Method For Microbial Control Of Injection Liquid Flow in a Hydrocarbon Reservoir
AssigneeGoe-IP AS
InventorAsle Ravnas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed herein are methods of establishing a microbial plug in a hydrocarbon-containing geological formation which has been flooded with water. Also disclosed herein are methods of maintaining such plugs and methods of controlling alteration of the position and/or extent of an established plug. Disclosed herein are plugs such as microbial plugs.
Claims20
A method of establishing a microbial plug in a hydrocarbon-containing geological formation which has been flooded with water, the method comprising:
- a) introducing into the formation a microbial inoculum, the microorganisms of which are:
- (i) in a dormant state,
- (ii) cellulolytic or hemicellulolytic,
- (iii) thermophiles, extreme thermophiles or hyperthermophiles,
- (iv) unable to utilise hydrocarbons as a carbon source, and
- (v) not indigenous to the hydrocarbon-containing geological formation;
- b) simultaneously or sequentially introducing into the formation a growth medium which provides a carbon source which can be utilised by the microorganisms introduced in step (a) but not by indigenous microorganisms;
- c) exposing the inoculum to conditions which enable the microorganisms to enter an active growth phase within water channels in the geological formation;
- and
- d) introducing an injection liquid comprising further growth medium as defined in step b) into the formation via an injection well.
A method of maintaining a microbial plug in a hydrocarbon-containing geological formation, said plug comprising microorganisms which are:
- (i) cellulolytic or hemicellulolytic,
- (ii) thermophilic, extreme thermophilic or hyperthermophilic,
- (iii) unable to utilise hydrocarbons as a carbon source, and
- (iv) not indigenous to the hydrocarbon-containing geological formation;
- the method comprising:
- a) flooding the formation with liquid by injecting the liquid into the formation through one or more injection wells, the liquid comprising a growth medium which provides a carbon source which can be utilised by the microorganisms in the plug but not by indigenous microorganisms,
- and
- b) continuing the flow of the liquid through the hydrocarbon containing geological formation so that it reaches one or more production wells, thereby maintaining the microbial plug in the hydrocarbon-containing geological formation.
A method for altering in a controlled manner the position and/or extent of an established microbial plug in a hydrocarbon-containing geological formation through which an injection liquid can flow from one or more injection wells to one or more production wells, wherein the microorganisms of the microbial plug are:
- (i) cellulolytic or hemicellulolytic,
- (ii) thermophilic, extreme thermophilic or hyperthermophilic,
- (iii) unable to utilise hydrocarbons as a carbon source, and
- (iv) not indigenous to the hydrocarbon-containing geological formation;
- the method comprising:
- a) selecting an injection liquid and a growth medium which provides a carbon source which can be utilised by the microorganisms of the microbial plug but not the indigenous microorganisms;
- and
- b) applying at least one control procedure to said plug using said injection liquid, said control procedure selected from a group comprising pH regulation, temperature regulation, liquid quantity regulation, gas quantity regulation, inhibitor regulation, nutrient quantity regulation, salinity regulation, viscosity regulationpressure regulation, flowrate regulation, and addition of further microorganisms to the injection liquid;
- thereby altering in a controlled manner the position and/or extent of the established microbial plug.
Use of microorganisms of the type Clostridium thermocellum for formation of a microbial plug in a water-flooded petroleum-containing geological formation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.