Phosphate compound that is used in a microbial profile modification process
AssigneeChevron Research Company
InventorsRichard S. Silver, Pamela M. Bunting
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a phosphate compound for use in a bacterial nutrient medium. The medium is injected downhole in a petroleum formation along with a bacteria (or its spore) and provides the bacteria with growth nutrients. The nutrient solution contains a phosphate compound which: will not precipitate out of solution under ambient conditions; will chelate alkaline earth, rare earth, transition and heavy metal ions; and provide a nutrient source for the bacteria.
Claims12
A nutrient medium that is capable of flowing downhole into a petroleum reservoir and is capable of providing a metabolizable source of phosphate for microorganisms without precipitating on contact with connate water, said nutrient medium comprising a tripolyphosphate.
A nutrient medium to provide essential nutrients to induce bacterial spores to grow, replicate, and produce an exopolymer, comprising:
- a metabolizable source of tripolyphosphate in a form so that the phosphate will not precipitate out of solution when the nutrient medium is flowed into a highly saline environment that has ions selected from the group consisting of alkaline earth, rare earth, transition and heavy metal ions, said phosphate compound being able to chelate polymer cross-linking agents that are deleterious to the growth of the bacteria;
- and
- sources for remaining metabolic requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.