Use of prokaryote viruses to remediate bio-fouling
AssigneePhage Biocontrol Research, LLC
InventorsScott Campbell, Douglas Baldwin, Mei Liu, Neil S. Summer
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Abstract
This invention provides a process for control in oil and gas wells and related facilities of prokaryote caused souring, fouling and corrosion by reduction of problematic prokaryotes with naturally occurring lysing organisms, particularly sulfate-reducing prokaryotes by proliferating suitable virulent lysing organisms under conditions in which problematic prokaryotes thrive, including in a gas production wellbore. The process provides in situ proliferation of virulent lysing organism in a wellbore by providing both virulent lysing organisms and their host prokaryotes to selectively grow an effective control amount and concentrations of lysing organisms in a well formation.
Claims12
A method of preparing an oil and gas geological formation for hydrofracturing or water flood by introducing before hydrofracturing or water flood operations a combination of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) and lysing organisms virulent for said sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) in sufficient amount and concentration to cause the bacteriophage to replicate by lysing said sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP).
A method of remediating sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) in oil and gas geological formations comprising introducing into a wellbore in a formation during drilling operations a combination of sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) and lysing organisms virulent for said sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP) in sufficient amount and concentration to cause the bacteriophage to replicate by lysing said sulfate-reducing prokaryotes (SRP).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.