油藏微生物的代谢特征与提高原油采收率技术

油藏是一个高温、高压、少氧、寡营养和封闭的极端环境,油田经过多年注水开发后,在油藏内部形成了相对稳定的微生物群落体系,这些微生物以石油烃分解为起始,形成了一个复杂的食物链,对油藏碳、硫和金属离子的元素地球化学循环起着非常重要的作用。微生物提高原油采收率技术(MEOR)是利用微生物及其代谢产物与油藏和原油发生作用来提高原油采收率的一种新技术,具有成本低、适应性强和环境友好等特点,因此有望成为未来化学驱后油藏和高含水油藏进一步提高采收率的重要手段。对油藏内源微生物及其介导的生化反应,微生物采油原理、发展历程和现场试验进行综述,并提出了未来的发展方向。     

油藏微生物及其压力适应机制

目前我国油田开发主要处于高含水后期,微生物驱提高石油采收率技术(MEOR)以低成本、环境友好等独特的优势引起了石油工业界的重视。实际上,经过半个多世纪的发展,MEOR已经成为提高采收率的重要前沿技术。高压是油藏的主要环境特征,在影响油藏微生物生存与活性等方面具有重要作用。本文从油藏及其微生物的主要特征、微生物对高压环境的适应机制以及高压下微生物降解烃的代谢特征等方面进行了综述。介绍了对油藏微生物资源、群落结构、微生物在油水相中分布的认识,微生物乳化原油机制,以及微生物在油藏厌氧环境中协同代谢、受温度和压力影响的特点,并列举了MEOR的矿场应用。在高压适应机制上,微生物主要通过改变和调整细胞膜结构、增加胞内脂质组分和表达胞内特殊酶等作用来实现对压力的适应;在高压下烃降解微生物代谢速率低于常压,而且耐压菌和嗜压菌具有不同的烃降解效率。     

Monitoring exogenous and indigenous bacteria by PCR-DGGE technology during the process of microbial enhanced oil recovery

A field experiment was performed to monitor changes in exogenous bacteria and to investigate the diversity of indigenous bacteria during a field trial of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). Two wells (26-195 and 27-221) were injected with three exogenous strains and then closed to allow for microbial growth and metabolism. After a waiting period, the pumps were restarted and the samples were collected. The bacterial populations of these samples were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) with PCR-amplified 16S rRNA fragments. DGGE profiles indicated that the exogenous strains were retrieved in the production water samples and indigenous strains could also be detected. After the pumps were restarted, average oil yield increased to 1.58 and 4.52 tons per day in wells 26-195 and 27-221, respectively, compared with almost no oil output before the injection of exogenous bacteria. Exogenous bacteria and indigenous bacteria contributed together to the increased oil output. Sequence analysis of the DGGE bands revealed that Proteobacteria were a major component of the predominant bacteria in both wells. Changes in the bacteria population in the reservoirs during MEOR process were monitored by molecular analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. DGGE analysis was a successful approach to investigate the changes in microorganisms used for enhancing oil recovery. The feasibility of MEOR technology in the petroleum industry was also demonstrated.     

Swift production of rhamnolipid biosurfactant,biopolymer and synthesis of biosurfactant-wrapped silver nanoparticles and its enhanced oil recovery

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a kind of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) development, often used as a tertiary stage where oil recovery is no longer possible utilizing primary and secondary conventional techniques. Among a few potential natural operators valuable for MEOR, biosurfactants, biopolymers and biosurfactant based nanoparticles assume key jobs. Biosurfactant which are produced by microorganisms’ act as are surface active agents that can be used as an alternative to chemically synthesized surfactants. Pseudomonas aeruginosa TEN01, a gram-negative bacterium isolated from the petroleum industry is a potential biosurfactant (Rhamnolipid) producer using cassava waste as the substrate. This work focuses on production and characterization of rhamnolipid from P. aeruginosa TEN01 and its use in enhanced oil recovery. The effectiveness of Chitosan that is deacetylated form of chitin which is a biopolymer that provides density and viscosity to the fluids is not known in enhanced oil recovery yet and so it is studied. Moreover, the fabrication of biosurfactant-mediated silver nanocrystals and its application in enhanced oil recovery is also studied. Sand-Pack column was constructed and the mechanism of oil recovery in the column was studied. While incubating the crude oil containing sand packed column with Biosurfactant-biopolymer and brine flooding in the ratio of 1:2, and Biosurfactant incubation - flooding with 3 g/l of biopolymer was found to be 34.28% and 44.5% respectively. The biosurfactant based silver nanoparticles are non-toxic and have better stability when compared to chemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. The oil recovery percentage by chemical based Ag NPs and biosurfactant based Ag NPs are 14.94% and 14.28% respectively.     

