Selective Plugging in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery

In this paper capability of two exopolymer producing bacteria (Bacillus licheniformis and Leuconostoc mesenteroides) to reduce the permeability of porous media were investigated and compared with their microbial oil recovery efficiencies. Core flooding experiments were performed at different temperatures (from 40oC to 55oC) and salinities (0% to 10% NaCl). In addition, some experiments were carried out at 40oC to investigate the effect of microbial activity on the oil viscosity during MEOR process. The results showed for the both bacteria maximum permeability reduction observed at those temperatures and salinities which maximum microbial oil recovery efficiencies were measured showing that for the both bacteria microbial permeability reduction plays an important role to releasing the oil from porous media. Moreover oil viscosity reduction is found to be another main mechanism for B. licheniformis.

کلیدواژه ها:

Permeability reduction ، Microbial enhanced oil recovery ، Oil viscosity reduction ، Bacillus licheniformis ، Leuconostoc mesenteroides