TABLE 6.
Microbial products and their applications in enhanced oil recoverya
| Product | Microorganism | Application in oil recovery |
|---|---|---|
| Biomass | Bacillus licheniformis | Selective biomass plugging |
| Leuconostoc mesenteroides | Viscosity reduction | |
| Xanthomonas campestris | Oil degradation, wetability alteration | |
| Biosurfactants (emulsan, sophorolipids, peptidolipid, rhamnolipid) | Acinetobacter calcoaceticus | Emulsification, decrease of interfacial tension, viscosity reduction |
| Arthrobacter paraffineus | ||
| Bacillus licheniformis | ||
| Clostridium pasteurianum | ||
| Corynebacterium fasciens | ||
| Pseudomonas rubescens | ||
| Biopolymers (alginate, xanthan, dextran, pullulan) | Bacillus polymyxa | Injectivity profile modification, mobility control |
| Brevibacterium viscogenes | ||
| Leuconostoc mesenteroides | ||
| Xanthomonas campestris | ||
| Solvents (n-butanol, acetone, ethanol) | Clostridium acetobutylicum | Oil dissolution, viscosity reduction |
| Clostridium pasteurianum | ||
| Zymomonas mobilis | ||
| Acids (acetate, butyrate) | Clostridium spp. | Permeability increase, emulsification |
| Enterobacter aerogenes | ||
| Gases (CO2, CH4, H2) | Clostridium acetobutylicum | Increased pressure, oil swelling, decrease of interfacial tension, |
| Clostridium acetobutylicum | viscosity reduction, permeability increase | |
| Enterobacter aerogenes | ||
| Methanobacterium sp. |