Publications

Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) is the usage of microorganisms to retrieve additional oil from existing wells, thereby enhancing oil production from reservoir. In this technique, selected natural microorganisms are introduced into oil wells to produce harmless by-products, such as slippery natural substances or gases, all of which help propel oil out of the well. And MEOR is used in the third phase of oil recovery from a well, known as tertiary oil recovery.The microorganisms used in MEOR need certain conditions to survive, so nutrients and oxygen are often introduced into the well at the same time. They also grow between oil and the rocks surface to enhance oil recovery by the following methods. Reduction of oil viscosity Production of carbon dioxide gas Production of biomass Selective plugging Production of biosurfactantsAnd by inserting a gene that codes for a bacteria's ability to aid oil recovery into the genome of an existing bacteria that can survive under high temperatures, scientists may produce microorganisms that can both survive the heat of an oil well and also help retrieve oil. But overall as MEOR reduces or eliminates the need to use harsh chemicals during oil drilling, it is an environmentally compatible method of carrying out tertiary oil recovery. MEOR will become increasingly economically feasible as genetic engineering develops more effective microbial bacteria that may subsist on inexpensive and abundant nutrients. Methods for developing and growing MEOR bacteria are improving, thereby lowering production costs and making it a more attractive alternative to traditional chemical methods of tertiary oil recovery.