BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS FOR HYDROCARBON RECOVERY IN LOW PERMEABILITY POROUS MEDIA

摘要

A biotechnological process for enhancing oil recovery of 14 to 25 °API oil contained in carbonate or sandstone rock systems with low permeability (7 to 100 mD) utilizes indigenous extremophile microorganisms from the oil well and its metabolites (gases, acids, solvents and surfactants), to improve oil mobility. Under anaerobic conditions, such microorganisms are able to grow in temperatures from 60 to 95°C, at pressures from 7 to 154.6 kg/cm2 and NaCI content from 5,000 to 45,000 ppm. Injection of indigenous microorganisms and a second culture containing selected microorganisms for metabolites production into the well improves oil recovery after closed the system periods from 5 to 10 days. The biotechnical process includes biostimulation (indigenous microorganisms) and bioaugmentation (second culture) to increase metabolite production.