to the
microbial treatment. Peak. per cent production increase was
approximately 50% for well D-7 and 40% for well D-47.
Incremental oil production above the pre-treatment level
was sustained without any further outside action, well be-
yond the injection of microbes and nutrients (Fig. 4 and 5).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of
Mike Dennis and Gabriel Gutkind to this project. The assis-
tance of Eduardo Sancho, Guillermo Moreira and Miguel
Colla during field operations is recognized. J.B. and A.V.
are thankful to CAPSA for granting permission to publish
this paper.

Increased production at well D-7 lasted approximately 70 REFERENCES

days and the amount of additional oil produced was 56 m3.
Increased production at well D-47 lasted 150 days and
approximately 137m3 ofadditional oil were recovered.
CONCLUSIONS
The pilot test showed that microbial enhancement of oil
production could be achieved without problems. Implemen-
tation of the project was performed easily, even considering
the logistics required by the distance between the different
parties involved.
Microbial action was proved by the presence of C02,
decreased emulsion and increased carbonate and bicarbonate
concentration, in addition to the increase in oil production.
1. Beckman, J.W. 1927. The Action of Bacteria on Mineral Oil,
Ind. Eng. Chern. News, v.4, p.3.
2. Bryant, R.S. and T.E. Burchfield. 1989. Review of microbial
technology for Improving Oil Recovery, SPE paper 16646.
SPE Reservoir Engineering, vA.
3. Moses, V. 1983. Microbes and Oil Recovery, an Overview,
Proc. First World Conference and Exhibition on the Commer-
cial Application and Implications of biotechnology, London
(May 4-6) 415-422.
4. Bryant, R.S., T.E. Burchfield, D.M. Dennis, and D.O. Hitz-
man, 1990. Microbial Enhanced Waterflooding: Mink Unit
Project. DOE Report NIPER-508, January.
5. Bryant, R.S. 1990. Screening Criteria for Microbial EOR Proc-
esses. DOE Report NIPER-478, December.

The results obtained suggest that a microbial-enhanced

waterflood could be implemented successfully at the Dia-
demafield.

Recommended U.G.Z.

• Absolute per.meability > 75 md 500 md

• Depth < 2400 m 900 m
• Temperature < 78 °C 52 °c
• Oil density > 15 °API 21 °API
• Remaining oil saturation > 25 % 46 %
• Injection-formation water < 100000 ppm 20000 ppm
• Compatibility between indigenous
• and injection microbial strains Good Good

Other formation parameters:

• Irreducible water saturation 37 %

• Original formation pressure 70 kg/cm2
• Saturation pressure 59 kg/cm2
• Original oil viscosity 55 cp
• Volume factor 1.068 m3/m3

Table 1.- Comparison of recommended range of field characteristics for MEOR and those of UGZ.

146
SPE Advanced Technology Series. Vol. 4, No. 1
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SPE Advanced Technology Series, Vol. 4. No. 1 147

 Fig. 2-A microbial culture producing surfactant

Fig. 3-Emulsification of crude oil caused by microbial surfactant production

148 SPE Advanced Technology Series. Vol. 4, No. 1

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SPE Advanced Technology Series, Vol. 4, No. I 149