# US 2019/0316166 A1 · Molecular biology method to determine the connectivity within a reservoir, the efficacy of secondary enhanced oil recovery, and leakage out of zone > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0316166 A1 - Document ID: US20190316166A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/380,175 - Filed: 2019-04-10 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-12 - Applicants: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company - Inventors: Zarath M. Summers; Clifford C. Walters - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190316166A1 ## CPC - E21B 43/16: Enhanced recovery methods for obtaining hydrocarbons - E21B 47/11: using tracers; using radioactivity - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - C12Q 1/24: Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample; Methods of physically isolating an intact microorganisms - C12Q 1/689: for bacteria - E21B 49/088: {combined with sampling} - G01N 1/02: Devices for withdrawing samples {(sampling of foundation soil E02D1/04; collecting or conveying radioactive samples G01T7/00, e.g. G01T7/02, G01T7/08)} - G01N 2001/1031: {Sampling from special places} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A method of evaluating subsurface connectivity, including: extracting biological material from samples obtained from a plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, the biological material including nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids; determining microbial community structures based on the biological material, which includes determining an abundance of various species included in the samples; generating a reservoir connectivity analysis model, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model identifies a connectivity between at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores in accordance with similarities in the microbial community structures at a plurality of subsurface locations that establish a path of fluid communication between the at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model includes a timing of the connectivity based on molecular biology; and generating a subsurface image or visualization, from the reservoir connectivity analysis model, that indicates a flow of hydrocarbons in the subsurface between the at least two hydrocarbon wellbores. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of evaluating subsurface connectivity, comprising: extracting biological material from samples obtained from a plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, the biological material including nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids; determining microbial community structures based on the biological material, which includes determining an abundance of various species included in the samples; generating a reservoir connectivity analysis model, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model identifies a connectivity between at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores in accordance with similarities in the microbial community structures at a plurality of subsurface locations that establish a path of fluid communication between the at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model includes a timing of the connectivity based on molecular biology; and generating a subsurface image or visualization, from the reservoir connectivity analysis model, that indicates a flow of hydrocarbons in the subsurface between the at least two hydrocarbon wellbores. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing core or water sample to determine transportability of microbes and determining whether two or more of the plurality of hydrocarbon wells are currently in dynamic-state connectivity. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the generating the reservoir connectivity analysis model include identifying compartments based on a CRISPER analysis, and identifying time of compartmentalization based on genetic drive. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a well to be drilled at a location determined from the reservoir connectivity analysis model. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating reservoir connectivity scenarios based on analysis of the biological material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least two hydrocarbon wellbores is a hydrocarbon production well and another of the at least two hydrocarbon wellbores is an injection well that enhances the recovery of hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon production well. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising determining that an injection fluid with a first microbial signature has entered a zone of the hydrocarbon production well based on an analysis of a fluid sample obtained from the hydrocarbon production well. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a hydrocarbon reservoir simulation based on the reservoir connectivity analysis model, which includes compartments and hydrocarbon flow connections based on the microbial community structures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining a depth correlated subsurface microbe DNA map from the biological material, which was gathered as the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores were being drilled; obtaining a fluid sample associated with a leakage out of zone (“LOOZ”) incident for one of the plurality of hydrocarbon wells; and correlating microbe DNA observed in the fluid sample associated with the LOOZ incident with the subsurface microbe DNA map, and determining a deepest observed microbe which, based on the subsurface microbe DNA map, indicates a depth of origin of the LOOZ incident. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a path traveled in the subsurface by the fluid sample associated with the LOOZ incident based on observed microbes in the fluid sample associated with the LOOZ incident. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a cause of the LOOZ incident based on which zone of the wellbore the LOOZ incident originated from. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising performing a hydrocarbon management operation to mitigate the LOOZ incident.