How Specific Microbial Communities Benefit the Oil Industry: Microbial-Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)

Abstract

Microbial-enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) involves injecting into the oil-saturated layer microbes and/nutrients to create the in situ production of metabolic products or nutrients which stimulate indigenous microbes. The spectrum of MEOR applications is broad. They can be applied to viscous oil to reduce oil viscosity and for paraffin removal from well tubing; for oil recovery enhancement by microbes producing gases pressurizing oil reservoir and other products of metabolism; to depleted fields by injecting biopolymer-generating bacteria and nutrients to block high-permeability beds; to sour fields to reduce sulphur corrosion. Two main techniques are applied when injecting microorganisms and nutrients: field flooding and single-well treatment (huff-and-puff technique). Another more effective procedure may be when the bacteria and nutrients are injected in the single well.