Abstract
ABSTRACT Potential mechanisms involved in microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) from sandstone reservoirs are reviewed. Three phase relative permeability studies have shown that residual oil saturation can be reduced by the presence of gas in a water wet system. The production of biogenic gas to create a free gas phase can account for incremental oil recovery in MEOR processes. Reduction in interfacial tension between formation fluids can be caused by metabolic products. Also, bacterial plugging appears to preferentially occur in larger, high permeability pores. As this occurs fluid is diverted into smaller pores causing an increase in fluid velocity within them. The changes in interfacial tension and fluid velocity combine to increase capillary number. Increases in capillary number are associated with reduction of residual oil saturation. Core experiments are related to the results of these studies. The methods discussed can partially account for additional oil recovery in an MEOR process.
Published Version
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