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Exploiting Microbes in the Petroleum Field: Analyzing the Credibility of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)

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Listed:
  • Marzuqa Quraishi

    (Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Mumbai 410206, India)

  • Shashi Kant Bhatia

    (Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
    Institute for Ubiquitous Information Technology and Application, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea)

  • Soumya Pandit

    (Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201306, India)

  • Piyush Kumar Gupta

    (Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Greater Noida 201306, India)

  • Vivek Rangarajan

    (Department of Chemical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Goa Campus, Goa 403726, India)

  • Dibyajit Lahiri

    (Department of Biotechnology, University of Engineering & Management, Kolkata 700156, India)

  • Sunita Varjani

    (Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar 382010, India)

  • Sanjeet Mehariya

    (Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden)

  • Yung-Hun Yang

    (Department of Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea
    Institute for Ubiquitous Information Technology and Application, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea)

Abstract

Crude oil is a major energy source that is exploited globally to achieve economic growth. To meet the growing demands for oil, in an environment of stringent environmental regulations and economic and technical pressure, industries have been required to develop novel oil salvaging techniques. The remaining ~70% of the world’s conventional oil (one-third of the available total petroleum) is trapped in depleted and marginal reservoirs, and could thus be potentially recovered and used. The only means of extracting this oil is via microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). This tertiary oil recovery method employs indigenous microorganisms and their metabolic products to enhance oil mobilization. Although a significant amount of research has been undertaken on MEOR, the absence of convincing evidence has contributed to the petroleum industry’s low interest, as evidenced by the issuance of 400+ patents on MEOR that have not been accepted by this sector. The majority of the world’s MEOR field trials are briefly described in this review. However, the presented research fails to provide valid verification that the microbial system has the potential to address the identified constraints. Rather than promising certainty, MEOR will persist as an unverified concept unless further research and investigations are carried out.

Suggested Citation

  • Marzuqa Quraishi & Shashi Kant Bhatia & Soumya Pandit & Piyush Kumar Gupta & Vivek Rangarajan & Dibyajit Lahiri & Sunita Varjani & Sanjeet Mehariya & Yung-Hun Yang, 2021. "Exploiting Microbes in the Petroleum Field: Analyzing the Credibility of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-30, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:15:p:4684-:d:606924
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Safdel, Milad & Anbaz, Mohammad Amin & Daryasafar, Amin & Jamialahmadi, Mohammad, 2017. "Microbial enhanced oil recovery, a critical review on worldwide implemented field trials in different countries," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 159-172.
    2. Moon Sik Jeong & Young Woo Lee & Hye Seung Lee & Kun Sang Lee, 2021. "Simulation-Based Optimization of Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery with a Model Integrating Temperature, Pressure, and Salinity Effects," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-20, February.
    3. Yuichi Sugai & Yukihiro Owaki & Kyuro Sasaki, 2020. "Simulation Study on Reservoir Souring Induced by Injection of Reservoir Brine Containing Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, June.
    4. Vladimir Alvarado & Eduardo Manrique, 2010. "Enhanced Oil Recovery: An Update Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 3(9), pages 1-47, August.
    5. Patel, Jay & Borgohain, Subrata & Kumar, Mayank & Rangarajan, Vivek & Somasundaran, Ponisseril & Sen, Ramkrishna, 2015. "Recent developments in microbial enhanced oil recovery," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 1539-1558.
    6. Eunji Hong & Moon Sik Jeong & Tae Hong Kim & Ji Ho Lee & Jin Hyung Cho & Kun Sang Lee, 2019. "Development of Coupled Biokinetic and Thermal Model to Optimize Cold-Water Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (MEOR) in Homogenous Reservoir," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-19, March.
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