Microbially Enhanced Oil Recovery by Alkylbenzene-Oxidizing Nitrate-Reducing Bacteria

Navreet Suri1, Fatma Gassara1,2, Paul Stanislav1

  • 1Petroleum Microbiology Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Summary

Ethylbenzene enhances microbially enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) similarly to toluene. Injecting nitrate and specific bacterial biomass, particularly from continuous cultures, significantly boosts residual oil recovery through emulsification and flow channel blockage.

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