A Review of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery Applications Projects

摘要

Being unable to produce more than 35-55% of the original oil in place after the application of primary and secondary oil recovery techniques gave rise to the need for developing enhanced oil recovery techniques, hence the need to carry out further research on MEOR arose. In this paper, the mechanisms behind MEOR were discussed and also the factors that affect the effectiveness of these microbes in the reservoir. Some of the reservoir factors which are temperature, pressure, salinity, pH, pore size, etc.Three different MEOR cases were compared namely; the San Andres project, the Tupungato-Refugio project, and the Xinjiang project. The oil and water production data for the three cases were analysed and the Xinjiang project appeared to be the most successful case of MEOR application. Suggestions as to why MEOR favoured this project more than the others were also properly discussed. Recommendations on how to improve MEOR were also given. In conclusion, it was highlighted the reservoir whose properties are best suited for MEOR will most likely experience a better result.