Development of Coupled Biokinetic and Thermal Model to Optimize Cold-Water Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) in Homogenous Reservoir

Abstract

By incorporating a temperature-dependent biokinetic and thermal model, the novel method, cold-water microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), was developed under nonisothermal conditions. The suggested model characterized the growth for Bacillus subtilis (microbe) and Surfactin (biosurfactant) that were calibrated and confirmed against the experimental results. Several biokinetic parameters were obtained within approximately a 2% error using the cardinal temperature model and experimental results. According to the obtained parameters, the examination was conducted with several injection scenarios for a high-temperature reservoir of 71 °C. The results proposed the influences of injection factors including nutrient concentration, rate, and temperature. Higher nutrient concentrations resulted in decreased interfacial tension by producing Surfactin. On the other hand, injection rate and temperature changed growth condition for Bacillus subtilis. An optimal value of injection rate suggested that it affected not only heat transfer but also nutrient residence time. Injection temperature led to optimum reservoir condition for Surfactin production, thereby reducing interfacial tension. Through the optimization process, the determined optimal injection design improved oil recovery up to 53% which is 8% higher than waterflooding. The proposed optimal injection design was an injection sucrose concentration of 100 g/L, a rate of 7 m3/d, and a temperature of 19 °C.