Nutrient Resuscitation and Growth of Starved Cells in Sandstone Cores: a Novel Approach to Enhanced Oil Recovery

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae, which was reduced in size (0.25 by 0.5 ,um) by carbon deprivation, was injected into a series of sandstone cores and subjected to separate treatments. Scanning electron microscopy of 400-mD cores showed these small starved cells in nearly every core section. The cells were a mixture of small rods and cocci with little or no biofilm production. Continuous or dose stimulation with sodium citrate allowed the cells to grow throughout the sandstone and completely plug the length of the core. The resuscitated cells were larger than the starved cells (up to 1.7 ,um) and were encased in glycocalyx. Scanning electron microscopic results of resuscitation in situ with half-strength brain heart infusion broth showed that a shallow "skin" plug of cells formed at the core inlet and that fewer cells were located in the lower sections. Starved cells also penetrated 200-mD cores and were successfully resuscitated in situ with sodium citrate, so that the entire core was plugged. Nutrient resuscitation of injected starved cells to produce full-size cells which grow and block the rock pores may be successfully applied to selective plugging and may effectively increase oil recovery.

Application of Biobarriers for Groundwater Containment at Fractured Bedrock Sites

“…A stimulation of these UMB for a period of 13 days led to the development of a biofilm as thick as 1.1 mm. Similarly, Lappin-Scott et al (1988) reported a reduction of more than 99 percent in the permeability of 200-mD cores of sandstone after Klebsiella pneumoniae were injected on a starved form (UMB), and a sodium citrate medium was added for cells resuscitation.…”

“…The bioclogging of consolidated media has been studied since the 1980s for the enhancement of oil recovery (Shaw et al, 1985;Lappin-Scott et al, 1988;Cusack et al, 1992a;Davey et al, 1998).This application aimed to selectively plug high-permeability zones of an oil reservoir (to facilitate oil recovery) by diverting water into less permeable rock (Cusack et al, 1992b;Davey et al, 1998). More recently, the potential of bioclogging in fractured media was investigated for the containment of groundwater (Ross et al, 1998;Ross et al, 2001a), and the modeling of the effects of biofilm on flow and transport in such an environment was reported (Hill & Sleep, 2001).…”

AlkaliphilicBacillusspecies show potential application in concrete crack repair by virtue of rapid spore production and germination then extracellular calcite formation

“…Metabolic activities in microbes yield insoluble organic and inorganic materials, intra-or extracellularly (Lappin-Scott et al 1988). The processes that lead to production by living organisms of inorganic material such as phosphorites, carbonates, silicates and iron and manganese oxides in the form of shells, skeletons and teeth are termed as bio-mineralization (Beveridge et al 1983;Ghiorse 1984).…”

Laboratory Investigation of Thermoanaerobacter brockii Subsp. Lactiethylicus Strain 9801T for Possible Utilization in Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery

“…Although, composition of gas was not specifically determined, formation of gaseous products under anaerobic condition is a positive result. Four conditions indicated to be met to achieve successful in situ bacteria growth and core plugging are: the cells must be transported throughout the rock stratum, nutrients must be transported for growth, the microorganisms must be able to grow and reduce the permeability of the rock by biomass and extracellular polymer production, the bacteria growth must not be so rapid that it results in the formation of bacterial plugs farther away from the wellbore [28,29]. The results of this study have demonstrated that Thermoanerobacter brockii subsp.…”