INEEL Biotechnology for Oilfield Application--Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery FY-03 Report
The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Biotechnology for Oilfield Operations program supports development, engineering, and application of biotechnology for exploration and production. This continuing INEEL program also supports mitigation of detrimental field conditions. The program is consistent with the United States Department of Energy mission to ¡§promote activities and policies through its oil technology and natural gas supply programs to enhance the efficiency and environmental quality of domestic oil and natural gas exploration, recovery, processing, transport, and storage.¡¨ In addition, the program directly supports the focus areas of Reservoir Life Extension; Advanced Drilling, Completion and Stimulation Systems; Effective Environmental Protection; and Cross Cutting Areas. The program is enhanced by collaborative relationships with industry and academia. For fiscal year 2003, the program focused on production and characterization of biological surfactants from agricultural residuals and the production and application of reactive microbial polymers. This report specifically details: 1. Use of a chemostat reactor operated in batch mode for producing surfactin, with concomitant use of an antifoam to prevent surfactant loss. The program achieved production and recovery of 0.6 g/L of surfactin per 12 hr. 2. Characterization of surfactin produced from agricultural residuals with respect to its ability to mediate changes in surface tension. Conditions evaluated were salt (as NaCl) from 0 to 10% (w/v), pH from 3 to 10, temperature from 21 to 70¢XC, and combinations of these conditions. When evaluated singularly, pH below 6 and salt concentrations above 30 g/L were found to have an adverse impact on surfactin. Temperatures of 70¢XC for 95 days had no effect. When the effect of temperature was added to the pH experiment, there were no significant changes, and, again, surface tension, at any temperature, increased at pH below 6. When temperature (70¢XC) was added to the experiments with salt, the impacts of salt up to 30 g/L were negligible. When all three parameters were combined in one experiment, no increase in surface tension was observed at 80 g/L NaCl, pH 10, and 70¢XƒnC. The upper temperature limit of the surfactin was not determined in these experiments. 3. Impact of alkaline soluble, pH reactive biopolymers to alter permeability in Berea sandstone cores. The contributing effect of salt (as NaCl to 2%, w/v), temperatures to 60¢XC, and crude oil were evaluated. Residual resistance factors were increased 800 fold, compared to cores without biopolymer. This could lead to alternate technology for permeability modification, thus extending the life of a reservoir and preventing premature abandonment.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE - FE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- OSTI ID:
- 910602
- Report Number(s):
- INEEL/EXT-03-01342; TRN: US200724%%275
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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