MIOR
Microbial Improved Oil Recovery

MIOR is a secondary oil production process on a microbiological basis, enabling a greater production of oil through the injection of molasses and specialised bacteria, which synthesise various products and so improve the level of oil recovery. In comparison to other applicable methods such as Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), Microbial Improved Oil Recovery (MIOR or Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery MEOR) is rated as a more advanced EOR technique.
MIOR can be applied as a cyclic ("huff and puff") or as a continuous flooding process. For this purpose selected microorganisms, (which can grow under reservoir conditions) and nutrients (molasses, nitrogen- and phosphate salts) are injected into the reservoir.
MIOR is a powerful and cost-effective method for recovery of additional oil from a reservoir. MicroPro GmbH has been working on the field of MIOR since 1967 and has developed differing MIOR techniques for sandstone and carbonate layers with ordinary and extreme reservoir conditions (high temperature high salinity).
The following mechanisms increase the oil output:
Bio-gas:
CO2 (80 %) increases the pressure up to 20 bar in model experience leads to a higher energy potential in the oil field
H2 (20 %) up to 380 ml per gram of molasses increases the oil volume factor and therefore decreases the oil viscosity gives a better oil mobilisation
CH4 as final product from organic acids, alcohols and hydrogen changes the pressure potential in fissures and pores increases the oil production rate
organic acids:
acetic-, propionic-, nutyric-, valerianic acid decrease the pH up to 4.8 increase the permeability of the rock
dissolve the carbonate rock by about 0,2 tons of rock per ton of molasses dissolve the carbonate partially including fresh not yet drained rock
thus building up new flow channels
acetone and alcohols:
methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol decreasing the interfacial tension for example against heptane up to 12 - 46,5 mNm-1 force the imbibition of injected, fermented molasses media into the pore canals and fissures to give more oil from the rock
biolipids alter the rock increased wettability breaks up oil/water barriers creating emulsions and leading to an improved flow rate
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