MICROBES USED IN OIL

RECOVERY

SUBMITTED BY :
M.CHARANYADHARSHINI
I – M.SC, BOTANY.
OIL RECOVERY:

Extraction of oil from the underground reservoirs

through various methods and techniques is known as
oil recovery.
TYPES OF OIL RECOVERY:

Primary methods
Secondary methods
Tertiary methods
Enhanced Oil Recovery methods
Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery methods
MICROBIAL ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY:

An economical approach for the recovery of

unrecovered oil is MEOR.
MEOR often refers to injecting live microorganisms
containing essential nutrients into oil reservoirs
through injection wells.
 Under favorable environmental conditions in the
reservoir, the infused microorganisms grow
exponentially within the reservoirs and develop a
variety of metabolites that play a crucial role in the
mobilization of unrecovered oil that leads to enhanced
oil recovery.
MECHANISM:

In the MEOR process, nutrients are injected into the

well in order to promote the proliferation of
indigenous microbes.
 When the inorganic salts are added, the
microorganism utilizes the crude oil as a carbon
source and converts the complex form into the
simple form.
 If only the viscosity of crude oil is taken into account
then recovery can be done in two ways, either
reducing the oil-water interfacial tension or by
reduction of viscosity through microorganisms or
enzymes such as alkyl-mono oxygenase /
hydroxylase that degrade the heavy fraction of the
oil.
The MEOR mechanism can be divided into two
parts viz. utilizing biomass or biopolymer of
microorganisms that selectively block the high
permeable zones and facilitate the recovery of oil;
another method is utilizing the solvents or
biosurfactants that reduces the interfacial tension
within the reservoir.
MECHANISMS INVOLVED:

Selective plugging
Reduction of interfacial tension (IFT)
Biogases, solvents and biogenic acids
Biodegradation
SELECTIVE PLUGGING:

 Selective plugging involves the clogging of the media

of high permeability that prevent the accumulation
of oil
The biomass and biopolymers are used that are
attached to the surface of the media where they
proliferate.
 This led to the generation of biofilm and cluster that
prevent the seepage of oil into the high permeable
regions
Biopolymer is the high molecular weight molecules
metabolized by diverse microorganisms that contain
hydroxyl groups which make it dipole, ion-dipole
and hydrogen bonds with itself or with other
substances to develop the network-like structure.
These networks form a barrier to enhance the
recovery of oil.
REDUCTION OF INTERFACIAL TENSION (IFT):

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules that

contain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties
that can be produced in situ by microorganisms.
Biosurfactants are effectively used in the recovery of
oil from recalcitrant reservoirs .
The poor oil recovery is either due to the high
viscosity of oil or low permeability of rock formation
can be improved by utilizing the biosurfactants that
have the capability to reduce the interfacial tension
between the aqueous phase and oil saturation.
BIODEGRADATION:

One of the most attractive mechanisms is

biodegradation in the MEOR process.
 In this process, the microorganisms utilizes the
crude oil as a carbon source and convert the heavy
fraction into the light components that
fundamentally alters the viscosity, fluidity and
properties of the crude oil thus, improving the oil
recovery.
MICROBES USED IN MEOR:

Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicus
Thermoanaerobacter brockii
 Thermoanaerobacter italicus
 Thermoanaerobacter mathranii
 Thermoanaerobacter thermocopriae
 Clostridium sp.
Clostridium acetobutylicum.
ADVANTAGES:
LIMITATIONS:

Complex process
Slow process
Requires several field trials
Microbial activities mainly depends on the reservoir