Nutrient-Stimulated Microorganisms for Low Salinity Water Flooding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low salinity water injection methods in petroleum reservoirs face limitations in enhancing oil recovery due to the need for improved interaction between resident microorganisms and oil in the reservoir, which affects wettability and permeability.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the determination and application of a specific nutrient package to stimulate resident microorganisms in oil reservoirs, altering their size and hydrophobic properties to enhance interaction with oil, applied cyclically with low salinity water injection, thereby improving wettability and relative permeability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If low salinity water injection is used to improve oil recovery, then oil production rate increases, but the interaction between resident microorganisms and oil is insufficient, limiting further recovery enhancement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by supplementing nutrients to alter the physiological state of resident microorganisms, transforming them from a non-active state to an active state that can effectively interact with oil. This changes the biological parameters of the microorganisms to enhance their oil-releasing characteristics, thereby resolving the limitation of insufficient microorganism-oil interaction while maintaining improved oil production rates
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes self-service by stimulating resident microorganisms already present in the reservoir rather than introducing external microorganisms. The nutrient supplementation enables these indigenous microorganisms to activate and perform their natural oil-interaction functions, leveraging the existing biological resources within the system to enhance recovery
2Reliability
If nutrient supplementation is added to stimulate microorganisms, then microorganism-oil interaction improves, but the complexity of the injection process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the nutrient supplementation process with the existing low salinity water injection process. Instead of creating a separate injection system, the nutrients are integrated into the water injection workflow, allowing both processes to occur simultaneously through the same injection infrastructure, thereby minimizing additional complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The injection system gains multi-functionality by serving both as a low salinity water injection system and a nutrient delivery system. The same injection wells and piping infrastructure are used to deliver both the low salinity water and the nutrient supplements, making the system perform multiple functions without proportionally increasing complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach increases oil recovery by optimizing the oil-releasing characteristics of resident microorganisms, enhancing the interaction with oil in the reservoir rock formation, leading to improved oil production rates and estimated ultimate recovery.
Implementation Method 1
stimulate resident microorganisms such that size or hydrophobic properties are beneficially altered so that interaction with oil contained in a reservoir rock formation is improved
Implementation Method 2
The specific nutrient package causes the resident microorganisms to interact with oil in the reservoir to cause changes in wettability or fluid relative permeability
Data Source
AI summary
A method of enhancing oil recovery includes the step of determining a specific nutrient package used to initiate a microbiological response under actual reservoir conditions in combination with low salinity water injection. Once determined, the specific nutrient package is applied to at least one targeted well to stimulate resident microorganisms such that size or hydrophobic properties are beneficially altered so that interaction with oil contained in a reservoir rock formation is improved.