Recent advances in petroleum microbiology.

Recent advances in molecular biology have extended our understanding of the metabolic processes related to microbial transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The physiological responses of microorganisms to the presence of hydrocarbons, including cell surface alterations and adaptive mechanisms for uptake and efflux of these substrates, have been characterized. New molecular techniques have enhanced our ability to investigate the dynamics of microbial communities in petroleum-impacted ecosystems. By establishing conditions which maximize rates and extents of microbial growth, hydrocarbon access, and transformation, highly accelerated and bioreactor-based petroleum waste degradation processes have been implemented. Biofilters capable of removing and biodegrading volatile petroleum contaminants in air streams with short substrate-microbe contact times (<60 s) are being used effectively. Microbes are being injected into partially spent petroleum reservoirs to enhance oil recovery. However, these microbial processes have not exhibited consistent and effective performance, primarily because of our inability to control conditions in the subsurface environment. Microbes may be exploited to break stable oilfield emulsions to produce pipeline quality oil. There is interest in replacing physical oil desulfurization processes with biodesulfurization methods through promotion of selective sulfur removal without degradation of associated carbon moieties. However, since microbes require an environment containing some water, a two-phase oil-water system must be established to optimize contact between the microbes and the hydrocarbon, and such an emulsion is not easily created with viscous crude oil. This challenge may be circumvented by application of the technology to more refined gasoline and diesel substrates, where aqueous-hydrocarbon emulsions are more easily generated. Molecular approaches are being used to broaden the substrate specificity and increase the rates and extents of desulfurization. Bacterial processes are being commercialized for removal of H(2)S and sulfoxides from petrochemical waste streams. Microbes also have potential for use in removal of nitrogen from crude oil leading to reduced nitric oxide emissions provided that technical problems similar to those experienced in biodesulfurization can be solved. Enzymes are being exploited to produce added-value products from petroleum substrates, and bacterial biosensors are being used to analyze petroleum-contaminated environments.     

Potential of wheat bran to promote indigenous microbial enhanced oil recovery

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is an emerging oil extraction technology that utilizes microorganisms to facilitate recovery of crude oil in depleted petroleum reservoirs. In the present study, effects of wheat bran utilization were investigated on stimulation of indigenous MEOR. Biostimulation conditions were optimized with the response surface methodology. The co-application of wheat bran with KNO₃ and NH₄H₂PO₄ significantly promoted indigenous MEOR (IMEOR) and exhibited sequential aerobic (O-), facultative (A_n-) and anaerobic (A₀-) metabolic stages. The surface tension of fermented broth decreased by approximately 35%, and the crude oil was highly emulsified. Microbial community structure varied largely among and in different IMEOR metabolic stages. Pseudomonas sp., Citrobacter sp., and uncultured Burkholderia sp. dominated the O-, A_n- and early A₀-stages. Bacillus sp., Achromobacter sp., Rhizobiales sp., Alcaligenes sp. and Clostridium sp. dominated the later A₀-stage. This study illustrated occurrences of microbial community succession driven by wheat bran stimulation and its industrial potential.     

