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Related Experiment Videos

Bacterial fouling in a model core system.

J C Shaw1, B Bramhill, N C Wardlaw

  • 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology
|March 1, 1985
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Bacterial biofilms significantly reduce oil recovery by plugging reservoir rock. While biocides kill bacteria, only sodium hypochlorite effectively removes the biofilm matrix, restoring core permeability.

Area of Science:

  • Petroleum Engineering
  • Microbiology
  • Geology

Background:

  • Bacterial plugging is a major challenge in waterflood oil recovery operations.
  • Understanding bacterial behavior in porous media is crucial for optimizing oil extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of bacterial plugging in simulated reservoir rock.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of different treatments for mitigating bacterial plugging.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized sintered glass bead cores to mimic reservoir rock pore spaces and surfaces.
  • Introduced pure and mixed bacterial populations to observe biofilm formation and its impact on permeability.
  • Tested biocides (isothiazalone) and chemical treatments (sodium hypochlorite) to assess their efficacy in restoring core permeability.

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Main Results:

  • Bacterial microcolonies formed on surfaces, producing exopolysaccharides and leading to confluent biofilms that decreased core permeability by over 99%.
  • Aerobic bacteria plugged the core inlet, while facultative anaerobes plugged throughout. Dead bacteria showed limited plugging.
  • Particles in injection water accelerated plugging by becoming trapped in biofilms.
  • Isothiazalone killed bacteria but left the biofilm matrix intact, while sodium hypochlorite dissolved the biofilm and restored permeability.

Conclusions:

  • Living bacteria form robust biofilms that severely impede oil recovery.
  • Effective mitigation requires not only killing bacteria but also dissolving the exopolysaccharide matrix.
  • Sodium hypochlorite is a promising agent for restoring permeability in bacteria-plugged reservoir cores.