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Title: Microbial field pilot study

Abstract

The objective of this project is to perform a microbial enhanced oil recovery field pilot test in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit (SEVVSU) in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate-reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been preferentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions of the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. During this quarter an additional tracer study was performed in the field to determine pre-treatment flow paths and the first nutrients were injected. 2 figs.

Authors:
; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oklahoma Univ., Norman, OK (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
5981090
Report Number(s):
DOE/BC/14246-T10
ON: DE92004433
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-89BC14246
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
02 PETROLEUM; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; NITRATES; REDUCTION; NUTRIENTS; INJECTION; PETROLEUM; MICROBIAL EOR; ANAEROBIC CONDITIONS; BACTERIA; CULTURE MEDIA; OKLAHOMA; PROGRESS REPORT; SWEEP EFFICIENCY; TRACER TECHNIQUES; WATERFLOODING; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; DEVELOPED COUNTRIES; DOCUMENT TYPES; ENERGY SOURCES; ENHANCED RECOVERY; FEDERAL REGION VI; FLUID INJECTION; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; INTAKE; ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS; MICROORGANISMS; NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; NORTH AMERICA; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; RECOVERY; USA; 020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production; 550700 - Microbiology

Citation Formats

Knapp, R.M., McInerney, M.J., and Menzie, D.E. Microbial field pilot study. United States: N. p., 1991. Web. doi:10.2172/5981090.
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Knapp, R.M., McInerney, M.J., & Menzie, D.E. Microbial field pilot study. United States. doi:10.2172/5981090.
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Knapp, R.M., McInerney, M.J., and Menzie, D.E. Fri . "Microbial field pilot study". United States. doi:10.2172/5981090. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5981090.
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@article{osti_5981090,
title = {Microbial field pilot study},
author = {Knapp, R.M. and McInerney, M.J. and Menzie, D.E.},
abstractNote = {The objective of this project is to perform a microbial enhanced oil recovery field pilot test in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit (SEVVSU) in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate-reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been preferentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions of the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. During this quarter an additional tracer study was performed in the field to determine pre-treatment flow paths and the first nutrients were injected. 2 figs.},
doi = {10.2172/5981090},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 1991},
month = {Fri Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 1991}
}
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Technical Report:
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DOI:  10.2172/5981090
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  • ; ; ; ...
    The field pilot project is designed to test several hypotheses: the ability of indigenous populations of microorganisms to selectively plug oil-bearing sandstone and divert flow on a field scale, the ability of this plugging process to liberate additional oil beyond that recovered during waterflood, and the control of sulfate-reducing bacteria by nitrate addition. To facilitate this testing, we have planned the pilot project by studying the ecology of the reservoir environment, characterizing the field and the operating history, and testing selective plugging in laboratory core experiments. The produced connate water was found to contain low concentrations of a diverse populationmore » of microorganisms which live in 12% to 19% NaCl salt. Several species were isolated which could utilize molasses as a carbon source and nitrate. Sulfate reducing bacteria were also isolated, and the control of sulfate reduction by nitrate addition was observed. The BOAST reservoir simulation model program was used to perform a history match on the SEVVSU. The characterization study included a comprehensive geological study to identify significant reservoir parameters and reinterpretation of available geological and production data. A model has been developed that will assist in interpreting pilot performance data.« less

  • ; ;
    The objective of this project is to perform a microbially enhanced oil recovery field pilot test in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit (SEVVSU) in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate-reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been preferentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions or the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. Injection of nutrient stimulates the growth and metabolism of reservoir bacteria, which produces beneficial products to enhance oil recovery. Sometimes, chemical treatments are used to clean or condition injection water. Such a chemical treatmentmore » has been initiated by Sullivan and Company at the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit. The unit injection water was treated with a mixture of water, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, and three proprietary chemicals. To determine if the chemicals would have an impact on the pilot, it was important to determine the effects of the chemical additives on the growth and metabolism of the bacteria from wells in this field. Two types of media were used: a mineral salts medium with molasses and nitrate, and this medium with 25 ppm of the treatment chemicals added. Samples were collected anaerobically from each of two wells, 1A-9 and 7-2. A sample from each well was inoculated and cultured in the broth tubes of molasses-nitrate medium with and without the chemicals. Culturing temperature was 35{degrees}C. Absorbance, pressure and cell number were checked to determine if the chemicals affected the growth and metabolism of bacteria in the brine samples. 12 figs.« less

  • ; ;
    The objective of this project is to perform a microbially enhanced oil recovery field pilot test in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate-reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been preferentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions of the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. 1 fig., 2 tabs.

  • ; ; ; ...
    The objective of this project is to perform a microbial enhanced oil recovery field pilot in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit (SEVVSU) in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been referentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions of the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. This report covers progress made during the second year, January 1, 1990 to December 31, 1990, of the Microbial Field Pilot Study project. Information on reservoir ecology, surface facilities design, operation of the unit,more » core experiments, modeling of microbial processes, and reservoir characterization and simulation are presented in the report. To better understand the ecology of the target reservoir, additional analyses of the fluids which support bacteriological growth and the microbiology of the reservoir were performed. The results of the produced and injected water analysis show increasing sulfide concentrations with respect to time. In March of 1990 Mesa Limited Partnership sold their interest in the SEVVSU to Sullivan and Company. In April, Sullivan and Company assumed operation of the field. The facilities for the field operation of the pilot were refined and implementation was begun. Core flood experiments conducted during the last year were used to help define possible mechanisms involved in microbial enhanced oil recovery. The experiments were performed at SEVVSU temperature using fluids and inoculum from the unit. The model described in last year's report was further validated using results from a core flood experiment. The model was able to simulate the results of one of the core flood experiments with good quality.« less

  • ; ; ; ...
    The objective of this report is to perform a microbially enhanced oil recovery field pilot test in the Southeast Vassar Vertz Sand Unit (SEVVSU) in Payne County, Oklahoma. Indigenous, anaerobic, nitrate-reducing bacteria will be stimulated to selectively plug flow paths which have been preferentially swept by a prior waterflood. This will force future flood water to invade bypassed regions of the reservoir and increase sweep efficiency. Experiments are underway to determine the influence of permeability, pore throat size, and porosity on bacterial movement within porous media. The penetration rates of two motile Escherichia coli strains, as well as two nonmotilemore » strains, are being compared for their ability to penetrate cores consisting of uniformity packed glass beads. To establish if gas production has an effect at differing pore throat sizes, each strain will be compared either under a condition which supports gas production for both wild type strains only (i.e. fermentation), or one which does not result in gas production from any strain (i.e. nitrate-reducing conditions). Research progress on mathematical modeling, core flooding and field experiments is also briefly discussed. 2 refs., 3 figs.« less