Modified use of microbial technology as an effective enhanced oil recovery
Sudad H Al-Obaidi
Abstract
The tasks of applying new technologies of oil production are urgent. These technologies must significantly be able to increase the oil recovery of already developed formations, where it is no longer possible to extract significant residual oil reserves by traditional methods. Among these technologies is the microbial enhanced oil recovery method (MEOR). It is a tertiary crude oil recovery technology that allows partial recovery of residual oil that cannot be recovered by primary and secondary methods, thereby extending the life of developed oil reservoirs. MEOR is based on the activation of reservoir microflora. A special group of hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms is able to metabolize hydrocarbons, producing organic solvents such as alcohols and aldehydes, fatty acids with surface activity, gaseous products and other metabolites that increase the mobility of oil.