Recent Advances in Petroleum Microbiology

Recent advances in molecular biology have extended our understanding of the metabolic processes related to microbial transformation of petroleum hydrocarbons. The physiological responses of microorganisms to the presence of hydrocarbons, including cell surface alterations and adaptive mechanisms for uptake and efflux of these substrates, have been characterized. New molecular techniques have enhanced our ability to investigate the dynamics of microbial communities in petroleum-impacted ecosystems. By establishing conditions which maximize rates and extents of microbial growth, hydrocarbon access, and transformation, highly accelerated and bioreactor-based petroleum waste degradation processes have been implemented. Biofilters capable of removing and biodegrading volatile petroleum contaminants in air streams with short substrate-microbe contact times (<60 s) are being used effectively. Microbes are being injected into partially spent petroleum reservoirs to enhance oil recovery. However, these microbial processes have not exhibited consistent and effective performance, primarily because of our inability to control conditions in the subsurface environment. Microbes may be exploited to break stable oilfield emulsions to produce pipeline quality oil. There is interest in replacing physical oil desulfurization processes with biodesulfurization methods through promotion of selective sulfur removal without degradation of associated carbon moieties. However, since microbes require an environment containing some water, a two-phase oil-water system must be established to optimize contact between the microbes and the hydrocarbon, and such an emulsion is not easily created with viscous crude oil. This challenge may be circumvented by application of the technology to more refined gasoline and diesel substrates, where aqueous-hydrocarbon emulsions are more easily generated. Molecular approaches are being used to broaden the substrate specificity and increase the rates and extents of desulfurization. Bacterial processes are being commercialized for removal of H₂S and sulfoxides from petrochemical waste streams. Microbes also have potential for use in removal of nitrogen from crude oil leading to reduced nitric oxide emissions provided that technical problems similar to those experienced in biodesulfurization can be solved. Enzymes are being exploited to produce added-value products from petroleum substrates, and bacterial biosensors are being used to analyze petroleum-contaminated environments.     

陕北地区石油污染土壤中不动杆菌属的筛选、鉴定及降解性能

从陕北地区石油污染土壤中分离鉴定得到两株不动杆菌属(Acinetobacter sp.)的高效石油降解菌A.sp 1和A.sp 2,分别从盐浓度、pH值、氮源、磷源和接种量等因素进行研究以确定其最佳石油降解条件,并进一步通过GC-MS(Gas ChromatographyMass Spectrometer)方法分析其在最佳条件下对原油组分的不同降解性能。结果显示:A.sp 1在盐浓度为1%、pH值为6—7、磷源为KH2PO4和K2HPO4、氮源为尿素和接种量为4%的条件下,最高降解率可达到60%。A.sp 2在盐浓度为1%、pH值为7—9、磷源为KH2PO4和K2HPO4、氮源为硝酸铵和接种量为8%的条件下,最高降解率可达到67%。GC-MS分析结果表明,菌株A.sp 1对石油烃类C21—C25有明显的降解效果,菌株A.sp 2对石油烃类C20—C30的降解效果较好。     

大庆油田微生物采油现场试验进展

本文介绍近十几年以来大庆油田利用具有产气、降解原油、产生物表面活性剂及堵调性能的菌剂,通过地下发酵,开展微生物采油现场试验取得的进展.分析了该项技术适用的油藏条件和应用特点.截止到2012年底,应用微生物采油技术增产原油达12×104 t.其中微生物单井吞吐518口,累计增油6.3×104t,实施微生物驱和调驱项目10项(45个井组),累计增油5.7×104 t,为大庆油田稳产发挥了重要作用.     

Microbial processes in the Athabasca Oil Sands and their potential applications in microbial enhanced oil recovery

The Athabasca Oil Sands are located within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, which covers over 140,200 km² of land in Alberta, Canada. The oil sands provide a unique environment for bacteria as a result of the stressors of low water availability and high hydrocarbon concentrations. Understanding the mechanisms bacteria use to tolerate these stresses may aid in our understanding of how hydrocarbon degradation has occurred over geological time, and how these processes and related tolerance mechanisms may be used in biotechnology applications such as microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). The majority of research has focused on microbiology processes in oil reservoirs and oilfields; as such there is a paucity of information specific to oil sands. By studying microbial processes in oil sands there is the potential to use microbes in MEOR applications. This article reviews the microbiology of the Athabasca Oil Sands and the mechanisms bacteria use to tolerate low water and high hydrocarbon availability in oil reservoirs and oilfields, and potential applications in MEOR.     

