Publications

Indonesia is a country with a lot of oil wells, but many have potential for increased oil recovery. On average, thirty percent of the in-place oil resources can be drained using conventional means. Many ways have been developed to increase oil rates and recovery with Enhanced Oil Recovery: including injection of surfactant fluids into the reservoir to mobilise remaining hydrocarbons. After a literature study and analysis of experiments to examine and analyze a number of microbial reactions to hydrocarbons, the results are a genus of microbes that can bind to hydrocarbons, such as a Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These can be produced by means of tissue culture, and can be used as a substitute for surfactant fluids in chemical floods. Advantages are reduced cost and better environmental compatibility because surfactants are inorganic chemicals that can damage the ecosystem.