HEAVY OIL RECOVERY PROCESS USING EXTREMOPHILE ANAEROBIC INDIGENOUS MICROORGANISMS

• Main Authors: ROLDAN CARRILLO, TERESA GUADALUPE, REYES AVILA, ROMEO JESUS, MOCTEZUMA BERTHIER, ANDRES, CASTORENA CORTES, GLADYS TERESA, ZAPATA PENASCO, NORMA ICOQUIH, OLGUIN LORA, PATRICIA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 12.05.2012
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention provides a process that increases the recovery of heavy oil with API gravity equal to or greater than 10, contained in carbonate and/or sandstone porous media, by using extremophile (thermophilic, halotolerant and barotolerant) anaerobic indigenous microorganisms. The process of the present invention is based on nutrient injection in order to stimulate the activity of extremophile anaerobic indigenous microorganisms at the well bottom, promoting the production of metabolites which improve oil mobility and increase the oil recovery. In the present invention, stimulation of extremophile anaerobic indigenous microorganisms and their metabolite production is done under anaerobic conditions at temperatures of 45 to 90°C, NaCl concentrations of 5,000 to 40,000 mg/L and pressures of 0.795 to 169 Kg/cm2 (11.3 to 2,400 psi). The present invention provides a process to recover heavy oils with API gravity equal to or greater than 10 degrees. The process allows up to 21 % oil recovery in addition to the waterflooding process in porous media.