Removing of Crude Oil From Polluted Areas Using the Isolated Fungi From Tehran Oil Refinery

The pollution of soil and the subsurface environment by crude oil spill and petroleum products spill is a major concern around the world. The aim of this research was to investigate the ability of fungi isolated from Tehran oil refinery area in removing crude oil and to evaluate their enzymatic activities. Plant root samples were collected from the polluted and control areas, and rhizospheral fungi were isolated and determined using the laboratory methods and taxonomic keys. Seven fungal species were isolated and then cultured in potato dextrose agar (PDA) media containing 0–15% (v/v) crude oil. Oil removal was determined after a one-month growth of fungal colonies and then compared with the control media. The results showed that the studied fungi were able to remove crude oil from the media. The highest removal efficiency was observed in Aspergillus sp. Total protein content and enzymatic activity (of peroxidase and catalase) increased with increasing crude oil pollution. The highest enzymatic activity was evaluated in Aspergillus sp. growing in media containing 15% petroleum and the lowest activity was found in non-polluted groups. Results showed that there is a direct correlation between oil-removing potency and enzymatic activity. Aspergillus sp. showed the highest enzyme activity and also the highest petroleum removal efficiency.     

Microbially enhanced oil recovery from carbonate reservoirs

About half of the world's oil production is from carbonate formations. However, most of the research in microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), a potentially important tertiary recovery technology, has focused on sandstone reservoirs because, in general, they are geologically simpler than carbonate reservoirs and easier to model in the laboratory. Carbonate formations have a wide range of pore geometries and distributions, resulting in complex flow dynamics. The low matrix permeabilities and the dual porosity characteristics of most carbonate formations, coupled with the chemistry of carbonates, have slowed implementation of enhanced oil recovery methods. A review of the data on carbonate reservoirs in Dwight's Energydata TOTL System indicated that 40% of the oil‐producing carbonate reservoirs surveyed in the United States have environmental, geological, and petrophysical conditions that would make them candidates for MEOR. A review of a number of MEOR field trials showed that rates of oil production could be increased by as much as 200%. Microbial activity in these trials was probably due to that of indigenous populations rather than the microorganisms injected for the trials. Detrimental effects such as loss of injectivity and increased souring were not reported. Based on analysis of the geology and petrophysical characteristics of carbonates, two common mechanisms of MEOR, microbial acid production and microbial gas production, are especially suited for application in carbonate reservoirs.     

Impact of an indigenous microbial enhanced oil recovery field trial on microbial community structure in a high pour-point oil reservoir

Based on preliminary investigation of microbial populations in a high pour-point oil reservoir, an indigenous microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) field trial was carried out. The purpose of the study is to reveal the impact of the indigenous MEOR process on microbial community structure in the oil reservoir using 16Sr DNA clone library technique. The detailed monitoring results showed significant response of microbial communities during the field trial and large discrepancies of stimulated microorganisms in the laboratory and in the natural oil reservoir. More specifically, after nutrients injection, the original dominant populations of Petrobacter and Alishewanella in the production wells almost disappeared. The expected desirable population of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, determined by enrichment experiments in laboratory, was stimulated successfully in two wells of the five monitored wells. Unexpectedly, another potential population of Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes which were not detected in the enrichment culture in laboratory was stimulated in the other three monitored production wells. In this study, monitoring of microbial community displayed a comprehensive alteration of microbial populations during the field trial to remedy the deficiency of culture-dependent monitoring methods. The results would help to develop and apply more MEOR processes.     

The prospects for peroxidase-based biorefining of petroleum fuels

Peroxidases have many potential uses for biotechnological processes. In this review, peroxidase-catalyzed reactions potentially applicable to the petroleum industry are described. Although peroxidases are attractive catalysts for desulfurization, aromatic oxidation and asphaltene transformation, there are important issues that must be overcome before any industrial application can be considered. The opportunities and challenges of enzymatic petroleum biorefining are documented and discussed, with emphasis on the available tools to design a biocatalyst with appropriate performance for the oil and other industries.     

