Abstract
Crude oil is a major energy source that is exploited globally to achieve economic growth. To meet the growing demands for oil, in an environment of stringent environmental regulations and economic and technical pressure, industries have been required to develop novel oil salvaging techniques. The remaining ~70% of the world’s conventional oil (one-third of the available total petroleum) is trapped in depleted and marginal reservoirs, and could thus be potentially recovered and used. The only means of extracting this oil is via microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). This tertiary oil recovery method employs indigenous microorganisms and their metabolic products to enhance oil mobilization. Although a significant amount of research has been undertaken on MEOR, the absence of convincing evidence has contributed to the petroleum industry’s low interest, as evidenced by the issuance of 400+ patents on MEOR that have not been accepted by this sector. The majority of the world’s MEOR field trials are briefly described in this review. However, the presented research fails to provide valid verification that the microbial system has the potential to address the identified constraints. Rather than promising certainty, MEOR will persist as an unverified concept unless further research and investigations are carried out.
Highlights
The global demand for energy is expected to escalate in the coming years due to steady increases in the population, urbanization, industrialization, and economic development
This paper presents potential future opportunities for the development and utilization of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), in addition to highlighting the importance of an integrated approach towards numerical modelling and simulation
Past research has shown that aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons can only be biodegraded under anoxic conditions in which nitrate, sulphate, and metal ions function because terminal electron acceptors (TEA) further helps to convert hydrocarbons into CH4 and CO2 in a process called methanogenic crude oil biodegradation
Summary
The global demand for energy is expected to escalate in the coming years due to steady increases in the population, urbanization, industrialization, and economic development. About 35% to 55% of the residual crude oil in reservoirs is left behind after conventional recoveries; EOR or tertiary methods are used to enhance the crude oil recovery production [10,11] These applications are converted into projects only if they best suit the economic constraints of the current oil market, thereby extending the life span of the wells. The microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) method combines microbial characteristics with petroleum engineering oil recovery methods to form a new bioengineering technology This approach eventually maximizes the recovered oil reserves, extends the life of fields, and increases the well’s recovery factor [5,6]. Each of these metabolic products contributes to the microbial system differently and individually improves the recovery of oil The ability of these microbes to intensify the oil’s mobility by minimizing its viscosity is considered beneficial. This paper presents potential future opportunities for the development and utilization of MEOR, in addition to highlighting the importance of an integrated approach towards numerical modelling and simulation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
