Biotechnological process for hydrocarbon recovery in low permeability porous media

• Main Authors: OLGUIN LORA PATRICIA, ZAPATA PENASCO NORMA ICOQUIH, CASTORENA CORTES GLADYS TERESA, ROLDAN CARRILLO TERESA GUADALUPE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.06.2011
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; CHEMISTRY; DYES; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MINING; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PAINTS; POLISHES

The present invention refers to a biotechnological process that enhances oil recovery of a 14 to 25 API Gravity oil contained in carbonate-containing and/or clayey sandstone porous rock systems with low permeability (7 to 100 mD), thus focused to petroleum wells associated to zones with low recovery factor. The process utilizes the indigenous extremophile microorganisms activity from the oil reservoir and an IMP culture, as well as its metabolites (gases, acids, solvents and surfactants), which improve oil mobility and are able to develop at 60 to 95° C. temperatures, 7 to 154.6 Kg/cm2 (100 to 2,200 psi) pressures and NaCl content from 5,000 to 45,000 ppm, in anaerobic conditions. The biotechnological process of the present invention includes: indigenous microorganisms sampling, collecting and characterization from the reservoir; formulation of culture media; selection, enrichment, activation and preservation of such microorganisms, as well as biostimulation (indigenous microorganisms) and bioaugmentation (IMP culture) to increase the metabolite production, useful for oil recovery in a porous media impregnated with oil in carbonate-containing and/or clayey sandstone porous systems, with one or several cycles and confinement periods from 5 to 10 days, to increase oil recovery. Experimental tests show that the biotechnological process of the present invention supplies an oil recovery increase up to 30%, additional to that obtained in secondary recovery processes.