The prospects for peroxidase-based biorefining of petroleum fuels

Peroxidases have many potential uses for biotechnological processes. In this review, peroxidase-catalyzed reactions potentially applicable to the petroleum industry are described. Although peroxidases are attractive catalysts for desulfurization, aromatic oxidation and asphaltene transformation, there are important issues that must be overcome before any industrial application can be considered. The opportunities and challenges of enzymatic petroleum biorefining are documented and discussed, with emphasis on the available tools to design a biocatalyst with appropriate performance for the oil and other industries.     

N52等三株采油细菌的分离鉴定

从大庆油田被原油长期污染的水和土壤样品中,分离出8株三次采油细菌。用API ATB EXPRESS菌种分析仪和16s-rDNA分析的方法,对其中3个采油效果好的菌株进行了鉴定。结果3个菌株分别为：J41阴沟肠杆菌、982和N52蜡状芽孢杆菌。     

长庆油田延9低渗透油藏微生物群落研究

目的:研究长庆油田延9低渗透油藏微生物群落,为实施微生物提高原油采收率提供指导和依据。方法:长庆油田延9油藏三口不同油井(柳28-46、柳28-47和柳27-45)的油水样品建立16S rDNA克隆文库进行研究。结果:构建了柳28-46、柳28-47和柳27-45油井样品的微生物基因克隆文库,其分类操作单元(OUT)数分别为21、20和20个;序列分析比对表明,3口井的共同的优势微生物菌群为铜绿假单胞菌(Pseudomonas aeruginos),分别占各文库的32.8%、32%和42.9%,它是最常见最主要的采油功能菌之一。此外硫酸盐还原菌(SRB)和铁细菌也处于优势地位,它们是原油开采中的有害菌。结论:延9低渗透油藏微生物群落和其潜在功能的分析为开展微生物提高石油采收率应用提供了良好的基础资料。     

Biorefining of biomass to liquid fuels and organic chemicals

The production of liquid and gaseous fuels and industrial chemicals from selected biomass by a process known as biorefining is reviewed. Four broad categories of biomass appear to be suitable feedstocks: woody biomass and forest residues, agricultural residues, directly fermentable crop-grown biomass, and municipal solid waste and sewage sludge. Through the development of suppressed methane fermentation techniques, it is possible to produce valuable organic chemicals such as acetic acid and ethyl acetate, and liquid fuel (rather than fuel gas) by exercising various processing alternatives. Thus the entire field of methane fermentation has been broadened. In the petroleum refining industry, it is usually desirable to produce from crude oil an optimal mixture of industrial organic chemicals and fuels, a concept known as coproduction. The biorefining process reviewed appears to be adaptable to this same concept of coproduction using biomass as a feedstock.     

Surfactant activity of a naphthalene degrading Bacillus pumilus strain isolated from oil sludge

We studied the growth, biosurfactant activities and petroleum hydrocarbon compounds utilisation of strain 28-11 isolated from a solid waste oil. The isolate was identified as Bacillus pumilus. It grew well in the presence of 0.1% (w/v) of crude oil and naphthalene under aerobic conditions and utilised these substances as carbon and energy source. The capacity of strain 28-11 to emulsify crude oil and its ability to remove hydrocarbons looks promising for its application in environmental technologies.     

Exopolysaccharide production by a genetically engineered Enterobacter cloacae strain for microbial enhanced oil recovery

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a petroleum biotechnology for manipulating function and/or structure of microbial environments existing in oil reservoirs for prolonged exploitation of the largest source of energy. In this study, an Enterobacter cloacae which is capable of producing water-insoluble biopolymers at 37 °C and a thermophilic Geobacillus strain were used to construct an engineered strain for exopolysaccharide production at higher temperature. The resultant transformants, GW3-3.0, could produce exopolysaccharide up to 8.83 g l⁻¹ in molasses medium at 54 °C. This elevated temperature was within the same temperature range as that for many oil reservoirs. The transformants had stable genetic phenotype which was genetically fingerprinted by RAPD analysis. Core flooding experiments were carried out to ensure effective controlled profile for the simulation of oil recovery. The results have demonstrated that this approach has a promising application potential in MEOR.