A pilot study on large-scale microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) in Baolige Oilfield. (February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ke, Cong-Yu; Lu, Guo-Min; Li, Yong-Bin; Sun, Wu-Juan; Zhang, Qun-Zheng; Zhang, Xun-Li
• Is Part Of: International biodeterioration & biodegradation. Volume 127(2018)
• Page Start: 247
• Page End: 253
• Publication Date: 2018-02
• Subjects: Large-scale study -- Microbial enhanced oil recovery -- Microbial strains -- Water flooding; Biodegradation -- Periodicals; Bioremediation -- Periodicals; Biodegradation -- Periodicals; Biodégradation -- Périodiques; Biorestauration -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 620.11223
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2017.12.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-8305

Abstract

Abstract: Industrial application of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) has been hindered by a lack of large-scale data-based guidelines for process design and operation. In the present work MEOR was investigated in both laboratory and large-scale oilfield studies. Six microbial strains were initially isolated from Baolige Oilfield in China. Laboratory based investigation showed that all six strains were able to decrease the oil viscosity. Two mixtures of strains exhibited greater reduction effects, i.e., 35% and 56%, respectively. The optimal nutrient concentration was found to be 1.0%. The mixtures of strains tested in laboratory core flooding based MEOR also confirmed their greater MEOR performance, i.e., MEOR levels of 9.1% and 13.2%, respectively, compared to that of any single strain ranging from 7.0% % to 8.7%. Using the strain mixture that had been selected under the laboratory based conditions, the pilot field study achieved a significant MEOR: 210, 000 tons of crude oil produced over 43 months from 169 production wells. The research results obtained in this work including both laboratory and field studies can be potentially applied in other oilfields with similar geological and physical conditions, for large-scale MEOR process design and operation. Highlights: All isolated 6 microbial strains were able to enhance oil recovery. Optimal operational conditions for MEOR were identified in laboratory. The highest oil recovery enhancement reached 13.2% in a laboratory model. A large-scale pilot study achieved 210, 000 tons of crude oil cumulatively produced.